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Butterfly gain pot query

SG500

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
This is the base of the gain pot for a butterfly bomb............before I glued it back onto the rest of the gain pot so I took the opportunity to take a decent close up photo of it first.
Can anyone tell me what the marking to the right means please?
Dave.
 

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Very good question Dave !!
I've often wondered about this mark myself.

I have put a photo on of a similar mark which appears on the lid of a bakerlite bomb fuze container (a similiar mark appears in the base too, but not easy to photograph!), its slightly different, but same design. I also think I have seen the same mark on other bakerlite items of German WW2 origin, but don't have any to refer to.

I would hazord a guess that it is something to do with the bakerlite product, but like yourself, I would be interested to learn more...

HPIM5164.jpg

regards
Kev
 
This mark is used on lots of German products made from bakelite and plastic, from gaine pots, fuze holders, fuzes (specially the No ELAZ55 on bottom of fuze) grips for MG42, MP40, MP44, P38, personal kit, compasses and also on some sighting items.
It is found on items from about 1937 to late 1942 and seems to have been fazed out after that, and in some cases the die has been defaced so the mark becomes illegible. The mark is believed to be a supplier mark for the plastic used to make the item in question, so this item is marked with 3 letter maker mark, the mark in question identifies the supplier of the material used to make this item. I have a list of some of these marks on my PC, I will look it up when I get home. there is also a whole page dedicated to this subject on, I think, one of the Walther P38 forums.
 
Thanks for the input guys, that clears that one up then.
Dave.
 
as promised earlier, the marking is for "Staatliches Materialprufungsamt Berlin-Dahhlem, this is the German State Material and testing bureau. its basically a quality control/ assurance mark for the material being used to manufacture the plastic pot. it is known as an MD mark.
The maker mark "10" is for Trolitan-Presswerk, Weiskirchen, Trier, Saarland, this company manufactured the resin/plastic in raw form before it was cast.
The German Plastic manufacturing process was governed differently to the metal, and in most cases didnt have a waffenampt mark, even though in most cases it was for military applications.

"Z3" stands for "Bakelit" - a "duroplast" consisting of phenol resin mixed with wood chips or textiles and then pressed. Further "T1" stands for "Trolit" [tradename "Trolit(-an)]", a material based on cellulose-acetate-plastic.
Hope this helps.
 
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Hi there Dave, just a quick note with the gain pot you have, the example in the picture is used in the Sd2 practice, the main body is filled with pitch and a hole drilled through the body and pitch to the gain pot, the 3 holes in the gain allow smoke to be ommited out when its dropped. Dave S
 
Hi there Dave, just a quick note with the gain pot you have, the example in the picture is used in the Sd2 practice, the main body is filled with pitch and a hole drilled through the body and pitch to the gain pot, the 3 holes in the gain allow smoke to be ommited out when its dropped. Dave S

Thanks Millsbomber, that's brilliant, I was going to ask that question next - I have 2 with holes and 2 without.
Dave.
 
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