M40scoutsniper Posted November 3, 2020 Report Share Posted November 3, 2020 So I have a bad habit... Once I start collecting I cant help myself! Reenacting and collecting militaria has been an addiction since I was really little. My padre had me and my brother when we were just kids in hand made 17th Century clothes at St. Marys, MD reenacting as soon as we could walk. Doesnt help I grew up watching Sands of Iwo Jima and Battleground. Any who, it turned into expanding on padres collection and now we have every US conflict covered and Im filling the gaps. Recently, I was in an extremely fortunate position to purchase a Colt M1918 SLR from the late Sandys wife Karen earlier this year. Who is an absolute joy to converse/deal with. This has lead to hunting down all the related equipment that a soldier or Marine would have had during WWI, inter war period, and WWII. Just the other day I hit a mile stone of finding all original round flap magazine belts and bandoliers. Since some of these were virtually unknown to me before researching a BAR team during WWI I thought Id share them here for reference if anyone wanted to see them. Whats unique is these were all manufactured by LONG in 1918 only a couple months apart. Each once is vastly different in color. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmagee1917 Posted November 3, 2020 Report Share Posted November 3, 2020 Nice collection . There is one that you are " missing " .When I had BARs I put a grouping like yours together , thought I had them all . Then I saw a film of battle scenes . In it a camera man was on a dike with water filled fields on both sides . A row of soldiers was approaching him . He stepped off the dike to let them pass , filming them go by . Last man was the BAR man . He wore a pocked web bandoleer , six pockets across the chest up front and six across the back ( camera man continued to follow them down the dike ) . Never saw one before and I had to have one . Everyone said I was crazy , such a thing never existed . I never found one .Years later , after the BAR was long gone , I found one . It was a D-Day paratrooper's smoke grenade bandoleer . I would guess that each pocket would hold one BAR magazine , but he could of had grenades in them .Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M40scoutsniper Posted November 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2020 Dangit haha. Time to start hunting! Wouldnt happen to have been a bandolier like this would it??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoscoeTurner Posted November 3, 2020 Report Share Posted November 3, 2020 Very nice, I started a similar collection some years back but with WWII contractors and dates. There may be some odd ones out there but it has been several years since I have run across an example that I did not already have. I believe there is a sticky with my list of WWII contractors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim c 351 Posted November 3, 2020 Report Share Posted November 3, 2020 M40,You still need the right/left 6 mag pouch, but you are off to a really good start.JIm C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmagee1917 Posted November 3, 2020 Report Share Posted November 3, 2020 (edited) Very close to that , but more like a pair of regular WW2 belts made as one piece with the shoulder pad and prob'ly a buckle of some sort .Chris BTW , nice M1936 chemical grenade bandoleer ! Edited November 3, 2020 by emmagee1917 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim c 351 Posted November 3, 2020 Report Share Posted November 3, 2020 (edited) Here is some BAR pouches. Jim C http://www.machinegunboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=23097&hl=%2Bbar+%2Bmagazine+%2Bpouches&do=findComment&comment=204422 Edited November 3, 2020 by jim c 351 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim c 351 Posted November 3, 2020 Report Share Posted November 3, 2020 (edited) http://www.machinegunboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=23097&hl=%2Bbar+%2Bmagazine+%2Bpouches&do=findComment&comment=204422 Here is a pic of the 6 mag pouches. Jim c Edited November 3, 2020 by jim c 351 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M40scoutsniper Posted November 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2020 Ive been looking for a WWI round flap belt thats had the butt cup and 45 pouch converted! Thank you for linking the other post. Lots of good information and pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M40scoutsniper Posted November 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2020 So Ive been pouring through combat footage from the Normandy breakout and I havent had any luck so far for finding this elusive bandolier that has really peaked my interest! I wonder.... Ive seen a few examples of bandoliers that were made from WW1 US grenade vests which were cut horizontally between the 2 rows of pouches and then sewn together end to end. Unfortunately Im a few states away from the majority of my collection and can't test fit a BAR mag into one of the vest pouches right meow. Hmmm... the hunt continues! -The following photo(s) is/are not mine. I just pulled it from the ole Google.