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Surplus pistol disappointment

I've got a Beretta Cougar 45 that has this on it as well. Gun is in mint condition with a PWS etched into the slide. It was done pretty well but it doesn't quite fit in.
What year did this "Federal law" start? I've got some old surplus stuff that doesn't have this on it.
 
I believe it was the GCA of 68 that required importers to mark with their name and city, same as it required all manufacturers to mark with serial numbers.

https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...porters,the Treasury prescribes by regulation.

Section 178.92
5. In the case of an imported firearm, the name of the country in which manufactured and the city and State (or recognized abbreviation thereof) where the importer maintains its place of business.
 
It is illegal to remove an importers serial number (if there is one) just as it is illegal to remove the original serial number but as far as the name and city of the importer I don't know of anything that particularly states that it cannot be removed but I am not a lawyer by any means.
 
Not legal advice either, but I don't see why not. It's required of the importer, not the end user.

Of course in most cases it'll require refinishing afterwards, and in some cases the importer markings can be a link to the past. There's a lot of interesting history behind the folks who import guns.
 
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