Magazine bags help need

[rhineriver]

I got these magazine bags from a local gun store. For what they were used?

Information

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[stencollector]

From the FLIS sight description for the pouch:

WATER REPELLENT TREATED,ACCOMMODATES A/A CLIP OR MAGAZINE,SHOULDER STRAP W/SLIDE LOOP AND STRAP LOOP FASTENER

[RT Ellis]

Universal carrier for small arms ammunition in clips, magazines, belted, in cartons, and grenades of all kinds.

National Line Co. Inc., Dora, Alabama, had quite a few contracts for individual equipment in the 1960s. Contract DSA100-69-C-1961 was opened in April, 1969 and completed (paid) in October, 1969 for $24k.

[rhineriver]

Thanks for your help. I think I saw the same design but other colour and markings on bags from WWII. Is this possible?

[RT Ellis]

There were two general issue ammunition bags used during WWII that were similar to your examples.

The Bag, Spare Magazine was slightly smaller than your bag and was apparently intended for the long magazines for the Sub-Machine Guns M1928, M1, and M3 all were Cal..45 and used common magazines. There was no dividers in the bag so it could be used for other purposes. This bag was manufactured with an adjustable shoulder strap permanently assembled to the bag.

Another similar bag was the Bag, Extra Ammunition, that is frequently referred to by collectors as a "demolitions bag" as in some cases high explosives were carried. This bag was more versatile as it was larger, had a detachable shoulder strap and four D-rings were placed on the back that could be used to attach the bag to most anything. The shoulder strap attached to snap hooks assembled to the bag that could be used to attach the bag to the various rings and eyelets on much of the web equipment used by the U.S. military contemporaneously.

Both of these bags were made in olive drab materials (usually incorrectly referred to as "khaki"), which is probably what you observed. After the change to olive green in 1944 the materials were dark green in shade similar to your examples.

All of these bags were intended to supplement the regular ammunition load bearing equipment, not to replace although there were attempts to try to make ammunition carriers more universal. For example the ammunition pouch adopted with the ILBE M-1956 was designed to carry 8-round clips for the Rifle M-1, 15-round magazines for the Carbine M-1, and the 20-round magazines for both the BAR M1918A2, and Rifle M-14.

The Army had done away with shoulder carried equipment with the field equipment adopted in 1904 and continued with the Infantry Equipment Model of 1910. However at various times it was thought expedient to supplement the basic LBE with shoulder carriers that could be discarded when empty or passed on to others as the situation required. The testing of these strapped carriers usually described the undesirability to carrying something hanging loosely on the march and in simulated combat situations.

[rhineriver]

RT Ellis. Thank you very much for your detailed answer. It's alway good to know the story behind the collection. Thank's again and greetings from Switzerland.

[RCS]

Attachment 48559Attachment 48560Attachment 48561

Interesting markings on these ammunition bags

[browningautorifle]

As I recall, sub-machine gun would be the M3 A1...in this case...

[emmagee1917]

You are correct.
The closure system is the key to IDing the US bags.
If it has a lift-the-dot as these do , they are SMG spare mag bags. The WW2 ones were for Thompson 30 rd mags and too short for the M3 . Post war , they made them longer to take the M3 / M3A1 Greasegun mags , but of course they would take the Thompson's too. They were spec'd to take 6 mags , but several WW2 mfgs. made them a bit large and you can squeeze in 8 .
If it has a strap and buckle , it's a GP bag , and was used as a catch all . Mags , clips , cardboard boxed carbine ammo , enblocs , ammo cans ( yes , a can of 250 rds belted Browning ammo fits ) , hand granades , rifle grenades , whatever needed carring . This bag had an internal vertical divider to separate the load ( say half rifle frag. grenades and half AT rifle grenades or flares ) , but it was floppy enough to be shoved to the sides to hold the can of belted ammo.
Chris