DDR Makarov holster stamp Id assistance

gonzogeezer · March 31, 2015, 12:26 PM

Hello All,

I bought a lot of seven holsters at an auction last Sunday because two of them appear to be DDR Makarov. One has NVA over II/S which I think is standard army. But the other one is different and I couldn't find the markings through a Google search. So, I thought I'd reach out to the cognoscenti to get some ideas. Below is a photo, any notions appreciated.

I found a DAMW in a Google book scan. Deutsches Amt für Messwesen und Warenprüfung = German Agency for Metrology and Inspection of goods. Metrology is the study of measurement. While it might make sense that this bureaucracy may have been required to monitor the quality of holsters being manufactured, I find it unusual they would have placed their stamp in the holster but no other organization.

Can anybody help me figure out what this holster is all about?

Thanks for reading.

mapsjanhere · March 31, 2015, 02:14 PM

The TGL stands for Technischen Normen, Gütevorschriften und Lieferbedingungen (TGL), the East German equivalent of the DIN. The number was probably something similar to the US Mil-Spec system.
This pdf shows some of the markings found on DDR goods. The DAMW existed from 1950 - 1973, so the stamp is consistent with the 11/65 date.
The 12/2065 is the identifier of the manufacturing company, the 12 means it's in the Dresden region.

gonzogeezer · March 31, 2015, 04:35 PM

Thanks for the reply. Would either the TGL or DAMW personnel have been uniformed and this holster issued to them for use?

mapsjanhere · April 1, 2015, 09:43 AM

TGL is a standards organization, and DAMW was the organization verifying the quality standards were met. Both marks were put on for the production, they were not marks of issuing organizations. Think of it as civilian production, most likely for export as there was very little private gun ownership in the DDR.

gonzogeezer · April 1, 2015, 11:50 AM

I see. Given the probable 1965 date, export would have been some other Warsaw Pact or Soviet ally country that didn't in turn add their own stamps. Or perhaps it stayed in inventory and was never shipped anywhere. This holster internally has some indication of light use, perhaps simply inserting a gun to check fit, but I doubt it was ever worn.
These stamps don't appear on the other holster I have, which is apparently military. The NVA holster is a poorer, tighter fit than the other and does show some signs of use.
The non-NVA holster is enough of a mystery that I'll probably keep it.

Thanks.

March 31, 2015, 12:26 PM	#1
gonzogeezer Member Join Date: March 18, 2014 Posts: 74	DDR Makarov holster stamp Id assistance Hello All, I bought a lot of seven holsters at an auction last Sunday because two of them appear to be DDR Makarov. One has NVA over II/S which I think is standard army. But the other one is different and I couldn't find the markings through a Google search. So, I thought I'd reach out to the cognoscenti to get some ideas. Below is a photo, any notions appreciated. I found a DAMW in a Google book scan. Deutsches Amt für Messwesen und Warenprüfung = German Agency for Metrology and Inspection of goods. Metrology is the study of measurement. While it might make sense that this bureaucracy may have been required to monitor the quality of holsters being manufactured, I find it unusual they would have placed their stamp in the holster but no other organization. Can anybody help me figure out what this holster is all about? Thanks for reading.

March 31, 2015, 02:14 PM	#2
mapsjanhere Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 2,832	The TGL stands for Technischen Normen, Gütevorschriften und Lieferbedingungen (TGL), the East German equivalent of the DIN. The number was probably something similar to the US Mil-Spec system. This pdf shows some of the markings found on DDR goods. The DAMW existed from 1950 - 1973, so the stamp is consistent with the 11/65 date. The 12/2065 is the identifier of the manufacturing company, the 12 means it's in the Dresden region. __________________ I used to love being able to hit hard at 1000 yards. As I get older I find hitting a mini ram at 200 yards with the 22 oddly more satisfying. Last edited by mapsjanhere; March 31, 2015 at 02:21 PM.

April 1, 2015, 09:43 AM	#4
mapsjanhere Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 2,832	TGL is a standards organization, and DAMW was the organization verifying the quality standards were met. Both marks were put on for the production, they were not marks of issuing organizations. Think of it as civilian production, most likely for export as there was very little private gun ownership in the DDR. __________________ I used to love being able to hit hard at 1000 yards. As I get older I find hitting a mini ram at 200 yards with the 22 oddly more satisfying.

April 1, 2015, 11:50 AM	#5
gonzogeezer Member Join Date: March 18, 2014 Posts: 74	DDR Makarov holster stamp Id assistance I see. Given the probable 1965 date, export would have been some other Warsaw Pact or Soviet ally country that didn't in turn add their own stamps. Or perhaps it stayed in inventory and was never shipped anywhere. This holster internally has some indication of light use, perhaps simply inserting a gun to check fit, but I doubt it was ever worn. These stamps don't appear on the other holster I have, which is apparently military. The NVA holster is a poorer, tighter fit than the other and does show some signs of use. The non-NVA holster is enough of a mystery that I'll probably keep it. Thanks.

March 31, 2015, 04:35 PM	#3
gonzogeezer Member Join Date: March 18, 2014 Posts: 74	Thanks for the reply. Would either the TGL or DAMW personnel have been uniformed and this holster issued to them for use?