I was able to get 3 good condition German P228 dovetail magazines from 2 vendors. 2 has JP Sauer and Sons mark and law enforcement only. When I dismantled it for cleaning the solo one has 11 coils of spring and a shorter follower compared to the other 2- was this modded or are there certain magazine batches that have the shorter follower and longer coil spring? Bec the other 2 has only 10 coils and a tall follower. Thanks.

I've never seen a German full capacity (13-rd) P228 mag with a shortened follower. Correct German P228 mag has the 11 coiled spring with the full size (tall) follower.

Shortened followers were done by Mec-Gar (Italy), when they made the flush fit 15-round mag for the P228.

Thanks! I guess it’s possible that one of the mags was either modified to accept more rounds or got mixed up in assembly. Because the body of the mag is a German dovetail and it has a short follower. So does it mean that mag will take 2 more rounds?

quote:

So does it mean that mag will take 2 more rounds?

Yes, it will. Someone swapped the shortened follower into it. The indentations at the bottom of the German mag have no bearing on the ability to accommodate the 2 extra rounds. Just don't try the Mec-Gar mag spring in it, because it won't fit, the way it's constructed..

How about the basepads? Does German dovetail mags have basepads showing manufacturing month and year like a small clock?

Pre-ban ones, except for those in the months immediately preceding the start on the AWB law in Sept 1994, do not have the date clock on their base pads.

Those during the ban and post-ban era have the date clock.

Mine has these markings on the front side of the magazine-
J.P. Sauer & Sons GmbH. 091494. SIGARMS INC.
Germany. Exeter, NH

RESTRICTED LAW ENFORCEMENT/GOV’T USE ONLY

Yup, any new full capacity mags manufactured during the AWB period were for law enforcement/military people only and must be so marked. We lowly US civilians could only buy the 10-round mags made during this period, although we could still buy/own the pre-ban mags (in most states). The AWB law lasted 10 years and expired in Sept 2004.