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MODEL 1910 MOUNTED CARTRIDGE BELT-RIMLESS EAGLE
SNAP – AN EXCELLENT SPECIMEN OF A RARE BELT COMPLETE
WITH ALL FOUR REVOLVER CARTRIDGE POUCHES – ID’d 10TH
CAVALRY: As with so many other rare pieces of
the early 20th Century Mills equipment, it is
a real pleasure to be able to offer this excellent
specimen of the rare Model 1910 Mounted Cartridge Belt,
as issued to the US Army Cavalry troopers during the
Mexican Punitive Expedition into Mexico in 1916.
Further enhancing the value of this belt is the unit
applied stencil on the inside of the rear adjustment
strap identifying this belt as having been issued to the
historic 10Th US Cavalry.
As 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, and as a
result most of the Model 1910 Mounted Belts that survive
in collections today have had one or both sets of the
revolver cartridge pouches removed to make room to carry
the M1911 Magazine Pouch.
This belt is in excellent condition given the evidence
of having been issued to a regular army regiment that
saw so much service 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, all of
the clip retaining straps are present and intact in each
of the rifle cartridge pockets, and all of the grommets
are intact with none having pulled through the webbing.
The metal fittings and eagle snap buttons retain their
original darkened finish.
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 and both of the belt ends
still retain the visible Mills Company ink stamped
bullet logo on the interior surface of the webbing.
As is correct, the left
hand section of the belt features the unique oval
eyelets along the bottom edge of the belt, each eyelet
large enough to accommodate the hanger wires of two
items such as the tool carriers or first aid pouch.
There are is no sign of wear, fraying, fading, tearing
or other damage on this belt, with all of the flaps and
pockets in excellent condition, and a nice even green
hue to the webbing throughout.
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 any but common to
find these Model 1910 Mounted Cartridge Belts surviving
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 it is a real
pleasure to be able to offer this belt for your
consideration.
SOLD
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