SVT 38/40 & Gewehr 43 Mag Question

Seeing how scarce are the SVT mags, I believe this is true.
Specially, considering that the SVT mags are fitted for every particular rifle and are not guaranteed to feed in others.
 
SVt mags are indeed meant to be kept with the rifle and loaded thru the top. But I believe German soldiers carried several box mags in specially designed pouches.
 
Each rifle was issued with three magazines, two of which were carried in a magazine pouch. Early pouches were of canvas and leather construction but later changed to all leather. The pouch had a large single compartment divided by a piece of thick leather to create a front and back and to separate the magazines so that they could not rattle against one another. An interior securing strap crossed over diagonally and held the magazines firmly in place. It secured to a large brass grommet that also secured the cover flap. Each magazine was numbered to the rifle on the bottom of the magazine body. Directly after the serial number was a period followed by either a 1, 2, 3. These numbers corresponded to the number of magazines issued to that serial numbered rifle. This was true of both SVT38 and 40 magazines.


all text stolen from mosinnagant.net
 
K/G43's also were issued with 3 mags.One on rifle and two in a dual mag pouch. A standard K-98 mag pouch was also carried giving a round capacity of Sixty rounds thus the same as a K98 rifleman.
 
Read an account from a german in a winter campaign (dont remember which one) who mentioned loading up on mags before night missions. He also mentioned using HE 8mm rounds, not sure about credibility.
 
HE rounds are B Patrone. These are explosive observation rounds originally meant for Luftwaffe use.
Use by ground troops limited strictly to the Eastern front.
 
LET ME ADD MY 2cts;
The SVT rifles were issued with five mags, one on the gun, two in each of the leather or canvas pouches, with a sling, bayonet, cleaning kit & tools.... and Y strap assembly to aid in carrying the rather heavy loaded mags.
A few years ago we sold hundreds of these complete un-issued sets in Canada..
If anybody is interested I have some pictures someplace....

As for the German K/G "family of guns, they were issued with seven mags, one on the gun, three on each side of the pouch set (left and right) one side have an acessory pocket for the mag loader, disassembly tool, spares etc....
Not un-usual to have been issued with a spare extractor & firing pin.
This is based on the thousands of these guns that we have processed over the years.
John
 
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