M-1956 Load-Carrying Equipment - Small Arms Ammunition Case

Small Arms Ammunition Case

In 1956 the US Army employed several types of cartridge belts for soldiers armed with the M1 Garand, BAR belts for those armed with the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, 3- and 5-cell pockets for those armed with sub-machine guns, a pocket for 15 round M1 Carbine and M2 magazines, and two different pockets for the 30 round magazines, in addition to 2- and 3-cell grenade pouches. The M1956 Small Arms Ammunition case sought to replace all of these with a pair of simple pouches capable of holding a bandoleer of 5 8-round M1 Garand clips, 2 20-round BAR magazines, 4 30-round M1 or M2 carbine magazines, in addition to two grenades each. The equipment came at a time when the M14 Rifle was being tested, and the ammunition pouch was thus also designed to hold 3 20-round M14 magazines. It was also later found to be capable of only holding 3 20-round M16 magazines despite the significant size difference between the magazines. A pouch with dimensions better suited to the 20-round M16 magazines was later produced (See Revisions paragraph below). The cases were issued in pairs and worn at the front of the belt on either side of the buckle. Like all other M1956 equipment they were constructed of heavy canvas. The top flap was closed by means of a metal eyelet and cloth tab closure. Early models featured a steel plate at the front both to maintain rigidity and to protect the ammunition. Two hand grenades of any type in the US arsenal could be attached on either side of each pouch, with the spoon hooked through a web strap and another web strap with snap-closure wrapped around the top. Like other pouches in the system, the ammunition pouches each attached to the web belt with a pair of slide keepers and, uniquely, an adjustable length strap with a closable hook which connected to the rectangular hook on the suspenders, intended to keep the case upright and transfer some of the weight directly to the shoulders.