MP44 Magazine Pouch Original??

[RayG]

A friend of offered this single pouch for sale to me go with my MP44 and he states it is original. It contains three original magazines. I have some doubts about it and would like some viewers opinions on it if possible. I know it's hard to make a judgment through just a photo but maybe some one has seen a similar pouch in their travels or have some experience with originals. At first, because of the red, (sewn in) line I thought it might be original and I tested the thread and it is cotton however the small strap that originally linked the two pouches had been cut and it looks like a flame was applied to seal the cut end and the material around the cut appears melted like non cotton. Also I question the weave of the belt straps as being the same as the weave seen on original G43 and other pouches with canvas belt straps. The underside of the metal tips of the closing strap buckles are stamed "lux". Are they making repros with the red sewn in thread line? It used to be that that was a indicator of an original. Any opinions would be appreciated, Ray

[RayG]

More Photos

Pic #3 & 4

[RayG]

More photos

Pics #5 & 6

[Steve in Florida]

Wow, if it's bogus

that's a lot of detail. If that stuff burned like nylon (balled up and hard and plasticy smelling), then I would pass. I've seen two pouches pop up on eBay recently that looked super text book including the red lines sewn in and the metal end tabs, but the seller is an absolute squirrel and I would not ever buy anything from him.

Two things bug me about the pouch you show. It looks too minty and that melty thing you say is going on. I'd want to burn and smell myself, otherwise, I'd walk, but that's just me.

[Patrick Dempsey]

Some thoughts.

Hello Ray,
the first thing that pops out at me is the webbing on the loops on the reverse of the pouch. They look VERY East German to me as do the retaining straps on the triple fronts, and finally the leatherwork looks postwar as well (on the topside of the pouches)..i'd pass myself.

All the best,
Patrick.

[Willi Z.]

Hmmm......a interesting pouch. My "concerns" are that I have never seen a late-war set that have the leather bottoms. I have also never seen ones with metal fittings that did not have some kind of paint on them. A few things I like. The "Lux" tips look pretty. The upper leather, even for mint, look too new.

The funny thing is that just yesterday I looked at a mint pair of these style late-war pouches. They just didn't look quite like this one.

If a few have turned up on ebay I would be highly suspicious. These things are extremely rare and valuable!

Willi

[mudsharkangler]

Looks to be of post war manufacture, in my opinion anyways. I have seen plenty of "reproductions" throughout Europe using red thread in the material. these are almost identical to the one pictured, especially the magazine flaps.


Brian Kowalski

[RayG]

I spoke with my friend about the pouch and he said it bought it from a Veteran who apparently brought it home along with a MP44. He's had them for about 8 yrs.

Also he pointed out that the pouch is actually not completed as the horizonal straps on the front of the pouch that the closing straps tuck into have not been put on but the locations where they were to go are positioned marked by two inked dots on each pouch cell. You can see the dots on the pouch in the fiirst photo. That would be where the rivets would go.

Also I cliped off a small piece of the end of the small connecting strap that had been cut off which appeared to be melted and did a burn test and it burned like cotton so the shiny area was not melted material but apparenetly glue to seal the cut end. All in all It seems to be that they may be original, Ray

[RayG]

I just found this photo of an original MP44 pouch that is on the Claus Espeholt, http://espeholt.subnet.dk/G43 site under the Ander’s collectors corner web site
It has the same kind of metal tip ends on the closing strap as the one I have. Also the color of the web straps on this photo is like mine apparently the photos of mine washed out the greenish color. Ray

[RayG]

Patrick regarding your thoughts that the weave of the webbing on the straps on the back of the pouch might be later. If you compare this photo of a nice original pouch that Ben has and sent me, the weave looks the same. Ray