First "ASK" of the new year...

[jimb16]

The front sight is not National Postal Meter. It looks Winchester to me. There are some other peculiarities to Winchester front sights the others don't have and those deal with milling and location of other features. Its better at this stage not to go into detail, because that is what it is about, tiny details. An N marked front sight is made by Niedner Corp. who made them by the millions! One of the things that baffles new collectors is the miriad of parts markings. For instance, a W could mean any of several different companies depending on what part it is on. IP vs PI Same letters but different order=two different makers. It takes time and practice to sort out what each marking means. JAO= J. A. Otterbien Co. The rest is a part number. Its enough to make even the most experienced of us dizzy! And wait until you start to encounter transferred parts with lined out markings and overstamps! YIKES! And on the subject of butt plates, diamonds dots or squares? how many per inch? Smeared dots around the center? Missing dot at 3 o'clock"? How many dots on the top row? how many on the bottom row? How many holes in the wood under the but plate? Just when you think you have it all figured out....Wham! something new shows up. But then that is what keeps it interesting!