My new P38 - VOPO or something weirder?

[RobertE]

Thanks Doug. You can see that whatever was removed was circular under a loop, so I'm not sure the grinder was just after swastikas - but maybe. The removed emblem looks like a VOPO star or an asterisk, to tell the truth. Bob, thanks for the site redirect! s/f Robert

[leondes]

Hi Robert,

I feel your markings are/were VOPO. The one on the right side of the slide (in the middle) was stamped over the original German firing proof marking, which contained a swastika. They often "denazified" the guns. Then, the VOPO markings were peened with a punch so the guns could be imported. I suppose one of the stamps on the frame could have been an asterisk but I don't know why they would have peened that out.

Your's still has the VOPO mark (with the shield inside) on the slide.

Regards, Leon

[RobertE]

Thanks for that. The position of some of the peen marks are definately where swastika-carrying birds were, so that all makes sense. I appreciate you confirming the VOPO markings, which raises an interesting point (for me). If they removed the VOPO markings for importation, why did they leave the most prominent one on the slide visible? Also, shouldn't this thing have import markings somewhere?

Is the asterisk on the barrel a reject marking, as it appears?

Also, are these type guns valued below market value, like the aluminum framed German police ones from the 1960's?

s/f Robert

[leondes]

Robert,

The marking on the side of the barrel flat is not a period rejection asterisk, IMO. I believe that is a VOPO inspection marking also but I am not absolutely positive since post war VOPO P.38s are not my thing.

I don't know why the marking was left on the left side of the slide and peened out on the right side unless there was some difference in the marking that made them want to remove just certain ones.

Import markings were not required prior to the Gun Control Act of 1968 so, without import marks, your's must have been imported prior to 1968 or, possibly, an importer missed marking your's.

I have 3 French P.38s that were imported in the early 1960s. None has an import mark.

The VOPO guns are collector items, in their own right, but valued below original German examples. To be worth top dollar, they would need to have all their original markings (by the East Germans) still intact. Peened markings really bring the value down, IMO.

Regards, Leon

[RobertE]

The information on importation markings really helps, thanks. It must have snuck in before 1968, or been missed as you suggested. The notion the astreisk-looking stamp is also VOP makes sense, as it only resembles the actual rejection asterisks I've reviewed.

I'm intrigued on the East German VOPO markings now. Since the wall didn't come down until long after they could be imported, and importers required the VOPO markings to be removed, aren't all of them peened? Not sharp shooting here, just truly curious. s/f Robert

[leondes]

Robert,

I don't collect the VOPO guns so I haven't really examined enough to be an expert on those. Therefore, I can't answer your question about VOPO vs. import markings. Maybe someone else can. My gut feeling is that very little about post war guns in the US is consistent. So, I would expect that some VOPO marked guns with all markings intact and without import markings would exist.

Here is a link to pictures of one of my cyqs with an asterisk on the barrel flat. I think you will be able to see the difference between my marking and yours.

http://lmd-militaria.com/page392.html

Regards, Leon

[RobertE]

That's probably as close as we can expect to get to the import mark question, given that they've been coming into the country by one means or another since 1945. I agree on the asterisk, the mark on mine is something else.

Not much experience in buying these across the counter. My last one came from a veteran that got the holstered AC42, belt, and a paratooper knife all together. I sure appreciate the assistance on this piece, gentlemen.

s/f Robert