Newbie Question on HSC phosphate gun

[COLLECTOR OF GUNS]

Hi folks, been a long time collector (30 yrs +)  have seen a lot, and learned a lot in that time, but also forgot a whole bunch.  I remember the basics of proof marks etc, and FAKES.
  I ( like every serious 3rd Reich collector) has been burned at one time or another I am sure, and I am not ashamed to say that that is how one learns in this hobby ( or obsessive behavior ) with that said, you never know what is gonna pop up, rare, common, nice, rusted, now being dug up in the Ukraine by who knows....
 About 20 yrs ago I caught the bug when I ran across a political leaders PPK rig in a local ma and pa pawn shop, gave an amazing $175 for it and took many years of research to determine where everything fell into place , i.e. original , fake, part original , part fake ??  With time and careful research it became that the entire rig was 100% , got lucky on that one , but have learned on others.
   The reason for my post is that I found what I consider to be a rare one ( or a complete fake) because of the lack of information that I can not seem to find.   I have read about "green" guns, the phosphate process, high blue, navy guns, SS guns on and on and on... But any how help me out on this one, it might be so common that information is not needed, but that is why we are all here, I guess.
 Ok here goes, just located today, a what I thought what looked to be a light "two tone" grey example, didn't think of grabbing the serial number ( but I will and post it ASAP), however i have a great description, really not too much to the description, as noted above it is a grey /green very nice what I belive to be phosphate, all matching, Mauser marked slide , typical late war rough mill marks ( the sight radius is very rough) and 100% phosphate along with a single phosphate mag, looks to have an original style unmarked with the exception of the inside rivet that has what looks to be the maker " star ) ?? med brown holster typical German small pistol holster.  Only one proof mark on the gun that I could find, the serial number was stamped kinda crooked across the front bottom of the front strap, that matched the barrel, and on the lower left ( as you hold it) proof stamped lightly a CROWN over W ? E? ,,,,,,,,,no other typical wa or Nazi markings.....other than the noted serial number matching on the barrel. I do not know of any "civilian"  examples, and this really looks to have a original two tone phosphate.
 What did I find ?  Am I missing something,  I do know that the phosphate finish it has seems to match the "green" guns I have read about here in the threads.....
Maybe if someone could send me a clue , email reply is fine, constructive criticism is expected if necessary, but some real info if can be done without the serial at this point.
Let me pick the minds of the finest, as I am sure someone will have something on it...
Thank you, and I will be looking to see if I need to hit the secondary's to get back there and scoop it up

[Warbird]

Welcome to the forum, COG.  You are not giving us much information to evaluate.  The serial number is critical.  No production HSc had a Crown proof mark, they all were Eagles and none on the left side.  I suspect this is a Post-War piece with interlaced WR on the left side of the Trigger Guard.

Whether it's Late Wartime or Post-War, a phosphate coating is nothing very special but I reserve a final opinion until the serial number is produced.

[jcorl]

"Two tone gray" is an interesting description, but like Warbird said.  There needs to be much more information provided.

Jim

[COLLECTOR OF GUNS]

Thank you again for the quick response.  Again, I was not sure if the information I provided was suffectant to get a description.  But YES  it does have like a green/grey slid, and a shade darker lower,  I also FOGOT TO MENTION that the grips are black, plastic ? Bake ?  The are codded inside with a maker OJE  or IJC  cant remember, but I did snag the serial number : 957033, barrel matches the 033 and as Warbird noted, I believe there is the small "WR" wrapped in an oval kind of mark.
  I realize that the German system was very systematic and used markings for EVERYTHING, however I have owned auctual vet bring back stuff that did not have a mark or clue on it, and in the same batch or material, there would be an "RZM" marked buckle, even the Party leaders rig I hav has the RZM 0n the PPK slide...
As a dedicated M1 Carbine collector, of which my knowledge and experince is what I concider to be a cut above, working with Larry Ruth I have discovered that EVERY manufacturing process or product has quarks and oddities, unexplained markings or not marked.  I have silver /grey hair from collecting M1 Carbines about 25 years worth, and I am just burtn out on doing reasearch, especially on 3rd reich stuff.....lol
  So with that said, I hope the serial number can allow some type of help, and get me a description on this ( i did buy it, I just need to go pay the man, and pick her up local)  for $250  i could not go wrong, being a 95% + condition ( I give it more % but I dont want to seem like a fool )
Many thanks, and looking forward to seeing what this one is...
COG 

[COLLECTOR OF GUNS]

SERIAL NUMBER CORRECTION : in my last post  I stated the serial number on this phosphate green gun is  957033  when in fact that is a TYPO,  the CORRECT serial on the frontstrap is 951033   Thank you for your understanding .

[Warbird]

Your serial number gives date of production as April 1945, just before the end of WWII.  So identifying the markings correctly becomes critical for classification purposes.  Of course, by that time nothing left the factory since there wasn't any distribution network.  That does not preclude the French putting this HSc into service after the war.  However, marking on the left and right side Trigger Guard is important.

Looking forward to more information or, even better, pictures of your new acquisition.  By the way, phosphate coating implies a greenish color tint just as Parkerizing implies a greyish color tint on one of your carbines.

[COLLECTOR OF GUNS]

Many thanks to everyone here at the forum.  I think this is just a very late war gun, that was issued in this configuration being German made and assembled for the war effort, ending with French occupation and post war FRENCH issue from GERMAN war time stock.
 With the lack of eagles and ampt markings, a MILITARY phosphate finish, and what looks to be what was intended to be issued for German wartime issue, was just a finished gun that never made it to the German war effort.  It is a clean example of what history produced, and was given a purpose.  I really think it was a vet bringback from Viet Nam, given there are no import markings, and no WW2  proofs..... Just a Frenchy that survived to frustrate the world of collecting HSc pistols.
 Again, thank you for the help, I will post a few pics for the record, and hope this example can find its place in the HSc history.

[jcorl]

Great price.  Congratulations.

Jim