Help with i.d. of magazine
 

I need your help again to identify a nickel plated magazine with a wood bottom.

It has no markings at all, the wooden bottom is in excellent condition and the magazine body barely has a scratch. The follower is out of metal and it has the round spring.

I got it together with two extruded Haenel fxo and one Vopo 1001 magazine in a package deal.

It appears original to me with my limited experience on P.08 mags from this era. My first question is to its originality, then the maker, and of course the value. I want to know if I got the good deal that I thinbk I got.

Your help is appreciated.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...3/DSCF7043.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...3/DSCF7042.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...3/DSCF7041.jpg

Very excellent appearing magazine. Without markings it would be a commercial magazine made by DWM and could have been produced from late 1900 to the 1920s. I would suspect it dates from 1906-1908 production.

Thank you very much, Ron!

I had hoped for this to be original but the condition is almost too good to believe that this magazine is over 100 years old.

Is the value of a commercial DWM magazine comparable to an fxo WaA37 magazine? My guess on the value is about $150. Is that about right?

Yes, that or more.

Ron, I can't see as well as I like from the photo's but the indent below the feed lips near the follower button looks like a rectangle not a half moon...Any thoughts on that?

Andy..can you confirm the shape of this small dimple? It is on both sides of the magazine. It will be either a half moon shape or a rectangle.

I also agree that it looks more like an Erfurt rectangle.

It is a flat dimple and is an early DWM magazine as Ron Wood posted. I have a number of early DWM commercial mags with the flat dimple.

It appears to be a straight dimple, not half moon shaped.

I am a bad shot with the camera and hope you can see this well enough to clearly identify the dimples.


What do you guys think is it worth? I will tell you later what I stole it for.


http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...73/dimple1.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...73/dimple2.jpg

Well..There are only a couple of guys I would believe with such a tale and they have put the matter to rest!
Thanks George, Ron..

Thanks for the photo's Andy!

Thank you Lugerholsterrepair. I am certain now to have an original DWM magazine from the very early production period; 1906 to 1908.

I am amazed that it is over 100 years old and still looks like it!

Thank you, guys!

About when did the DWM magazines start to show the "D" shape dimple? Was there a period when both are seen?

Marc

Actually, now that I have seen the closeups, I do not know exactly. The follower button looks Erfurt, but unless the base has been replaced the magazine is an early DWM commercial.

Ron! Now your waffeling on me? I don't know about youse guys..

It could be either...
 

Normally & usually, I've seen quite a few mags with the rectangular staked follower stop....I believe them to be Erfurt...usually...but, I've seen just enough of them with obviously factory installed DWM bottoms to know that a few jumped the fence each way, and visa versa...sooooooo, to me, in my new found standard...it is easier to group them by wood magazine base then shell manufacture charcteristics ..I don't think the shells were made inhouse anyway... close ups of the wood base are the next step... also, early DWM's are an animal all unto their own.. a study all by themselves... best to all, til...lat'r...GT

Dang! Just when I think I know something!

According to Sturgess, magazines made prior to 1912 had follower slots 99.2mm long. This was lengthened by a millimeter in 1912 to 100.2mm. I actually went to the trouble of checking this out (you know, "trust, but verify") with a few Navy mags I own, and, as usual, the good Doctor was right. Regards, Norm

Norm, That is very handy information to have! Thanks

The only bug in that ointment is.. I have seen many a follower button shaft beat the hell out of the top of the follower slot possibly making an accurate original measurement slightly off?

Norme,

mine is a tad under 100mm. Thanks for the very interesting info.

Here are some detailed photos of the wooden base.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z.../baseright.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...3/baseleft.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...3/DSCF7044.jpg

i would not hesitate to pay $ 250 for that magazine if i ran across it at a gun show table.

Thanks Ben,

that is encouraging to hear. It makes up for all the times that I have spent too much.

I am not really much of a collector but rather a shooter that enjoys accumulating high quality guns and accessories.