German Kar98k Ammunition Pouch
Brown pebble-grain leather with three compartments, riveted belt loops, and RBNr. 0/0396/0027; dated to approximately 1943–1945.
Images
Specifications
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Item | German Kar98k ammunition pouch |
| Country | Germany |
| Period Attribution | Second World War; approximately 1943–1945 |
| Material | Brown pebble-grain leather with metal fittings |
| Compartments | Three, with individual lids and leather closure straps |
| Ammunition | 7.92×57mm Mauser on five-round stripper clips |
| Standard Capacity | 30 rounds on six clips; two clips per compartment |
| Belt Attachment | Two short rear leather loops secured with riveted metal fittings |
| Suspender Attachment | Rectangular metal support ring on a leather tab with four rivets |
| Rear Marking | 0/0396/0027 — Reichsbetriebsnummer (RBNr.) |
| Manufacturer | Unidentified; associated with Saxony (Sachsen) in the collector reference |
Overview
This brown leather ammunition pouch was designed to carry clipped ammunition for the Karabiner 98k rifle. Its three separate compartments each have their own lid and fastening strap. The surviving internal divider, rear belt loops, and support ring show how the pouch organized ammunition and attached to the soldier’s field equipment.
The most useful identifying detail on this example is the clearly impressed rear marking, 0/0396/0027. Together with the brown leather and construction details, it allows comparison with other documented pouches bearing the same code.
Physical Description & Construction
The pouch is constructed from brown leather with a pronounced pebble-grain surface. Light-colored stitching joins the compartment bodies and attaches the closure straps to their lids. Each strap extends down the front and fastens over a metal stud beneath its compartment. Rivets are also visible along the sides of the lids.
The rear has two short leather belt loops, secured at both ends by riveted metal fittings. A rectangular metal ring sits above the center compartment on a leather tab held by four rivets. The opened compartment in the fourth photograph shows an internal leather divider and the unfinished interior surfaces. All three lids and closure straps remain present.
Markings & Dating
The central rear panel is impressed with 0/0396/0027, a Reichsbetriebsnummer, commonly abbreviated RBNr. This national business identification system represented the producer by a numbered code. A company name is not written out on the pouch.
The fjm44 reference on brown pouches bearing this same code assigns its examples to 1943–1945 and associates the unidentified maker with Saxony (Sachsen). The short belt loops and riveted attachments are consistent with wartime production simplifications. The approximate date range used here is an attribution based on that comparison and the observed construction.
Historical Context
A pouch of this type held 30 rounds of 7.92×57mm ammunition on six five-round stripper clips, with two clips in each compartment. Internal dividers separated the clips. Riflemen normally carried a pair of pouches on the belt, giving a combined capacity of 60 rounds.
The rear support ring provided an attachment point for the front hooks of the equipment suspenders, commonly called Y-straps. The belt loops and ring made the pouch part of the soldier’s carrying equipment. No unit or service branch has been established for this particular example.
Condition
The pouch is complete and retains its overall shape. The leather shows some surface wear, including darkened contact areas, scuffing at the lid corners, abrasion along exposed edges, and curling of the closure straps. Lighter leather is visible beneath worn areas of the surface and around some compartment edges.
The metal fittings retain portions of their dark finish, with bright wear at contact points. Each of the three compartments has its internal divider in place, and all lids, closure straps, rear belt loops, and the support ring are present. The rear marking remains clearly legible.
Identification / Assessment
This example is cataloged as a German Kar98k ammunition pouch in brown leather, marked RBNr. 0/0396/0027, dated to approximately 1943–1945. Its code, rear attachment details, closure system, and visible internal divider are the principal recorded identification features. The exact manufacturer, production year, and individual service history remain unestablished.
Reference
fjm44 — Brown K98 pouches – 0/0396/0027
Collector reference illustrating comparable brown pouches and documenting the code, date attribution, construction, and carrying arrangement. The photographs on this page show the Relics & Rifles example.