#Ww2 german mauser k98 for sale skin#

The leather was thick and new, smooth cow hide. When I received the pouch, I noticed that one of the flap straps had been replaced at a very recent time, and was definitely not original or professionally repaired. Identification was not the only challenge on this pouch. it would be a VERY easy assumption and mistake to make! Interestingly though, these East German pouches are much more rare than their WW2 issue counterparts! I would imagine that there are quite a number of these old East German pouches that are sold and collected as genuine WW2 issue. To further complicate things, some of the very late, end-of-war German pouches were unmarked and sewn with black thread! Luckily I had some very knowledgeable people to consult, who also had a few confirmed early, Post-War, East German pouches I could use as an identification comparison. The WW2 pouches are usually always stitched with white leather, and the East German pouches are sewn with black thread.

#Ww2 german mauser k98 for sale skin#

The East Germans used pig skin leather, and the old WW2 pouches rarely used any pigskin leather. This pouch looks identical to the late WW2 produced ammo pouches, with the exception of the leather and thread color. This can really be a problem when it comes to positively identifying an item like this! Most of these early East German pouches were never stamped or marked in any way to indicate origin or date of manufacture. They were manufactured to the same pattern as the late WW2 issue pouches. New ammo pouches were manufactured to be issued with these rifles.

In the very early Post-War days of East Germany, before they adopted the Soviet weapon systems, the various police and military units of East Germany were issued the old Mauser 98k, bolt action rifles. Unfortunately we can not see the ammo pouches! Very early Post-War photo of East German Volkspolizei officers carrying the Mauser 98K rifles. After a month of extensive research and conversations with a number of collectors who specialized in Mauser 98K ammo pouches (Yes, there are collectors who only collect these 3 compartment pouches!), I determined that this pouch is a very early, Post-War, East German Volkspolizei pouch. There are no markings and several of the minute details are not consistent with a WW2 issued K98 pouch. This pouch was a very interesting item to research.