Pattyd,
here is a site that is helpfull with German Guns and explains the date codes;
http://www.germanguns.com/technical.html"The other set of numeric marks often found on both rifles and guns is the actual date code of proof. The style of these numbers can easily be confused with the gauge markings described above, so be aware that both possibilities exist. Typical date codes will be three or four digits signifying month and year, as in 513 for May, 1913, or 1127 for November of 1927. Sometimes there will be a dot or slash between the month and year, but most often they are just run together. Often the date code is above a line, with another number below the line. The number below the line is that gun's actual entry number in the proof house records for that month and year."