Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice all leather construction left side MP38/40 magazine pouch, with the characteristic magazine loader pocket that is attached to the front of the triple pouch. We only see this type of construction on the leather pouches, and it it actually is attached to the stud that closes the center pouch, and can be removed and folded down. This leads them to often be lost as they can tear off at the bottom, but this example is completely intact! This particular variant was used extensively by the elite Panzer Lehr Division in Normandy, and are very sought after for this reason.

The pouch is completely constructed of black finished leather, typical of other pouches and holsters made during the WWII period. It has the correct white stitching and steel rivets, showing wear and discoloration due to age. The stitching is all solid, and the leather is lightly worn but functional, without any tearing. The belt loops and the top strap with the D-Ring for attachment to the Y-straps are all intact and in solid shape.

The pouch is marked under the center pouch flap with maker code gyb, for maker Wilhelm Friedr. Bauer GmbH, Lederwarenfabrik (leatherware factory), located in Offenbach am Main-Bieber in Hesse, Germany. Under this is a partial date reading 194, with the last digit unclear. It looks like when it was stamped the iron must have bounced, giving a bit of a "double" marking. This leather goods maker is a known supplier of magazine pouches during the war, and other examples of all leather pouches by this maker have been seen.

The Panzer all leather MP 38 / 40 pouches are the hardest to find of all variants, and this is the first example that we have had! A very nice service used example, ready to display!

History of the MP40:
The Maschinenpistole 40 ("Machine pistol 40") descended from its predecessor the MP 38, which was in turn based on the MP 36, a prototype made of machined steel. The MP 36 was developed independently by Erma Werke's Berthold Geipel with funding from the German Army. It took design elements from Heinrich Vollmer's VPM 1930 and EMP. Vollmer then worked on Berthold Geipel's MP 36 and in 1938 submitted a prototype to answer a request from the Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Office) for a new submachine gun, which was adopted as MP 38. The MP 38 was a simplification of the MP 36, and the MP 40 was a further simplification of the MP 38, with certain cost-saving alterations, most notably in the more extensive use of stamped steel rather than machined parts.

It was heavily used by infantrymen (particularly platoon and squad leaders), and by paratroopers, on the Eastern and Western Fronts. Its advanced and modern features made it a favorite among soldiers and popular in countries from various parts of the world after the war. It was often erroneously called "Schmeisser" by the Allies, despite Hugo Schmeisser's non-involvement in the weapon's design and production. From 1940 to 1945, an estimated 1.1 million were produced by Erma Werke.