Tradition held that the leaves of the nettle were symbolic of the nails used to crucify Christ, so the three larger leaves represent the nails of the crucifixion.ДЄll true German and West German SIGs wereВ test fired at theВ Kiel proof house, so the NesselblattВ proof mark is an indicator of a true German or West German SIG. HereвЂ™s another image showing the marks of German/West German proof houses, along with the approximate year they were first in use:Д¬oat of arms of SchaumburgThe shapeВ represents a Nesselblatt, or nettle leaf. The column marked (b) shows varios German/West German proof marks after 1945, while the column marked (c) shows German proof marks used from 1939-1945. The top row (a) indicates the German (or East/West German, depending on the year) city in which the proof house is located. HereвЂ™s an assortment of mid 20th century proof marks used throughВ GermanyвЂ™s (and West GermanyвЂ™s) history: This is an important fact that will become relevantВ again later in this article. Because the US is not a CIP member state, foreign guns do not need a CIP proof mark to be sold in the US, nor doВ US guns need a US proof mark to be sold in CIP member countries. While theВ CIP and SAAMI do share information and cooperate, neither has a requirement regarding selling in each otherвЂ™s countries. In order for a civilian firearmВ produced in aВ CIP member stateВ to be legally imported to anotherВ CIP country, it must bear the proof mark ofВ aВ CIP member state (military testing standards are, predictably, different than civilian ones).В The United States does not participate in CIP, but instead formed its own standards group named SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition ManufacturersвЂ™ Institute). As of 2015, the CIP includes 14 member states. Much like reciprocity of modern concealed carry permits between states, some European countries began to recognize each othersвЂ™ proof marks as a high enough testing standard for foreign countriesвЂ™ firearms to be legally imported.ДЇast forward to 1914, when a number of European countries formed the CIP (Commission Internationale Permanente pour lвЂ™Epreuve des Armes Г Feu Portatives) as a formal standards group to ensure consistent testing among member countries. Over the next few decades, other countries established their own safety standards and proof houses, along with their own unique marks. Guns that passed testing wereВ stamped with a mark representing the proof house. The London Gunmakers Company set up a вЂњproof houseвЂќВ in London, and not surprisinglyвЂ¦ firearms makers who were not part of a guild tended to fail testing more often than the guild members. InВ 1637, after heavy lobbying from the London Gunmakers Company, a London-areaВ firearms guild, King Charles I issued a Royal Charter setting firearms safety standards. The first proof marks started appearing in 15th century France, andВ by theВ 17th century, European firearms guildsmen were heavily promoting their use - and lobbying their governments for laws requiring them - primarily to dissuade competition from non-guildsmen andВ scare potential purchasers away from un-proofed guns. But like many government regulations, theirВ origins have more to do with self-interest than safety. In modern years, they truly do serve that purpose. Proof marks are stamps embedded inВ certainВ parts of a firearm followingВ (and sometimesВ during, depending on the firearm type) its manufacturingВ to indicate that the firearm has been вЂњprovenвЂќ to be able to handle the specific type of ammunition for which it was designed. And even if youвЂ™re already familiar with proof marks, maybe this article can broaden your knowledge and teach you something new. If youвЂ™ve heard someone mention proof marksВ or date codesВ when discussing a SIG Sauer pistol, but werenвЂ™t quite sure what those were, then the goal of this article is to bring you up to speed.

Kahr serial number manufacture date