UBB.threads Forums General Militaria Historic and Period Firearms Forum seeking help to identify unit markings on a P08

Good morning to all.

I'm a new member looking to understand the markings on the grip of a P08 made in 1918 by DWM. I'm told it was originally an artillery model shortened in 1920 and assigned to the Weimar Republic police.

As far as I can see, there are two series of numbers: the first (lower down on the grip) was crossed out by big Xs, and a second series further up the grip partially overlaying the first one.

The lower series is S.B.31.3.5.3 (or 8?)

The upper series is S.D. IV.3.33; here, the 33 is smaller.

A picture is attached [img]https://imgur.com/MZ0pA2n[/img]

Any help in making sense of these markings would be greatly appreciated.

Photo:

Anybody ?

I was hoping for some feedback....

If the first two letters that are Xed out are "S.B." this is a Berlin Police marking that was cancelled and re-issued. The last un-cancelled marking indicates the Schutzpolizei of Dusseldorf, IV Command. 3rd Centuria, weapon # 33.

I hope this is helpful.

Nembokid,

I was hoping that ORPO would see it.

ORPO - How rare are remarked pistols such as this ?

Actually the remarked pistols are not rare. The Germans were quite thrifty and often reworked their police pistols in house. They had a large central arsenal in Berlin and a series of around 100 Police Armorers operating workstations throughout Germany to work on police firearms. All this remarking finally became too time consuming and after the war wound up they stopped property marking pistols.

Here is a Model 1907 Dreyse pistol with Imperial and later property markings. These pistols continued in police use through the end of WWII.