Peter:
I can't recall but when did Italy join the International Proof Commission/Conference. I think it in 1920 or was just after WWI? It may have been on or just prior to December 30th, 1923 when proof became compulsory. The effective date was October 16th, 1924. I have seen dates as early as 1910 when Royal decrees were enacted for proof rules. I believe it was post 1928 that Beretta sporting weapons wear the touchmarks of the Gardone Val Trompia proofhouse. Considering economics and the uncertainty of War, I would look there 1st for a sourcing possibility. Now there are Beretta examples of wartime pistols that wear Belgian touchmarks. And as you note post WWI the Germans had a heavy hand in Belgium and by WWII there were strong connections to Italy. So a Beretta-Liege sourcing line did exist. It is interesting that the "12 c" in the rhombus closely resembles the Belgian & English chambre stamp. The Star holds significance with the Italian Republic and the change from the crown to the star is more than likely found there.
http://www.earmi.it/armi/database/marchiit.htm . It is difficult to find info on the older proofhouse touchmarks and the Italian variant is no exception. But it appears that there are permutations, or different combinations, which note the progression of the proof effort. On the right side it appears that the orientation of a paired set of a Crowned P.S.F.(Polvere Senza Fumo-smokeless powder), Crowned FINITO and Crowned Gardone Val Trompia proofhouse touchmark of a brace of crossed rifles coupled with an anvil & hammer would note a longarm submitted in the final state while the absence of a Crowned FINITO would give a longarm submitted in a state of in the white. So I wonder if a longarm submitted in the white & in the final state would have a brace of similar stamps. In the 3rd row of the 2nd column are the stamps of a smoothbore submitted in the final state. During 1944 everything was all 6s & 7s and it is possible that the longarm was sourced in the white from the Belgians but I would expect to see some preliminary Belgian marks but they may be hidden or have been worked off. But considering price point for Krupp steel, I'd say that most of the Krupp steel tubes on price point weapons, even in the U.S. of A., were procured from the craftsmen in Liege as they addressed mechanization early on and had much lower wages.
Looks like he is making a stab at the Belgian marks,
http://www.earmi.it/armi/database/probelg.htm, as well as others.
Kind Regards,
Raimey
rse
