Interesting pistol.
Too bad it was deactivated. But is it still possible to strip the pistol to the point where the side plate can be removed?
I'm curious whether the side plate is numbered at the bottom and if there are traces of modifications on the inside.
It could be that the side plate was made for this pistol as a replacement by a competent gun smith, using a 1914 humpback side plate as a substitute piece. I've seen several examples of 1910 and 1914 pistols that had parts repaired/replaced in order to keep them going. I have a 1910 side latch with a gun smith made replacement barrel latch. Instead of the push button, it is held in place with a little screw.
b.t.w. the Mauser train was captured in Tirol, by the US Army. Not in France by the French army. The first crew to reach the train after its capture were actually British intelligence personnel. But most of the Mauser museum (and reference collection) was stored not far away from the factory in Oberndorf, and the French indeed captured Oberndorf and, sadly for us, the museum collection. Most of the collection was looted by French soldiers and many unique guns disappeared into illegality in France. Now and then, interesting guns do come out of the wood work there
