The serial number typically appears in 3 places, the left frame above the trigger, and immediately above that on the left center slide. The serial number will also be on the barrel, sometimes without the trailing alphabetic suffix. Rarely the serialnumber will be on the grip's butt. The grips are typically a brown stained wood with a raised crosshatch pattern. They are slid into cuts in the frame and secured with a single screw through the frame at the grip butt.
All parts show small proof stamps consisting of the initial of the person who proofed the weapon.
The final design was by Chief Engineer Konrad Murgthaler. It was based on earlier design work by Karl Krnka, Georg Roth, and Ferdinand Mannlicher. The slide is retained on the frame by a keeper similar to that on the 1905 Colt. The action is that of a rotating barrel which is kept locked by the action of the bullet passing thru the bore. When the bullet has left the bore, the barrel is free to rotate and unlock the slide, which recoils to the rear.