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Unread 04-12-2009, 02:27 PM   #4
panda
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Well interesting point.

Mr. Rutsch (p. 246-7) though mentions that the P29 has come into existence in 1928. It underwent various tests and was accepted for the army in 1929. Which means that since 1929, it was known that the P29, with all its accessories, would be handed out to the member of the Swiss army.

As far as I know, holsters were not manufactured by W+F but by various saddlers throughout the country. (We remember the discussions about the Paillard "P"- magazines of the P29.) Beyond the army supply issue, it was meant to promote/help local industries in various areas of the country, in particular in industrially less favored areas (for example in the mountains - this policy was still in force for certain pieces of clothing in the 80ies and 90ies). To maintain a certain level of State demand, which was anything but a marginal source of income for these small undertakings, it would therefore have made perfect sense, especially given the economic hard times left by the 29 crash, to order the holsters in advance. In any case, they would be needed sooner or later. BTW, we experience the same kind of politics today when public investment programs are carried out a little earlier than initially planned to reduce the pain of the crisis (so they think).

Moreover, I can find neither in Rutsch (p. 242-44) nor in Bobba (p. 195) any mention that the P06 would have been equipped with a holster of the P29 type.

My guess is therefore that before they started the production of the P29, they ordered de P29 holsters at the saddlers that had a shortage of work.
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