M1929 Swiss Bern Magazine Question...?
 

Posting this question on several discussion boards including Still's forum and the SwissRifle forum. Sorry to repeat myself in many places, but trying to reach as many folks as I can on this question :

" On the spine of some M1929 Swiss bern magazines (all colors of plastic, I think...) appears a scriptic "P".

In the French luger booklet titled " Le Luger - Un Pistolet de Legende (series No. 9) " on page 71, it is written that this stamping may be the trademark of a firm called "Paillard Ste Croix".

I believe this firm might have made phonographic equipment in the 1940's.

Does anyone have more information about this firm and when and why they started making luger magazines...if indeed this is true...?

Thank you in advance for your help... "

Regards,

Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />

This Paillard company made a lot more like radios, music boxes, movie cameras (with Bolex) and even typewriters (Hermes) but I can't find anything on the magazines.

Maybe the special styled "P" resembles the companies logo(s) ?

Thanks,
Guisan. :)

Interesting point indeed.

I've posted this question on German-speaking and on French-speaking Swiss forums as well. I'll let you know if something comes up.

http://www.waffen.ch/dcforum/DCForumID2/698.html#
http://www.tir-sportif.ch/_disc/000023d5.htm

Cheers, Panda

PS: If even Guisan doesn't know, we are in serious trouble!

Photo of some of my M1929 Bern magazines...to highlight the scriptic "P" in our discussion...for other readers...

http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/bernmags.jpg

And another photo to show the small Swiss crosses on the right side of the magazine bottom "buttons"...

http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/bernmags1.jpg

Regards,

Pete... :typing:

Pete,

I just spoke to a retired armourer who used to work at Paillard in the 50ies. He confirmed that the mags were produced there. In those days, when the Swiss industry had a shortage of work, it had the possibility to do work for the government and this is what happened. Paillard produced these mags because it had not enough work and asked for work from the government.

Hi Panda,

Thanks for the great follow-up information. Did your friend, by chance, indicate the years that this Paillard manufacturing occurred ?

Regards,

Pete... <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" />

I don't think he did any P29 mags himself. This must have been before his time. He didn't seem to know the details of P29 mags. He said he'd worked on the Stg 57 and Swiss army knives. But apparently this subcontracting was not uncommon for some Swiss companies that could easily get sidetracked in producing items outside their usual activities but for which their facilities could be used.

Guys,
Thank you for a very informative thread.

Another slight variation :

http://forums.lugerforum.com/lfupload/swiss_mag.jpg