ruskie and west german rework mags

Jon · 11-25-2001, 08:07 PM

greeting, I hope all is well in the luger world this thanksgiving.have a new question did the ruskies and west germans rework mags?? or did they manufacture new ones ?? and how are they marked ?? rececently came across a crude luger mag , un-marked but never similar to late ww2 production. please post a reply . thanks jon

11-25-2001, 11:22 PM

There are magazines floating around for the zinc & pot metal

Luger replicas that have been made over the years.

I have one such that works quite well (except loading tool won't fit) after I put a Wolff magazine spring in it.

HTH

Mike Halbrook

Jon · 11-26-2001, 02:18 PM

hi mike ,no it functions but looks funny and no proofs, any other ideas, please advise jon

Marvin · 11-26-2001, 02:37 PM

jon,

I have seen it both ways; reworked WWII mags and new made mags.

I have one E. German reworked Luger and the magazine is a late WWII type, aluminum bottom, with the Waffenamt & the original number removed, with a new number matching the pistol restamped. It also has a "1" stamped on it.

I have also seen the late war magazines with the number 1001 (I think this is the correct number) stamped on the mag. body which indicates E. German manufacture. This type was of excellent manufacture and had the plastic bottom.

Hope this helps a little and if I am incorrect, someone please correct this. Tom Heller would be the resident expert.

Marvin

Orv Reichert · 11-26-2001, 08:21 PM

1001 was the code the DDR used for the former SUHL factories which they called the ERNST THEALMANN WERKE [spelling?] ..you will find it on Luger mags that look a lot like FXO mags.

Also found on some PP copies and MP44 mags..

Orv Reichert

Marvin · 11-27-2001, 09:07 AM

Thanks Orv for providing more detail. It is tough to remeber everything here in the Swamps. Also, I think the E. German Luger mags are great. The ones I have always perform well in my pistols.

To add a little more history, the Ernst Thalmann Werke was some of the former J. P. Sauer & Sohn facilities. Jim Cate, in his second book on the Sauer & Sohn pistols has very good information on the post war facilities. Ernst Thalmann was a Communist in the 1920/1930 era that was executed for starting trouble as Germany was trying to eliminate the Commie influence. After the war, Russia named the facilities after him to make him a martyr.

Marvin

11-25-2001, 08:07 PM	#1
Jon User Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 37 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	ruskie and west german rework mags greeting, I hope all is well in the luger world this thanksgiving.have a new question did the ruskies and west germans rework mags?? or did they manufacture new ones ?? and how are they marked ?? rececently came across a crude luger mag , un-marked but never similar to late ww2 production. please post a reply . thanks jon

11-25-2001, 11:22 PM	#2
Mike E Halbrook Guest Posts: n/a	It may be for a toy luger There are magazines floating around for the zinc & pot metal Luger replicas that have been made over the years. I have one such that works quite well (except loading tool won't fit) after I put a Wolff magazine spring in it. HTH Mike Halbrook

11-26-2001, 02:18 PM	#3
Jon User Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 37 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: no it functions hi mike ,no it functions but looks funny and no proofs, any other ideas, please advise jon

11-26-2001, 02:37 PM	#4
Marvin User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Upstate S.C. Posts: 1,132 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: ruskie and west german rework mags jon, I have seen it both ways; reworked WWII mags and new made mags. I have one E. German reworked Luger and the magazine is a late WWII type, aluminum bottom, with the Waffenamt & the original number removed, with a new number matching the pistol restamped. It also has a "1" stamped on it. I have also seen the late war magazines with the number 1001 (I think this is the correct number) stamped on the mag. body which indicates E. German manufacture. This type was of excellent manufacture and had the plastic bottom. Hope this helps a little and if I am incorrect, someone please correct this. Tom Heller would be the resident expert. Marvin

11-26-2001, 08:21 PM	#5
Orv Reichert RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: SW Washington State Posts: 339 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: ruskie and west german rework mags 1001 was the code the DDR used for the former SUHL factories which they called the ERNST THEALMANN WERKE [spelling?] ..you will find it on Luger mags that look a lot like FXO mags. Also found on some PP copies and MP44 mags.. Orv Reichert

11-27-2001, 09:07 AM	#6
Marvin User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Upstate S.C. Posts: 1,132 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: ruskie and west german rework mags Thanks Orv for providing more detail. It is tough to remeber everything here in the Swamps. Also, I think the E. German Luger mags are great. The ones I have always perform well in my pistols. To add a little more history, the Ernst Thalmann Werke was some of the former J. P. Sauer & Sohn facilities. Jim Cate, in his second book on the Sauer & Sohn pistols has very good information on the post war facilities. Ernst Thalmann was a Communist in the 1920/1930 era that was executed for starting trouble as Germany was trying to eliminate the Commie influence. After the war, Russia named the facilities after him to make him a martyr. Marvin