Tom A. Question...?

[Pete Ebbink]

Hi Tom A.,

I was looking at the great 1943 HK luger album you have in the Member's Gallery and noticed the photos of the two magazines "appear" to show differences in the style of the LWaA2 stamping and possibly the shape of the serial number numbers.

If this is indeed the case, might one of the two been issued as a replacment ? If the two are original and stamped on the same day, I would assume their markings would look more identical...???





Regards,

Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />

[Ron Wood]

Pete,
I certainly am no expert on these "reproduction" Lugers , but I think you may be using criteria that are too exacting for analysis of this type of marking. The markings were hand struck. The force of the blow, the tilt of the die and probably a few other factors produced variations in markings, even those created just minutes apart. There may have been a jig to hold the part and the dies for marking, but not necessarily as precisely as those used for manufacturing production. I think the marking of magazines may have been an arsenal or armorers function and not the actual manufacturer of the magazine. Perhaps someone who knows what they are talking about can jump in here and educate me.

[Navy]

"The markings were hand struck. The force of the blow, the tilt of the die and probably a few other factors produced variations in markings, even those created just minutes apart"

I think Ron has it right.

Tom A.

[John D.]

Hey Pete,

They are correct.... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> I notice the same - both by eye and in the photos....

[Vlim]

Anyone ever noticed how these Krieghoff-related dies look like VoPo-dies?

[Ron Smith]

Oh, good job Gerben... Stir the pot!!

[Vlim]

Ron,

Not really stirring

I believe the similarity between Krieghoff/Haenel related stampings and VoPo stampings is easily explained by the fact that the VoPo reworks were done by the same people on the same equipment.

I'm curious who stamped them. My money is on the Krieghoff-crew.

[Pete Ebbink]

Thanks, guys, for the input...

My old eyes were making me think I saw some "swirly" markings from an engraving tool or pantograph in the one magazine whose markings were not has sharp and well-formed as the other one...

My apologies for going astray...

Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />

[Ron Wood]

Not a bad observation and not really going astray. One thing to look for in a pantographed marking - you will never see a sharp, "square" corner. In addition to the "swirly" appearance, the rotary cutter will always leave rounded corners.

Hand engraved characters may be "square" but will tend to be non-uniform in depth and may exhibit "chop" marks left by individual blows of the chasing hammer. Good engravers can cut a precise line without a hammer, but under magnification, the terminus of each cut will be observed to be an incline rather than a sharp plunge cut that would be left by a die.