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MODEL 1909 MOUNTED CARTRIDGE BELT-RIMLESS EAGLE
SNAP – AN EXCELLENT SPECIMEN OF A RARE BELT COMPLETE
WITH ALL FOUR REVOLVER CARTRIDGE POUCHES:
It is a real pleasure to be
able to offer this excellent specimen of the very rare
Model 1909 Mounted Cartridge Belt, as issued to the US
Army Cavalry troopers during the Mexican Punitive
Expedition into Mexico in 1916.
Originally designed with two revolver ammunition pockets
on each side of the front closure, this belt was
intended to be issued with the Model 1909 Colt
Revolver. However, as noted in so many other instances
through the history of the Ordnance Department’s efforts
to coordinate the development and issue of new weapons
and the related accoutrements, technological
developments outstripped the design and intended use of
this belt, and by the time the belt was issued for use
in the field most of the mounted soldiers had been
issued the Model 1911 Automatic Colt Pistol. The M1911
Pistol, which required the two pocket magazine pouch to
carry additional ammunition, rendered the four revolver
ammunition pockets on this belt obsolete. As a result,
most of the Model 1909 Mounted Belts which survive in
collections today have had one or both sets of the
revolver cartridge pouches removed to make room to carry
the Model 1916 Magazine Pouch.
Adding to the rarity of
these Model 1909 Belts is the short period of production
as they were supplanted the next year with the
introduction of the Model 1910 Mounted Cartridge Belt.
This belt is in remarkable condition given the obvious
signs of its issue and use in the field. All of the
rimless eagle snaps are intact with no tearing or wear
around the snaps, all of the snaps function properly,
and all of the grommets are intact with none having
pulled through the webbing.
The two revolver ammunition
pockets on both sides of the belt front are completely
intact and are original to this belt.
Both of the belt’s metal
end pieces bear the Mills Company logo and patent
information.
There are a few points of slight
wear at the top corners of some of the pockets and the
third pocket flap in from the right end has a very small
wear hole – less than ¼” in diameter – which are barely
noticeable except on close inspection and only mentioned
here to provide a complete description. There are no
other signs of wear, fraying, fading, tearing or other
damage on this belt with all of the flaps and pockets in
excellent solid condition. The original sabre hanger
chape is present and intact.
Introduced in the early years of the 20th
Century, these belts were exposed to extensive service
to include the Punitive Expedition into Mexico and World
War One, with most having been subjected to the
modifications described above. It is believed that only
a small handful of these Model 1909 Mounted Cartridge
Belts survive today in their original configuration with
all four revolver cartridge pouches intact, and even
fewer are in such fine condition as this specimen.
Rare pieces such as this
belt normally move very quietly from one collection to
another in private sales and having one to offer to the
collector community is a rare event in its own right and
it is a real pleasure to be able to offer this belt for
your consideration. (0810) $2250
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