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1914/1934 Mauser Magazines

14K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  Ron Smith 
#1 ·
I have been branching off into Mauser Pocket pistols. 1910, 1914, early 1934.

I recently aquired a 1914/34. The seller inadvertently forgot to include the magazine. It arrived today and I am pleased that it seems to be unusual.

The only dedicated reference that I have is Pender's book. So I am hoping that some of the Mauser collectors will jump in and educate me. Below are 4 variations of Mauser Magazines.
L to R:

Early Square front "Split Tail".

Square front with indent.

Square front with Banner.

Round front with Banner.



Download Attachment: 112_1244.JPG
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The third one is the one that arrived today. The only mention of it in Pender's is with a Weimar Navy marked 1914.

This is the first Square Front with Banner that I have ever seen.

Are they common and I have just not run across one before?

Thanks for any input...

Ron
 
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#2 ·
Ron, If I'm not mistaken, the mag. with the rounded front and marked Mauser on the bottom is the correct one for the 1934 Mauser. The squared ones are for the 1914 models but not sure what particular time period. (I also like collecting those Mausers too)
Joe
 
#3 ·
Ron,
There are also square front smooth bottom mags (no Banner). The square front banner you show also has cliped corners which I believe is correct for late 1914s and early 1914/34 transitionals. Penders information is not complete for magazines. John LeCroix published an article in AutoMag on Mauser pocket pistol mags but I do not think it was conclusive. He was in the process of gathering data. This is an area of reseach that I have a interest in but I do not have enough data to provide much more that you already know. Hope this is helpful to you!
 
#6 ·
Ron, I asked Jim Shaffer, the mag. and gun parts guy, if he ever saw a split tail 1914 or 1934 Mauser mag. In over 40 years selling parts, he has never seen one. Do you think someone made some adjustments to a 1914 mag.? (He described, in detail, all the ones in your picture but not the split tail one)
Joe
 
#7 ·
Ron, for what it is worth, I have the same mag square front, clipped corners with banner on bottom, it came with a Model 1914 sn 1941XX. I also have a mag question. I just picked up a mag for a model 1910. Blued floorplate, body in the white, the only thing that makes it different from my other 25 cal. Mauser mags, is this one has Mauser banner on the right side of the mag body. Any idea what period pistol this mag was intended for?

thanks, Frank
 
#8 ·
Frank & Joseph,

I believe that the "split tail" is a legitimate variation. Very early I believe. This one is out of an Imperial Army WWI production pistol. The name is collectors nomenclature for this variation. I have seen 1 or 2 others.

Frank "runner",

Sorry, I can't help with your mag. I am just recently seriously getting into Mausers and am learning knew things about them all of the time.

Ron
 
#9 ·
Ron,

From memory, I have a split tail mag. I dont remember with what pistol it came...I'll have to check those Mausers. I also have a couple of 34s with the round front / Banner base type mag. This posting is quite interesting as I believe this is a ``grey area`` in Mauser collecting...

Marc
 
#10 ·
Ron,
Interesting topic because I have been looking for an extra one of these for a long time. The three mags with the banner base and clipped corners squared front which are on the pistols I have are all Naval marked. Two are the M/Anchor with a N-Property number and the other is the O Property number which is not marked with the M/Anchor. Hope this helps.
Bob
 
G
#12 ·
Here is one that I have and have not been able to properly identify. About a year ago I got a nice '34 all matching and good finish. The person selling it was not sure if the magazine was original, and I was not overly familiar with this particular weapon. The price was good and everything else checked out, so I took it. The gun when fired would jam at least once a magazine. I did some research and some hunting and found a proper round front banner magazine for it and my feeding problems are now gone. I am not sure if the one that came with my gun is an original or an old aftermarket. I would be interested in selling it off, but I will not pass it off as original unless I am certain that it is.

 
#14 ·
Hi Ron,
* I am far from an expert on Mauser pockets as I have only owned one 1914 as described in Jan Still's post on S/N 168278 of 2/17/05. I also don't profess to know all the background Mr. John LaCroix considered underpinning the following. However, FWIW:

* In a previous post on Mauser pockets, I mentioned John LaCroix's NAPCA RfInfo on Mauser Mags (Vol. XXXII, Issue #8 (11/99), Pgs. 173-176). Therein, John delineates his estimate for the proper mag variation(s) for 1910 & 1914 pattern pistols by S/N range. John states he delineated the mags by the evolving characteristics of the Bottom Plate</u>, the Body</u>, and the Follower</u>.

* Quoting his categories for the Mauser 1914 Pattern</u>(7.65mm) follows:

"01) S/N Range 1-200: Square Front Slotted Bottom Plate, Nickle Finish 3 slot LH Body, Nickle Finish Flat Top, "U" shaped, Milled Follower.

02) S/N Range 200-200000: Square Front Slotted Bottom Plate, Rust Blue Finish 3 slot LH Body, Bright (not finished) Finish Flat Top, "U" shaped, Milled Follower.

03) S/N Range 200000-270000: Square Front Indented Bottom Plate, Rust Blue Finish 3 slot LH Body, Bright (not finished) Finish Flat Top, "U" shaped, Milled Follower.

04) S/N Range 270000-325000: Square Front Indented Bottom Plate, Rust Blue Finish 3 slot LH Body, Bright (not finished) Finish Round Top, "U" shaped, Milled Follower.

05) S/N Range 325000-450000: Square Front Notched Bottom Plate, Rust Blue Finish 3 slot LH Body, Bright (not finished) Finish Round Top, "U" shaped, Milled Follower.

06) S/N Range 445000-450000: Round Front Notched BNR Marked Bottom Plate, Rust Blue Finish 3 slot LH Body, Rust Blue Finish Round Top, "U" shaped, Milled Follower.

07) S/N Range 450000-629000 (Intermittent): Round Front Notched BNR Marked Bottom Plate, Rust Blue Finish 7 Hole LH Body, Rust Blue Finish Round Top, "U" shaped, Milled Follower.

08) S/N Range 531000-Up (Intermittent): Round Front Notched BNR Marked Bottom Plate, Salt Blue Finish 3 Slot LH Body, Salt Blue Finish Round Top, "U" shaped, Milled Follower.

09) S/N Range 515000-Up (Intermittent): Round Front Notched BNR Marked Bottom Plate, Salt Blue Finish 7 Hole LH Body, Salt Blue Finish Round Top, "U" shaped, Milled Follower."

* Some of John's Notes on the above are:
a) "Item 08 above was most probably a clean-up production of left over 3 slot bodies produced after the change over from rust blue to salt blue."
(b) "The finish change on the magazines was introduced quite some time after the finish change on the pistols themselves."
(c) "Mags w/ salt blue Bottom plates & Rust Blue Bodies have occasionally been observed above S/N 515000."
(d) "Within the relatively small (few hundred) sample John derived the above estimates from, Items 07, 08, &09 above were widely intermixed."

* Trust this helps & adds to the discussion. It would be wonderfull IMHO if we could honor Mr. LaCroix's contribution by refining the broad S/N ranges he advanced in the above thru reported examples/observation to this thread.
 
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