Odd marking... need help pls.

[Johnnu2]

A friend sent me this picture which is not of the best quality; he asked me if I could identify or know anything about a (VERY FAINT) mark in front of the "dot" on the caliber marking on his OM .41 Mag.... He says it is an "F", and, he insists is stamped (I disagree, but have never seen the actual marking on the gun). I told him that I would ask the members here but, in my opinion it is nothing more than some previous owner's personal marking. If anyone can shed any light on this marking, we'd sure appreciate it. THANKS, John

 

[Ale-8(1)]

IMHO it's a surface/finish imperfection.

Just a guess.

 

[Fox Mike]

IMHO it's a surface/finish imperfection.

Just a guess.

Without it in my hand, and looked at with a magnifying glass, I have to agree. It looks from the photo to be a surface imperfection.

 

[Johnnu2]

I've got to take a ride over to his house and see it for myself. I thought I would check with the knowledgeable guys here just to see if anyone ever saw anything like it before.

 

[chet15]

Hmmm...pretty hard to get a surface imperfection to look like that, but I'd have to see it in person as well.
The eyes and mind can play tricks. Dad came up with a 1950-S half dollar at the bank once and we checked it out in the books and there weren't supposed to have been any half dollars made in San Francisco that year. Even looking at it under magnification it looked like an "S" mintmark. Had it sent off to a leading coin expert and he there were minute scratches on it in the right area that made it look like an "S".
Chet15

 

[Johnnu2]

Chet........... don't ya just HATE when that happens.....
J

 

[chet15]

Chet........... don't ya just HATE when that happens.....
J

Yeah...I'd guarantee anybody looking at that half dollar would swear that was an "S" in the normal position of the mintmark. But it took another person with access to an electron microscope to say it wasn't, with even a side shot from an angle just above the surface of the coin showing how the metal had scraped up.
Chet15

 

[steelshooterco]

for markings its got to be a minimum of .003" deep to count if you manufacture firearms, so i'd say it aint factory....

 

[Johnnu2]

I finally got over to his house to see the marking and you actually have to use a jeweler's loupe to see it. It looked to me like it was either an "F" or possibly an "E". And it appeared very symmetrical, more like a stamp than a scribbling. I'm guessing some did it to "identify" the gun if stolen. Needless to say, consensus, so far, is that it is not any kind of a factory marking..... but with Ruger, you never know.

 

[cubrock]

Look where it is in relation to the "R" in Ruger. Looks to me like it is a faint, partial "R" - maybe what is left of a roll-stamp mis-alignment?

 

[Johnnu2]

As we've always said, 'anything is possible with Ruger"