Need help IDing what we thing is a Proof Mark

[IMBLITZVT]

Guys, I don't want to point you in a direction... so lets say its on a MG of either German or Japanese manufacture. So the marking is likely from them but not limited to them. Also its probably from the WWII era. The marking is on a Bakelite cover. We need to ID it and if anyone has a picture on another gun/military equipment please post pictures/Links!

Thanks!

[Alan Smith]

Looks like a Luftwaffe "L2" proof (i.e. from the Luftwaffe inspectors stationed at the H. Krieghoff factory).

[Johnny Peppers]

Isn't that an acceptance mark rather than a proof?

[Alan Smith]

Johnny is correct: this would be an acceptance stamp and not a "proof" (the term "proof", of course, denoting a firing proof).

I bet the part in question comes off of a MG-15, especially since there is some mention that it could be a German or Japanese item. The Japanese used a copy of the MG-15, except the part in question was wood on the Japanese gun and is bakelite on the German guns.

Just my .02 worth

[jh-ss44]

Alan, you're .02 cents is worth it's weight in gold. you usually know your stuff. jeff

[IMBLITZVT]

Guys thanks for the help.

Do you have any pictures of this acceptance mark so I can compare?

[IMBLITZVT]

No one has a picture of this? I have been looking but can't seem to find one. Help Please.

[Alan Smith]

Look in Randall Gibson's book "The Krieghoff Parabellum", as he has several pages on all of the various types of proof and inspector marks that were used on Krieghoff-manufactured P.08 and other items (including some views of a MG-15) that were procured by the LW.

Also, you can probably find similar information on the web, in the event you don't have access to Gibson's book.

[IMBLITZVT]

Alan,

Thanks very much for the help! You were correct that its a MG15 style gun. The cover is actually on a Type 98. The owner (not me) has been trying to show that these covers may be Jap manufactured. If this can be show to be the German proof, that will show for sure its German made, in which case he thinks it was put on by the Japs and shipped to them by the Germans maybe in U-boats before or during WWII...

I do not have Gibson's book. Is there anyway some could scan the pages for me? My email is phiteshe@vt.edu if you can. Otherwise I will try and find a copy. I have search the web for pictures of it but they are all very small Luger marks that leaves it hard to tell. The best I have found is this: http://luger.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=22975

[Johnny Peppers]

How cost effective would it be to ship a MG cover from German to Japan by submarine?
Just a question, but the cover appears to be cloth impregnated Bakelite, and was this commonly used by either the Germans or Japanese?

[IMBLITZVT]

Yeah its not my theory there... I personally don't think there is a chance in Hell the Germans used up space on a ship/Uboat with MG15 covers that could be easily made from wood in Japan. Its the gun owners theory. He has shown that the Jap did use Bakelite and maybe got some the technology from the Germans. He also has some pictures of what looks like Bakelite cover in use in the pacific. Of course these could be some of the 50+ complete MG15s sent to Japan to help them develop the Type 98 but its impossible to tell. If you are interseted, there is a 16 page thread under the MG15 section of the www.mg42.us website.

I would just like to see the mark IDed. If its German, I will assume its a post war replacement cover as that seems by far the most likely. Then I my interested will be at an end as the idea of them shipping them in a Uboat is way to far out for me unless you have a ship manafest with a line item saying MG15 baktelite covers...