Well, you've seen and I've seen Sauer doubles with proof dates of 11/44 and 12/44, so who's to say Krupp didn't make the barrels? I remain bewildered by the fact that the Germans, in the middle of an existential war on three fronts and governed by a strict dictatorship, continued to allow the manufacture civilian sporting guns right up until the enemy was coming over the hill next to the gun factory. I mean, how many civilian sporting guns did (insert name of American gunmaker) make in 1943 or '44? Few, if any.

I'd speculate the barrels were made some time (maybe a year or two) before the gun got to the Italian proof house.

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