Luger byf 41 black widow

[wolfcastle]

Hi. Should a no letter block 41 have a numbered mag? The one I'm looking at appears to have a black plastic base with no serial.

[MikeP]

Black bottom FXO is a good thing.

[phild]

Agree with above opinion for a 41 no letter. The aluminum bottom mags (fxo) seem to have been used well into 1942 sporadically, maybe till near the end of 42 production, but I think that most collectors who have really paid attention to numerous examples, feel that serial numbering aluminum bottom mags ceased somewhere around the “w” block in 1941.

I assume that many post w block byf 08s with wooden grips were issued with black Bakelite bottom mags as well as some with unnumbered aluminum bottom mags. I long wondered if a combination of mag bottom types were ever provided from the factory but I don’t see how we could ever know for sure.

[wolfcastle]

Thanks