- and 2 others because who knew BARs could fly!... fall... Eh, either way Id hate to ride one in and PLF on a DZ with it haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmagee1917 Posted November 4, 2020 Report Share Posted November 4, 2020 I had never seen one till that one film on TV. No one knew what I was talking about among all the collectors I knew . Several years ago someone put one on eBay and ID'd it . It went for several hundred dollars . Then over the next six months or so , a dozen or so came out of the closets , then you never saw them again . Sad , Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrylta Posted November 9, 2020 Report Share Posted November 9, 2020 You've missed one. The Monitor BAR pouch. I've only seen one since I've been looking for one.I think Big Al owns it.Darryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerslayer Posted November 11, 2020 Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 What's the monitor pouch look like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M40scoutsniper Posted November 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 You know, you fellas are a bad influence! Haha! Here I was just thinkin its ok lil wallet. The onslaught is over for now. Then BAM! To be honest if I find a Monitor belt I will pick it up and pass it along as I wouldnt appreciate it as much as some of the collectors here who really study and love the Monitor. Now... a 6 pocket round flap modified WW1 belt with the large buckles!? Different story. Speaking of which does anyone have a photo of a 6 pocket round flap magazine belt that still utilizes the large buckle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoscoeTurner Posted November 11, 2020 Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 You know, you fellas are a bad influence! Haha! Here I was just thinkin its ok lil wallet. The onslaught is over for now. Then BAM! To be honest if I find a Monitor belt I will pick it up and pass it along as I wouldnt appreciate it as much as some of the collectors here who really study and love the Monitor. Now... a 6 pocket round flap modified WW1 belt with the large buckles!? Different story. Speaking of which does anyone have a photo of a 6 pocket round flap magazine belt that still utilizes the large buckle? A Monitor belt really would not fit into a collection of military issue items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrylta Posted November 11, 2020 Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 Dan,Maybe Big AL will post some photos. Yes. I tried to purchace it from him, he was very proud of it.I didnt want to do what I did with the color fold out Monitor flyer, paid stupid money for it.Darryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annihilator Posted November 11, 2020 Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 I am looking for a nice 1st assistant gunner belt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M40scoutsniper Posted November 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 Annihilator. There is one on ebay right now. Its a pointed flap model. Buy it now of $285. You might be able to talk the fella down some. I got a round flap cartridge belt off of him awhile ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annihilator Posted November 11, 2020 Report Share Posted November 11, 2020 Thanks i saw it. One of the pouches shows some damage, it is torn. Not for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim c 351 Posted November 21, 2020 Report Share Posted November 21, 2020 Just returned from local gun show and brought home a interesting BAR belt.It has 6 pockets like a typical WW2 belt and is marked as follows.Left pouch set,-----1613Plant Bros & CoBrowning- Colt2nd AsstLeft9-1918 Right pouch set not marked. no U.S. on front flat. Connecting belt marked,------LCC& Co 12-18 In other words it looks like a typical WW2 set except no US stamped on front right flap.On closer inspection, it appears that the 45 mag pouch was removed and replaced with a BAR pouch.Very professionallydone and not in the Ballou book.Jim C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M40scoutsniper Posted November 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2020 Yeah Ive seen quite a few of those recently. Some will have mix matched round flap and pointed flap pouches. Ive also seen them retain the large WW1 buckles or modified to a WW2 pattern. A lot of the ones I see modified were done by Avery Co. Annnnnd a first for me to see is a Marine with a cut down 10 pocket belt section added to his BAR belt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M40scoutsniper Posted November 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2020 Ok here is an odd one... I have an Instagram page called Cosmoline & Canvas. Another collector called The History Hoarder, that posts regularly uploaded photos of this pouch. These are the only 3 photos of it before someone bought it from him. There is a screenshot of the description he had along with the pouch. Have you guys seen these before? Very neat lil pouch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmagee1917 Posted November 25, 2020 Report Share Posted November 25, 2020 The snap strap would make sense then . Open pouch , pull back mag out , hand it off , then unsnap strap when ready to hand off the 2nd mag .Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M40scoutsniper Posted September 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2021 Another belt added to the collection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoscoeTurner Posted September 21, 2021 Report Share Posted September 21, 2021 Another belt added to the collection! Did you happen to go to the Show of Shows in July? I saw a number of early BAR belts there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now