Actually that is not a part or drawing number. It is a very long explanation, but those markings were a system that started in 1943 by one of the US Government's Financial Systems. The markings were entended to show interchangability of similar items. An example is 4 different screwdrivers, with different commercial names, being the same item for use. The number will show that. Naturally like all government bureaucracies, the Army started marking or assigning everything with a number. Even items that are one of a kind.41-T-3016-125
Below is a Carbine 30 Round Magazine Pouch showing the interchangability number. It is not the drawing number.
![]()