Unreferenced mag maker

Through another French collector, I could have some markings found inside 3 packages: IS again, twice, and U.

+ 1 Smokpole. These were repackaged in 1943 and 44 which is early so training would make sense to me. They would have to be repackaged from use earlier than 1943.

I have one, marked (SP) 

Hi all,

I can add a little - very little - to the discussion of markings on carbine magazines. I have 4 magazines that were found by Jacques Van Molle, a 14-year old Belgian boy near Bastogne during the winter of 1944-1945.

Jacques’ father had been killed in an industrial accident, and his mother worked full-time, so young Jacques spent a lot of time unsupervised. He scoured the fields near his home and accumulated a large collection of US and German gear, weapons and dropped ammo, which he stored in his basement.

Of interest to us, he found a STD PRO carbine with a U 10-49 barrel. Decades later, he bought a copy of Larry Ruth’s book and then wrote Larry, asking why his barrel was dated 4 years AFTER he found it in a field!

Fortunately, Mike Stratton and I were able to visit Jacques at his home, inspect, photograph and do a data sheet on it. This was the first factory-original, known-provenance carbine with a U 10-49 barrel that the Carbine Club obtained a data sheet on. See the COM in NL 133.   

Years later, Jacques offered to sell his carbine to me, but since semi-auto’s were illegal in Belgium, shipping the gun to me in the US would be very risky. Jacques and his wife have since passed away, and the whereabouts of that carbine and the other US and German weapons in his collection, is unknown.

Jacques gave me the 4 magazines, one of which is still loaded with PC 43 ammo, and many loose carbine cartridges, as well as 30.06 and .45ACP. Plus a German “kurz” round.

I’ll attempt to upload photos of the carbine magazines. I don’t know if the floor plates are factory-original because I never studied them. But these mags are as Jacques found them during WWII, and gave them to me.

Regards, mb





Edited by Marty Black - Mar 24 2025 at 7:40pm

Dropping a full carbine magazine in combat.   Think of an exhausted and frightened young GI in the winter cold, perhaps shivering or shaking from "fight or flight," perhaps at night, perhaps wearing gloves. Easy to fumble a magazine, it falls into the snow and disappears. Grab another mag.

I spent a lot of time on Okinawa, exploring the battlefields with a metal detector. Amazed at how many full Garand clips and frag grenades were dropped. No snow there, but incessant mud. If something was fumbled, or in the case of grenades - came off your belt or suspenders while running, let it go.

Yup, every time I found an interesting battlefield relic from WWII - in Europe or the Pacific, I always wished "If this thing could only talk, and tell me its story....." Those were fascinating experiences. Walking in the footsteps of history.

Regards, mb

Jond41403,

You've encouraged me to post a few photos I took of Jacque's STD PRO with U 10-49 barrel and some other things. Sorry the scans turned out so dark - my ineptness.

The 5 round stripper clip is 7.9mm German for a K-98 rifle. They dropped ammo too! :-)

The last photo is very off-topic, but funny. I had a 24 hour layover in Brussels, and Jacques picked me up and took me to the Waterloo battlefield. Then we stopped for a beer at a restaurant at the edge of the battlefield. Jacques' constant companion was his huge dog, Mack. Jacques learned his English fluency working for Mack, Inc., the American truck company. His wife Collette didn't speak English. Anyhow, take a look at what is happening behind Mack!

Regards, mb

Trying to make up for the horrible photo of Jacques' 10-49 bbl, here is an i-phone photo of the photo that shows the barrel date clearer, although still in shadow.

FWIW, mb

That would certainly be a needle in a haystack. The 82nd Airborne was in the area where the carbine was found, but so were a lot of other units. I suspect 4640 is a GI's "laundry number," but it's incomplete for some reason. The "laundry number," found on uniform items as well as some field gear, contained the first letter of the soldier's last name, followed by the last 4 numbers in his serial number. If the GI's last name was Jones, his "laundry number" would have been J4640.

I found a lot of items on Okinawa with names or initials scratched in, or painted on...and I tried for years to find the owners. I was successful only 3 times - a "sweetheart bracelet" that was shot off the wrist of an Army Captain at Kakazu Ridge, and 2 canteen cups lost when they were evacuated with wounds, their gear remaining on the ground. One was at Kakazu Ridge (Army), the other was at Sugar Loaf Hill (Marine).

Regards, mb

Marty Black wrote: Hi all, I can add a little - very little - to the discussion of markings on carbine magazines. I have 4 magazines that were found by Jacques Van Molle, a 14-year old Belgian boy near Bastogne during the winter of 1944-1945. Jacques’ father had been killed in an industrial accident, and his mother worked full-time, so young Jacques spent a lot of time unsupervised. He scoured the fields near his home and accumulated a large collection of US and German gear, weapons and dropped ammo, which he stored in his basement. Of interest to us, he found a STD PRO carbine with a U 10-49 barrel. Decades later, he bought a copy of Larry Ruth’s book and then wrote Larry, asking why his barrel was dated 4 years AFTER he found it in a field! Fortunately, Mike Stratton and I were able to visit Jacques at his home, inspect, photograph and do a data sheet on it. This was the first factory-original, known-provenance carbine with a U 10-49 barrel that the Carbine Club obtained a data sheet on. See the COM in NL 133.    Years later, Jacques offered to sell his carbine to me, but since semi-auto’s were illegal in Belgium, shipping the gun to me in the US would be very risky. Jacques and his wife have since passed away, and the whereabouts of that carbine and the other US and German weapons in his collection, is unknown. Jacques gave me the 4 magazines, one of which is still loaded with PC 43 ammo, and many loose carbine cartridges, as well as 30.06 and .45ACP. Plus a German “kurz” round. I’ll attempt to upload photos of the carbine magazines. I don’t know if the floor plates are factory-original because I never studied them. But these mags are as Jacques found them during WWII, and gave them to me. Regards, mb

Thanks Charlie and Jond41403,

I used a magnifying glass on the original photo and I too can see an - I - or something in front of 4460 on the sling, but I can't tell for sure what it is.

Almost all of the carbine photos were taken by Jacques, which he sent to Larry Ruth when he asked about the '49 date on the barrel. Later, Jacques gave me copies, and he used a pen to circle both numbers, as he too was curious as to their meaning. Unfortunately, I never thought to ask for the negatives.

I'll snail-mail all the photos to Dan P and perhaps he can do some photoshop magic on them. And with forum members' interest in this carbine, perhaps he can do some follow-up reporting on it. NL 133 COM is the data sheet on it, that Mike Stratton and I filled out at Jacques' dining room table!

Stay tuned, mb