What is this magazine????

[rlc_hntr]

Large single stack style magazine with an unusual spring clip latch on back of the mag body. No writing of any kind on the mag body or bottom plate.
Looks like a 15 to 20 round capacity of 9MM type ammunition. I have no idea what this magazine is to or even if it might be some sort of Bubba special.
Any one have any idea as to what it is to?


rlc_hntr@yahoo.com

[rlc_hntr]

The measurements are 8 inches long by 1.25 wide. Single stack and a .38 Super round fits perfectly in the feed lips of the magazine.
Anyone have any ideas on this strange magazine???

Thanks for looking!

[Tenboremag]

My first thought is it goes to some kind of sub machinegun.

[Vern Humphrey]

My first thought is it goes to some kind of sub machinegun.

That's what I'd say -- maybe a Sten?

[Art]

IIRC Sten magazines are unusual for the period in that they are a double stack that becomes a single stack at the top, sort of like a lot of modern auto pistol magazines, your magazine seems to have that feature but I've never seen a pic of a Sten mag with that thingie bolted onto it. Also, Sten magazine springs are suipposed to be so stout that a loading tool was supplied with every gun. I did a quick look through my copy of "Small Arms of the World" and couldn't find anything like the magazine in the picture.

So my best SWAG is Sten mag....maybe???

[Vern Humphrey]

My next guess was going to be some sort of Italian sub gun -- it's not American, not German, not Russian. The Italians produced a chit-pot full of submachine guns around WWII, but once again, WHB Smith comes to my rescue -- I can't find an Italian gun with a magazine like that.

[Allen]

My next guess was going to be some sort of Italian sub gun -- it's not American, not German, not Russian. The Italians produced a chit-pot full of submachine guns around WWII, but once again, WHB Smith comes to my rescue -- I can't find an Italian gun with a magazine like that.

My first thought was maybe a Madsen sub gun. Those mags are weird but not this weird. Also thought about the Beretta model 12s, Swiss, Swedish, etc but no luck.

This is a good one.

[rlc_hntr]

Last photos..

[Allen]

I agree it must have been made for a submachine gun. I doubt it was intended for use on a pistol due to the length. Also due to the age it appears to be, extended mags on pistols weren't always favored back then as they are now.

You can see scrape marks on the side indicating it was inserted into a gun. The marks appear to be about 2 1/2" ending at the top of the latch so that would probably rule out a pistol too.

Since it was probably made for a submachine gun and since submachine guns are usually mass produced I would think perhaps this mag was a prototype. The latch or stop shown would require extra time making these. It may have been added to set up the tooling dimensions to produce a stamped or fixed latch/stop instead of what looks like an adjustable latch.

The gun this fits may be common today but the magazine isn't so I'm guessing either the mag changed (improved) or the gun was never mass produced. Something this strange would have been published. Instead, it is an oddity.

My 2 cents.