Even a blind pig...

[Vlim]

Hi,

Not a bad day. It was the local ammunition collector's associations show today and I scored a nice unmarked Nickel plated woodbottom magazine from former Bulgarian stock.

Browsing further, I found a sorry looking nickel plated magazine tube, lacking spring and bottom piece. Found the matching spring and spring guide in a box on the same table and bought both for a nice parts price.

When home I discovered it was a first issue Dutch KNIL magazine tube, with the small hole for the spring catch. An extra hole was present, so it's one of the KNIL magazines that was modified after the spring catch bottom construction proved to be too fragile.

So I'm now on the lookout for either an original KNIL magazine bottom or a good reproduction (G.T.? can you make me one? ).

[Ron Smith]

Gerben,

It's always great to find that you have something that you didn't expect.

I once bought a handful of Luger and P.38 magazines out of the $10 box at a local shop.

One was a y suffixed Mauser police magazine, and one of the P.38 mags was a very early numbered magazine for a 480 code P.38.

I still have the y suffixed mag and sold the P.38 mag for...$$

[Vlim]

Ron,

It was extra rewarding as the guy tried to sell off some booklets I had put down on his table when paying.

I forgot the booklets, a 1950s RWS catalogue signed (and formerly owned) by Henk Visser and an early Mauser Parabellum manual and walked away.

Found I had forgottem them and upon return I found he had placed both items for sale on his stand....

I picked up both items in front of a customer and told him I wasn't too pleased with his behaviour. That worked

[G.T.]

Hi Gerben! The answer to that is YES! I will make you an exact replacement part, I have already added you to my list... it will be awhile before I get to it, (list is long!) but it will happen! Best to you Gerben, til....lat'r....GT

[Lugerdoc]

Gerber, Sent you a PM re the wood bottom for your Dutch mag. TH

[Ron Smith]

Gerben,

It's good that you didn't leave your car keys on the table.

I know of an instance where a customer left a rifle for repair at a shop. When he went back to check on the progress , he discovered that it had been sold.

Ron

[Vlim]

G.T. Thanks! I really appreciate it.

Tom, thanks as well. This will give me the best of both worlds.

ps. Anyone have an idea about Dutch KNIL magazines value wise at the moment? (just out of curiosity, This mag and the wonderful story will be a nice addition to my KNIL rig).

[George Anderson]

Gerben, I just recently bought a Red Nine artillery rig with all matching components except the mag. I bought it sight unseen. When I got it and turned it over to look at the mag...it was an early Dutch KNIL mag. It went on Ebay for $455.

[Pete Ebbink]

George,

Who was on the loosing end of the bet for $ 900 on that Dutch magazine.

I think my estimate I emailed you was $ 450...I should "win" the magazine as I was closer...No...???

Photo of the bottom of George's offering :

[Ron Wood]

KNIL Lugers and magazines are one of my favorite variations. The magazines are quite difficult to find, and even a double-pinned ratty one, with the base spring intact, may bring around $250 (which I think is tops, but it depends on how badly you want a KNIL mag). If they should have a clear "GS" or "E" marking in the round depression of the bottom, that adds a premium. An unmodified (unpinned) minty KNIL magazine I would think might be valued in the neighborhood of $500-$575 (about a year ago I would have said $400, but the market has gone crazy). An absolute crispy mint unmodified example is extremely scarce, is as valuable as a nice clean shooter Luger, and may fetch up to $800 or so for a real fanatic.

[Pete Ebbink]

Ron,

Can you photo up detailed photos of the 2 magazines you won in the recent auction for the KNIL double pouch w/tools ?

IIRC...you won for around $ 1750...

[Ron Wood]

Pete,
I currently have 8 KNIL mags of varying types. If I can get a bit ahead of the rat race I will put together a little tutorial that includes one or both of those magazines.
You recall correctly, and as much as it really hurt the budget to pay that much, I think it was worth every penny.

[Pete Ebbink]

Thanks, Ron...

BTW...the last vg KNIL double pouch I saw sold, EMPTY, for $ 1800...it is crazy out there...!

[Vlim]

These are the 3 Dutch variations currently in my possession:

The modified first issue (spring, added pin, unmarked).
The second issue (normal pin, unmarked).
The first issue navy (blued tube, normal pin, unmarked).

[Vlim]

Thanks to the Efforts of Tom (lugerdoc) and the services of Richie (the gunman) I now have the Dutch 1st issue magazine complete again.

Guys, thanks!!

The parts had a rough life, as to be expected from Dutch KNIL issue material which spent half a century in the tropics, but that's the history behind them. My M1911 KNIL also shows signs of hard use, so no problems there.

The magazine:


Reunited:

[mauro]

Simply NICE!!

[the gunman]

Quite a nice find Gerben. In all my years of collecting 50+ I have yet to come across one of these beautys.

[Ron Wood]

Super! What a great ending for a very fortunate find. Richie's (the gunman) comments are very apropos. Most folks do not appreciate how difficult these magazines are to acquire. Congratulations.