Third Party Press

Erma Magazine guard insert?

Absolut

Senior Member
A friend was being handed some smaller parts at a gunshow of what someone found, mostly trainer parts. Among them was a normal Erma magazine floorplate holder for the EL24, but also something very differently. I took it with me for identification, since I had not seen something like this before...

Any suggestions for which Erma system this would fit? It appears to be in the shape of a K98k magazine floorplate, but it's too long to fit a K98k magazine guard. Note it also has a serial on bottom.
 

Attachments

  • erma1.jpg
    erma1.jpg
    233.6 KB · Views: 29
  • erma2.jpg
    erma2.jpg
    262.9 KB · Views: 31
  • erma3.jpg
    erma3.jpg
    161.2 KB · Views: 39
  • erma4.jpg
    erma4.jpg
    168.7 KB · Views: 47
  • erma5.jpg
    erma5.jpg
    287.2 KB · Views: 33
Erma made barrel insert systems not only for the Mauser 98 actions and P 08 pistols, but for other rifles (including foreign models) as well. For instance, Berthold Geipel applied for (and was granted) a patent for the EL 24 system made for the Lee Enfield rifles in 1927. I don't know what this one was made for, but perhaps someone here will recognize the shape of it as a replacement for a magazine or floor plate on some large caliber rifle? You may have a very rare item here!
Steve
 
With your permission, I can send these on to the Erma expert and see if he has ever encountered this? If anyone would know, he would be the man.
Steve
 
Are you referring to Holger in Germany? I had sent them to him already. If there is someone else, feel free to forward them.
I had known on the Enfield, but I guess they wouldn't put a WaA acceptance in 1937 in a .22 system for a British rifle..
 
Are you referring to Holger in Germany? I had sent them to him already. If there is someone else, feel free to forward them.
I had known on the Enfield, but I guess they wouldn't put a WaA acceptance in 1937 in a .22 system for a British rifle..

I wouldn't think so, but I also wouldn't bet. Since a magazine holder/adapter would have required no state proof mark (as would an action), the WaA mark might have been used merely to assure that it had been inspected and passed. May also have been made for a prototype of some firearm or EL kit which was never put into production. And yes, Holger is the person to whom I was referring. Depending on how long ago you had sent him those, he may have encountered something new about it since then, but would likely have contacted you if that were the case.
Steve
 
I was talking to him on the phone yesterday on this, but had sent him the pictures at the same time I had posted them here. No feedback so far from him.

It is too long to fit in an Enfield magazine assembly. Since the metal at the rear is of different length on both sides I had also considered that this might just had been something which was not fully assembled yet and indeed was thought to fit to a K98k magazine assembly since it appears to have the lookalike-shape and locking mechanism of the K98k. But would they serialize and proof it prior to being finished?
 
Definitely agree that the serial number indicates that it was intended for use with some specific firearm, and presumably one bearing that serial number. There certainly could not have been anywhere near that number of these made, or someone would recognize it from having seen such a thing before. Wonderful and fascinating little mystery.
Holger had called me last week to discuss some options for publishing the English language edition of his book. He may have more specific plans for that after a meeting at the Lucerne show next week.
Steve
 

Military Rifle Journal
Back
Top