Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 97:
Description
SCARCE WWII U.S. M1936 Pistol Belt Rig: M1916 Holster, Twin M1910 Canteens A complete U.S. Army M1936 pistol belt field rig, comprising an M1916 leather holster for the Colt M1911/M1911A1 .45 ACP, a two-pocket M1923 magazine pouch, two M1910 canteens in canvas covers, and a Carlisle-model first aid pouch – a fully assembled example of the load carried by sidearm-equipped American servicemen of the Second World War. This grouping represents standard-issue field equipment worn by U.S. Army and Marine Corps officers, tank and vehicle crews, military police, and other personnel armed with a pistol or carbine rather than the M1 Garand rifle and its dedicated cartridge belt. Its value lies in the completeness, originality, and display quality of the assembly rather than in a documented personal history. Adopted in the years just prior to American entry into the war and standard through 1945, the M1936 pistol belt’s full eyelet band allowed a soldier to configure his own combat load – canteens, holster, ammunition pouch, and medical kit – arranged according to role and theater. Rigs of this type equipped men across every theater of the war, from armored crews and staff officers in North Africa and Europe to sidearm-carrying personnel in the Pacific, and surviving examples such as this one offer a tangible cross-section of how the individual American serviceman actually wore his gear into the field. The khaki cotton web belt shows the characteristic full eyelet band, brass wire hangers, sliding keepers, and an adjustable buckle, allowing free placement of all fittings. The M1916-pattern holster is brown leather with an embossed ‘U.S.’ marking on the flap, a brass closure stud, sound stitching throughout, and its original rawhide leg tie. The two-pocket M1923 canvas magazine pouch retains its snap-front closures on both compartments. Both M1910-pattern canteens are fitted with felt-lined canvas covers and correct metal cap-and-chain closures; one cover shows a faint but legible ‘U.S.’ stencil, consistent with the partial stenciling visible on the other. The Carlisle-model first aid pouch retains its snap closure and is mounted at the opposite end of the belt from the holster. The lot is offered complete as photographed – belt, holster, magazine pouch, two covered canteens, and first aid pouch. Overall condition is very good and service-honest: the canvas webbing shows light spot staining, age toning, and faint stenciling; the holster exhibits expected surface crazing, light scuffing, and edge wear while remaining structurally sound; and the brass fittings, snaps, and eyelets show only minor oxidation. All components are display-ready and complementary in wear and patina. A well-assembled, honestly worn WWII American field rig that puts the collector directly into the belt of the ordinary GI armed with a .45.
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