Numbered magazines
 

Does anybody know whether the Swiss originally numbered the magazines of the military Lugers and if so, which versions?
Personally I've never seen a numbered CH Luger mag. but apparently some people have.
(see topic "favourite Swiss Luger")

Dear Panda, I have a Wafenfabrik-Bern 1906 made in 1933 with the last two digits of the serial number stamped on the clip bottom. The originality of this piece has been established by Simpsons and Mike Krause and not thought to be unusual. What do you think, Pete Ebbink?

Herb,

I have only seen 12 1906 W+F's in person so far, and none have their magazine bottoms numbered. Mine included (serial # 25929) But 12 is certainly not a significant statistical sample (or as I used to think in college, sadistical sample...) and I am certainly not a seasoned collector.

I did hear from one fellow from Holland (on the SwissRifles board) that is quite knowledgeable and he says they are usually not numbered, but he has seen some; but those may have been done by the pistol's owner so their magazine does not get mixed with with others at shooting clubs and ranges...

See the "hot link" to that posting :

http://pub18.ezboard.com/ftheswissri...picID=21.topic

I could not find any mention in Bobba, Datig, or Reinhardt on this issue, either way...

Sorry I cannot be more of a help...

Regards,

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

Dear Herbert,

I posted the same question on a Swiss forum and got just one answer so far (I don't know whether it's because the question is of no interest or the answer straight forward) and it's in line with what I've seen so far.

For German readers:
http://www.waffen.ch/dcforum/DCForumID2/491.html#

I've e-mailed more authoritative people in CH about this but haven't got any answer yet. I'll let you know if and when I get more information.

Thanks Panda, eagerly await your feedback posts.

I got one further opinion on the CH-forum. I'm not going to translate it but the guy is of the opinion that the mags were not originally numbered.

I wonder whether such numbers could not have been added when the Lugers were imported into the US. I've heard similar stories about US-markings on CH army K-31.

just came back from Swizerland, spoke with some dealers there and got the information that numbered mags are not too unusual. They gave me the information that some local armourys decided to stamp both mags with the last 2 digits.

Regards

That`s correct ,Roland.

I was told that my Waffenfabrik-Bern wasn't unusual with the last two numbers stamped on the clip bottom, now I'm happy to have it confirmed once again!

Thanks pisto that ties in with the fact that they are numerous unnumbered mags.

However, if this explanation is accurate, it raises a further question and which is why the later-added numbers are apparently only to be found on the mags of the 00/06 W+F and not the DWM 1900 or at least the 06 DWM that must have been used at the same time in the CH army (at least for 3-4 decades). Surely the reason that would have led the CH armourer to stamp the 00/06 W+F mag would have applied equally to the DWM mag.