Original Item. Only One Available. This is a really phenomenal pistol belt rig for an officer or NCO with a 1918 dated holster for the M1917 Revolver. The M1917 Revolvers were six-shot, .45 ACP, large frame revolvers adopted by the United States Military in 1917, to supplement the standard M1911 pistol during World War I. There were two variations of the M1917, one made by Colt and the other by Smith & Wesson. They used moon-clips to hold the cartridges in position, facilitate reloading, and to aid in extraction since revolvers had been designed to eject rimmed cartridges and .45 ACP rounds were rimless for use with the magazine-fed M1911.

The bandage pouch on this belt is marked JEFF O.M.D. 1942 with 2222 stamped over it. The bandage inside is a WWII Carlisle Model First Aid Packet produced by Bauer & Black in Chicago, Illinois. On the back of the bandage, it reads With Crystalline Sulfanilamide. The bandage is in fantastic condition with most of the paint remaining and very few nicks or dings. The revolver holster shows average service use, certainly seeing use during both World Wars. The belt is undated.

This is a beautiful and iconic belt rig set up for Officers and NCOs alike! Comes more than ready to be displayed.

The United States Army in World War II had a distinct advantage over the Axis when it came to equipment. Both in terms of quality and quantity the power of American industry kept the GI’s well supplied.

For a Soldier, equipment is a matter of survival. Even something as simple as a button can make the difference between victory and defeat if it fails to function
properly at the wrong time. For this reason Soldiers have a strong tendency to become attached to equipment they like, and to modify or discard equipment they find unreliable or useless. Among the Infantry, who have to carry their equipment wherever they go, this tendency is even stronger.

Soldiers must carry everything they need for combat operations with them at all times. Individual load carrying equipment is designed to allow the Soldier to carry a basic load of ammunition, food, water, and first-aid gear. The exact make-up of this load varies from conflict to conflict. In more modern times the load has grown to include additional equipment such as gas masks, maps, compasses, and radios. Because the cost of replacing equipment for Soldiers is high, equipment is usually replaced in phases, with front-line troops receiving the new equipment first. Support units typically receive equipment later as older equipment wears out or becomes obsolete. Because of this, Soldiers in World War II went to war using several different versions of the basic load bearing gear.