Whats are the holes for!!
 

They have remained unchanged for over a century!!~Eric

Tks I consider oiling holes but the mags have one side wide open for oiling when neccesary. The small holes seems the issue. Its present on ever type or maker I own one from the police and 2 matching to my Kreighoff. I imagine it had to have been made with the first luger prototype. Each was worthless without one another. They all seem to be interchangeable the 9mm or 7.65mm. Pure perfection and still in use a 110 years later. ~~Eric

Eric
The lower hole could be used to stake the magazine follower button in place or to remove it for magazine repair.
Thanks
Ed

Ed I think you nailed it. The little one seems more difficult~~

:confused:

Good question Eric, as I don't think that those are the so called "witness holes" that you can see on 1911 or GLOCK magazines bodies, indicating how many rounds are remaining in the magazine.
The small hole is the issue I think, perhaps it was supposed to be used to stake the magazine button?

I just noticed you can see it across the other side. Maybe used to hang the mag in a diping solution..whats amazing its never been changed or modified. It must be a pretty good secret for over hundred years. The takedown basic design has also endured as long!! Here is Charles Kenyan's display but one side only. I provided one of our mysterous hole! Like everyone it was small and probobly hardly noticed years later nor mentioned! Still it still seems a mystery!! It was put there for a reason back in 1900 and everyone just followed suit I guess!~~~Bon journo! Sergio!!

I think I solved the hole issue~~~~Useful in original production!

A novel use for the hole no doubt, but it is intended, as Ed (Regul) said, to stake the follower button to the follower or to remove it for repair. The very early Luger magazines, the so-called "flat button" magazine, was made without this hole since the follower button was threaded and screwed into the follower. This early magazine is quite scarce and expensive.

Ron, I'm sorry I didnt understand you explanation. How and for what is the small hole is for. What Is it there for and how is it used? Can you refer to a regular magazine and how exactly is its use? That part of my brain I lost in my stroke! The "follower" Whats a follower? This is where I lose you. Is it meant to hold the spring down?

The follower is the metal platform inside the magazine that pushes the rounds up. The button that you push down on to load the magazine is fastened to the follower. In order to keep the button from working loose from the follower, when the magazine is first assembled the button is "staked", i.e. the end opposite the button is expanded in the follower by a punch inserted through the hole.
I showed a regular magazine with the hole (bottom magazine in the photo) and the rare "flat button" magazine without the hole (top magazine). The flat button magazine was used with the very early Lugers in order to insert them into an unrelieved frame. The flat button was difficult to use in loading so a higher button was implemented and the frame relieved to accommodate it. This higher button is the one that was staked through the hole.

I couldn't have asked for better! I will look at them with a new appreciation and understanding!! ~Eric

"Flat button" don't mention it, I'm still looking for a "commercial" one!

When I had to take the alu bottom out of the mag body to repair the body, I put a pin through that hole to prevent the spring from shooting out of it.
Maybe that was the original use? :confused:

No, the use is as I described, although it does come in handy for the way you used it:thumbsup: