P.38 ac no date #8715.  The mag is unusual as it has the serial number stamped

on the toe instead of on the side of the tube.  There are a few ways to explain this

but they would all simply be guesses.  The mag looks original.  The previous owner

said he purchased this gun from a major P.38 collector and that was before people

were trying to match mags to their guns.  There was little communication between

collectors in those days.  This example doesn't have the "ac" on the barrel lug

ahead of the locking block.  This does occur occasionally as they used up earlier barrels

 and several reported ac no dates are the same.