E/L E/F Numbered Magazines

[Like_Old_Guns]

Like other WWII German Police handguns, was it the practice to number the magazines to the guns?  I'm not sure I've seen numbered magazines for Police marked guns (E/L or E/F).  As a reference, there is a very nice E/L HSc for sale on one of the collector sites with two matching spine-numbered magazines.  I've never  seen a complete police rig like this before.  Do original WWII examples exist?

[AlanK22]

Hello "Like-Old-Guns.... I too saw the Mauser HSC Police issue auction containing the (2) marked magazines. From the serial number range, this gun was manufactured in year 1944 as a Variation 2. Note they are "unmarked except for the last (3) three digits of the serial number. I also have never seen these marked but perhaps was done, later on in the war, by that particular police unit. I have early E/L Police pistols from early 1941 & 1942 and they only contain the regular magazine with the "Mauser Banner", on the bottom. Maybe the site Moderator has further info on this. For everyone to see, I am attaching pic's of this referenced auction & gun. I hopes this info might help some.    Alan In Florida 

[Like_Old_Guns]

Alan, thanks.  First I've seen the last three digits on the toe.  Very nice.

[jcorl]

I have HSc police "L" serial number 857655 with the complete serial number on plain bottom mag plus complete serial number stampled on the police E/B holster.  My magazine is marked "2" as the second or spare mag.  I see these have no such markings or holster. 
 
Jim
 
 

[Like_Old_Guns]

Jim, I'd love to see photos.

[jcorl]

Here they are.

[Warbird]

There did not seem to be a national standard for marking the various Police organizational equipment in Germany during the war.  So each department would (or would not) stamp matching serial numbers on pistol Magazines and Holsters to their own standards.  These matching serial numbers, complete or shortened, will be found on the Magazine spine, housing, or floorplate.

As an example, my Police HSc #716771 has "6771" stamped vertically on the spine of both Magazines and the complete serial number stamped on its accompanying CZ24/27 Holster.  Since Germany occupied Czechoslovakia in March 1939, this pistol (made in April 1941) must have been issued to the occupying police force and mated with a Czech CZ Holster for convenience.  I bring this up only to demonstrate that any marking combination is possible.

[jcorl]

I would raise the question as to the commonality of finding two magazines without the denotation of a "+" or "1" or "2".  Is it routine to locate identical twins or is that spare mag usually identified in some manner, so the shooter or his police partner in a gunfight can quickly have feedback on his ammo situation?   
 
Jim

[Like_Old_Guns]

warbird, thanks, you confirmed what I suspected, that there was no national standard for marking the various Police organizational equipment in Germany during the war.  It is interesting to see the variety of different police markings for the HSc.