Whaaat?
 

I have this friend, a few months ago he told me he came across on old magazine. He thought it might be for a luger. He described as silvery with a brown plastic bottom. I wasn’t too excited.

Well, we finally got together for breakfast today. Nice place in the Colorado foothills. We met, did the howdy-dos, how’s the wife? how’s the dogs? etc.


He remembers and pulls out this magazine. I look it over confirm that it is for a luger, probably an Erfurt. Then the waiter came to take our order so I put it away. We both had the special. Swiss and bacon omelet, w/avocado. Eng. muffin for him, sour dough for me. Coffee.

Got our coffee and I pull out the mag again. I finally get to the bottom....
Whaaat?

I know what the books say, but will some more experienced person tell me what I really have here?

The three cartridges are pictured too. For the reloaders, two are COL 1.165, the 1941 is 1.140

dnh Rheinische-Westfaelische Sprengstoff AG, Durlach plant, Baden

GFL Giulio Fiocchi, Lecco, Italy

restamped WW1 magazine, probably DWM

The magazine is not restamped. It is a DWM miltiary magazine properly issued with a pistol dated 1911 or earlier. In the "e" block of 1911 the suffix was first added to their large numerals then DWM joined Erfurt in the later small numeral marking. So I would say that your mag is correct for a 1908, 1910 early 1911 DWM.

To my eye, it looks like the base of the mag is flat where the later smaller serial numbers would be located. Maybe it is the lighting in the pic but it sure looks flat to me.

It's the lighting. No flat spots, a perfect gentle curve that follows that of the knobs. Under 10X no signs of being sanded.

Someone mentioned that there is a list of these early pistols in the US. Is this one on it?

FN

The GFL 9M38 cartridge is an italian ammunition for the Beretta MAB 38 machine gun.
The weight should be 115 gr. and the powder charge is stronger than the standard 9 mm. Luger, so that its use is not recommended with the Luger pistols.
There are good articles about this cartridge and Beretta MAB 38 machine gun in the italian magazine Armi e Munizioni July 2010.
Sorry but the articles are in italian language. Anyway, I will try to scan and post for anyone interested.
Regards
Antonio

A very desirable early PO8 mag. I'd recomment removing any active rust from tube with 0000 steel wool. TH

For the interested collectors, here there is the article about the 9M38 cartridge.

Antonio

Here there is also an article about the Beretta MAB38 machine gun.
Antonio