odd factory stamp on P gun barrel front

[golferboy426]

This is a new gun never fired original owner from the ruger subscription program..Anyone ever seen a stamping like this or know what it means . I've never seen one .Almost looks like one of the old asterisks

 

[hittman]

Nope never seen that one before. Another oddity to look for.

 

[Jeepnik]

Kind of looks like a Chrysanthemum. Maybe made for the Japanese market. Oh wait, Japanese can't own handguns. Maybe for Japanese police. (sarcasm off).

 

[Rat76]

Mum was my first thought, but the Mum on my Arisaka has a lot more petals.

 

[golferboy426]

Chad (rene) indicates it is indeed an asterisk gun previously called a U gun etc commonly called a second, used to also mark S. Surprised a subscription gun would not be "perfect"

 

[hittman]

Wow …. Ya learn something every day. Very cool.

 

[Rat76]

As Jeepnik said, the stamp on your Arisaka is a Chrysanthemum, it's the official Royal Mark of the Emperor which was stamped on all Jap military arms. Civilian weps I'm not sure about.

Yep, every piece of military equipment was the personal property of the emperor. After the surrender they ground the mums off of guns etc, prior to surrendering them so as to not insult the emperor. Mine was a "capture".

 

[RC44Mag]

I deleted my post, not realizing Mum is an easier way of saying/ typing Chrysanthemum.

 

[TestEngineer]

Looks to me like a typical Ruger Rockwell Hardness test stamp. Location varies a bit depending on model, but it seems pretty common.

 

[golferboy426]

Chad (rene) indicates it is indeed an asterisk gun previously called a U gun etc commonly called a second, used to also mark S. Surprised a subscription gun would not be "perfect"

I misinterpreted Chad's response . It not the asterisk but maybe something similar. He had one and was told or recalls it was for some unknown type of test. The hardness test seems plausible. I met a QC consultant of Ruger's long ago at a shareholders' meeting. I'm trying to get some info from him if possible. He 's retired but was local to me, now lives in Maine

 

[NC FNS]

So if it leaves a hole instead of an asterisk, it fails the test?

 

[roylt]

Hardness testing typically does not leave a mark.

My guess is a second of some sort which strikes me as odd because the slide wouldn't carry a serial number and ruger could have simply fit a new slide.

So not 100% sure.