K98 ammo pouch authentification

[Pakkonen]

Hello guys!
I found a pair of k98 ammo pouches on a local fleamarket last weekend. I have studied the poches and compared them to other originals on this forum and on internet. I find them to be original but of course I am no expert. I can see stamps on both pouches but cant really read them. On one i can see 1940.
Please help me to authentify the pouches!
And thank for holding up this forum. It is very interesting and knowledgeble to read all the threads.

[Neil Hever]

They appear to be authentic. Looks like they still have the dividers in each pocket. Take a good look at them - they should be made from a strip of rawhide. Term for one in German is Patronentasche. NH

[Pakkonen]

Okay! Thanks for the answer! Is it unusual that the deviders are still there? Did all makers make them in one piece rawhide?

[Neil Hever]

The dividers are often broken or missing on well used pouches. The photo here shows them to good effect. They divide the two clips of five rounds in each pocket. NH

[Pakkonen]

Thanks for the info! Really apticiate it!

[Edward Lionheart]

I can see stamps on both pouches but cant really read them. On one i can see 1940.

Hello. The way in which your pouches are made perfectly matches this date as they still are like the pre-war ones. It is during the year 1940 that the metal parts will start to mix aluminium and steel and later examples will show more and more steel and simplifications to make the production of the pouches cheapier and faster.
Regarding the fact that the markings are hardly legible it is because of the pebbled surface of the leather, and you might try to use ash, flour, or anything that won't damage the leather to reveal what has been stamped.

[JPhilip]

Hello,
Both M1911 ammo pouches are ok.
IMO you should put them back in shape.
Concerning the dividers, if they're often missing it's because soldiers used to remove them. The H.V.Bl. 1942 teil B. n° 505 from the 19th of June 1942 is an order issued by the high command of the army that says that it is not allowed to remove the dividers.
Thanks

[Pakkonen]

Ok thanks. Interesting! I did not know there were diffrent models

[Pakkonen]

Hello,
Both M1911 ammo pouches are ok.
IMO you should put them back in shape.
Concerning the dividers, if they're often missing it's because soldiers used to remove them. The H.V.Bl. 1942 teil B. n° 505 from the 19th of June 1942 is an order issued by the high command of the army that says that it is not allowed to remove the dividers.
Thanks

How do you mean with putting them back to shape?

[JPhilip]

How do you mean with putting them back to shape?

Hello,
I mean that you should put something inside in order to get them back in shape, like a ball of paper...

This is how your ammo pouches look like :



and this how they should look like :



I guess you can see the difference
Thanks