MP 18 1 Serial Numbers ?

[Guest Bigsieuk]

Hello all,

I was lucky recenlt to obtain a Dec Act MP 18 1. Does anyone know of any serial number /date references? Also the magazine seems to have an adaptor for the mag - I've seen most without such an adaptor? Any experts out ther on MP 18's ?

Regards

Bigsie uk

[TonyE]

Not particularly my area of knowledge, but here are a few points.

I cannot read the serial number in your picture, it looks like 9 732?

It is thought that only about 3,000 MP18 I machine pistols were actually issued in the war, as the highest known serial number on a captured gun is just under 3,000. The highest serial number known is nearly 35,000 so it is believed that the balance of the guns were secretly made after the Armistice in the 1920s. Schmeisser left the Bergmann company after the war and went to work for C.G.Haenel where he introduced the 32 round stick magazine, as he had wanted to do in 1916 but the Gewehrprufung Kommission had insisted on the use of the 32 round snail drum. He then went on to improve the MP18 into the MP28.

The adapter on the magazine is for use with the Bergmann. Without the adaptor the magazine can be used with the 8 inch barrelled Artillery Luger, more correctly the Lange Pistole 08.

Regards

TonyE

[Guest Bigsieuk]

Thanks TonyE,

The number is 1972, which would make it one of the earlier issued?

I've seen snail mags wothout the adaptor and wondered whether it was provided for strength?

Regards

Bigsieuk

[TonyE]

The serial number would indeed suggest that it is an early weapon that would have been issued in the war.

Having owned a L.P.08 ans shot it with the snail magazine I can assure you it is very heavy when full. I have always assumed that the adaptor was to give added support when used in the MP18 to prevent torsional stresses in the relatively thin sheet steel straight part of the magazine causing feed problems.

Regards

TonyE