Does anyone have any precise knowledge of how the one piece steel police crossguard/handguards were made?

The nickel-silver, i.e. German Silver handguards were obviously cast (as one piece), as I believe that most of the steel versions were. It is possible that some of the steel handguards may have also been hot, or even cold forged. Upon examination, what do some of you guys with metal working experience think? It seems to me that forging this part would have been technically difficult, but not improbable.