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BAR magazine belts


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Jim,

That's some great WW1 era guns and pouches. Another rare one is the Monitor belt.

I looked for to no avail and settled on a second assistant belt that had the 45 mag removed

and replaced with a matching BAR magazine pouch.

Darryl

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Yes , you can run across all three of these belts with the added BAR pouch (S) to make 6-pouch belts . I also saw a video 30 years ago with a BAR gunner wearing a 12 pocket bandoleer . Had 6 up the front and six down the back . Showed him walking by and got a real good look to see it was not two belts put together . Noone had seen one and everyone called me loony . Turned out it was a WW2 D-day paratrooper's bandoleer for colored marker smoke grenades .

Chris

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Jim,

That's some great WW1 era guns and pouches. Another rare one is the Monitor belt.

I looked for to no avail and settled on a second assistant belt that had the 45 mag removed

and replaced with a matching BAR magazine pouch.

Darryl

 

Hi Darryl

Can you post a picture and I will check my collection.

Thanks

Eric

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I just tried to locate a picture of one, couldn't find it on the net :-(

 

The only one I have seen was in a Monitor brochure, I've got all three of them.

It was offered for sale to agencies that bought one of Hoover's weapon

of mass destruction gun.

 

I'll keep looking for it and post when I find it.

 

I remember it being a wide buckle belt without the pistol cartridge or butt cup

attachments. It was either a 4 or six pouch belt. There as rare as hen's teeth.

Darryl

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I found a reproduction manual that has a photo of the belt in it.

 

Cornell Publications LLC

Colt c1936 Monitor Machine Rifle R80 Manual

 

This manual cover is light green in color.

I bought an original from Sig years ago.

 

Darryl

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R80 Colt Monitor commercial gunners belt is pictured on page 335 in the Jim Ballou book , ARIAHP.

It looks the same as any BAR belt with the first two pouches on the right side removed.

It would have made more sense, in my opinion, if Colt would have provided the over-the -shoulder , 3 pouch unit pictured above in post #1.

Reason, since the various commercial BARs were used by police and prisons ,and since not all people have the same waist size an adjustment would have to be done for the 3rd shift guard before wearing the belt.

With the 3 pouch, over the shoulder unit, any guard would throw the loop over his shoulder, grab the BAR and go.

 

Thanks to all who took the time to comment on my post.

Jim C

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Jim, Noteworthy collection! Better than the display at the USMC museum! I have a BAR belt that I need to take a quick photo of. Its an after market, means nothing to most collectors. Just has meaning for me.

 

Cheers,

Steve

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Thanks. Ill get the Cornell manual and pull out Ballou. Checking the book hit me while in the shower this morning. I have a BAR belt incoming I will post pictures here once in my hands. Not Monitor based on the descriptions but very cool regardless.

 

Ron

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks. Ill get the Cornell manual and pull out Ballou. Checking the book hit me while in the shower this morning. I have a BAR belt incoming I will post pictures here once in my hands. Not Monitor based on the descriptions but very cool regardless.

 

Ron

 

I bought a ton of BAR belts from a guy who said he got them from a "so called" high end collector. This included my Chauchat belt. I just had this one delivered. Do you think it might be a Monitor belt? No US markings and looks like it could be commercial but it does have age.

Eric

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Eric,

All I know is what I see in the Jim Ballou book.

The R80 belt pictured on page 335 shows 4 pouches on the left side and 1 pouch on the right side. Perhaps made this way for hip firing.

That doesn't mean your belt wasn't made for the Monitor. Who knows what variations were made nearly 100 years ago.

The number of people who own a Monitor today can probably be counted on the fingers on one hand and of those even less participate on this forum.

Your only hope is that someone has some 1930's literature and will post some pics here.

Jim C

Edited by jim c 351
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Eric,

All I know is what I see in the Jim Ballou book.

The R80 belt pictured on page 335 shows 4 pouches on the left side and 1 pouch on the right side. Perhaps made this way for hip firing.

That doesn't mean your belt wasn't made for the Monitor. Who knows what variations were made nearly 100 years ago.

The number of people who own a Monitor today can probably be counted on the fingers on one hand and of those even less participate on this forum.

Your only hope is that someone has some 1930's literature and will post some pics here.

Jim C

 

I agree Jim.

I looked everywhere in my books too.

Maybe Ron and Steve know something.

Eric

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Early belgium FN FAL belt

 

Shit...………….lol

I love this hobby and it's amazing how your mind can play tricks on you. I am to BAR belts what a guy in desert, dying of thirst, is to a mirage.

Eric

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