The last thing we need to look at on the pistol is the magazine. As far as I can tell, the magazine body and spring are the same as the ones found on the second model safety pistols. The parts that differ are the base plate, stop plate, and follower. We'll start with the base plate.
Unlike the later stamped steel version, the early examples are milled. They are also marked differently. Where the stamped pattern floor plates are marked "1935-S", the early ones are marked Mle 1935-S:
When we look at the top of the base plate, we can clearly see that it was milled from a single piece of steel:
View along the mounting slot:
The stop plate is a stamped part but it has a rivet attached to act as the stop lug.
Top of stop plate:
Bottom of stop plate showing the part of the rivet that extends through the base plate to lock it in place:
Later versions are stamped as well but lack a rivet. Instead, the locking lug is simply part of the stamping.
Where the later type of follower is a single stamped part with an embossed stud acting as the bullet guide, the early followers are two stamped parts held together by a rivet, the head of which acts as the bullet guide.
This is the top of the follower showing the rivet head:
Flipping the follower over, we see the base of the rivet which also serves to attach a second stamped part:
That part acts as the magazine spring retainer:
Other than the model designation on the bottom of the floor plate, I could find no markings on any parts of the magazine.
That wraps up the pistol unless I notice something I missed earlier. To my knowledge, this essay is the only place one has been documented to this degree in any medium, printed or electronic. I hope it helps someone with their own research. I've also collected together some rarely seen accessories as well. Beginning with the next post, we'll begin looking at some of them beginning with the regulation cleaning kit that the French put together by mixing a little bit old with a little bit of new. I hope you'll enjoy seeing these things as much as I enjoyed tracking them down. I'll see you soon.