Vietnam War US Army M-16 Ammo Pouch
The M-16 was the standard rifle of the American fighting forces in the Vietnam war. GI's were issued
a series of field gear to carry weapons and personal items to the battle zone.
The item featured here is an M-16 ammo pouch. It was designed to carry the magazines fot the M-16 rifle.
all heavy canvis construction. The pouch was waterproofed to a lesser degree than its later counterpart.
The top portion opened up to allow access to the contents. A strap was sewn to the front of the flap.
To secure the pouch closed, the strap is passed through a wire loop that was riveted to the main body
of the pouch. This system is a bit cumbersome to open and close in a quick fashion because the strap
is fairly thick and the space in the metal loop is fairly small.
The front of the pouch is black ink-stamped with "US". The inside of the flap is nicely marked. It is
dated 1963.
The pouch has ALICE style clips to secure it to the utility belt. The back also has a long strap with a
metal clamp. This was used to attach to the load bearing harness. The idea was to help better distribute
the weight.
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This page is a recognition and identification guide for Vietnam war US Military collectibles.
Multiple detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly
defined points that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my US military collectible worth?".
A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the collectibles
is reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth
of US militaria in the collector's market is illustrated.
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The sides of the ammo pouch had a sewn cloth loop to the body and a strap which could snap secure to the
bosy of the pouch. This feature allowed the soldier to secure two granades, one to each side, to the
ammo pouch.
The standard set by the Army was to issue to ammo pouches per soldier.
This Vietnam War US military collectible may be currently
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because
the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with
the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this item.
Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of
the collectible.
If you have an interest is seeing other Vietnam war US military collectibles, you can do so by
going to our
Vietnam War US Military Collectibles Price Guide.
Where we cover items from the Army, Navy, Army Air Force and other organizations.
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