Welcome Jerry.
More than likely a craftsman in the Gardone Val Trompia region. It is purported that there was some dating scheme from the mid 1930s till 1943(maybe it was Beretta only???) and there's a table floating around here somewhere with the date code from 1945 hence. So yes as far as I know the proofhouse(s) were active in 1944 and the absence of a dating scheme in 1944 sort of confirms that stamp for the date. Post 1950 the proof stamps were surmounted by an encircled star so the surmounted crown dates the longarm prior to 1950. There seems to be plenty of diameters to go around so either the tubes or tubeset experienced proof a couple of times, maybe sourced from the craftsmen in Liege or some other gunmaking center that was churning out Krupp steel tubes during WWII, or at some later date there was a reason for re-submission to the proofhouse. I can't remember when the bore in a rhombus stamp arrived on the scene. Low serial number though and probably points to a small Gardone Val Trompia craftsman who hung out his shingle either just before or during WWII.
Kind Regards,
Raimey
rse
