Magazine Useâ??European Contingent?
 

We hear much speculation about why so few Lugers have matching magazines. However, is it possible to find out about magazine use from the source?

The numbers of veterans who used these guns in battle must be dwindling as surely as are the veterans on the other side of the line. Would it be possible for the Forum correspondents in Europe to interview any of those veterans, to find out the conditions of their use?

When they were issued pistols, if they were not the original issue, were the magazines still matched to the guns? When they used them, did they take care to reload and use the original magazines, or did they use whichever was at hand? Did they obtain extra magazines to use, more than the originally issued pair? Did they even notice, or care about magazine matches? Was there any official requirement to keep matching magazines with their guns? Was their any penalty for losing a magazine, matching or not?

--Dwight

Most surrendered Lugers when German armies were defeated were simply placed in one pile and their magazines were placed in a second pile. I have seen images from both WWI and WWII that showed this. It was a simple way of making the weapons inoperable. I would imagine that the rare rig that had all of its parts was captured by or surrendered to a fortunate soldier, who would keep everything together.

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..when I see this picture, it reminds me of another picture taken just after ww1. A picture of a GIGANTIC pile of human bones picked up from the battlefields, don't remember excactly how many tons.. So many tragedies:(
Just let me know if someone would like me to post a scan of it, sure is something to reflect over.

Dwight; sorry, I can't help you with your question.. All I know is that very few people gave it any thought if the Luger was matching or not, by those who used captured Lugers post ww2 in the Norwegian army. I would quess matching # is more important for collectors than for those who used the pistols.

bottom center of picture, is that a very long barrel Luger?

Yes, I think it was. Why is "Melt" and "Luger" in the same sentance...

OMG!!! I just noticed! Holy crap is that a Snail drum middle and to the left a little of the page! Wow... I just lost all faith in man kind..

Here's a touched up copy of LU1900's photo with most of the Lugers that I was reasonably certain about marked in yellow. There are also quite a few "Broomhandles" in there as well. And yes, that sure looks like a snail magazine.

Dave in TN.

Oh no... With these pictures...
I will never sleep again. And I only have some Finnish parabellums to think of.
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Where is that man. He is live?
One box is mine!