Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good original U.S. WWII M1937 Browning Automatic Rifle magazine belt, officially designated Belt, Magazine, B.A.R., M1937, manufactured by D.M. Shoe Co. in 1942. The belt is accompanied by eight original-style BAR magazines, together with one hollowed magazine body and three wooden filler blocks occupying the remaining magazine spaces.

The official Quartermaster nomenclature for this equipment was Belt, Magazine, B.A.R., M1937 with Quartermaster stock number 74-B-240. The belt consisted of two three-pocket sections, giving a total of six large magazine pockets, each capable of holding two standard BAR magazines.

There are eight original magazines in the pouches, still in functional condition. The bottom of one magazine is stamped 5564076 A. As mentioned, one hollowed out magazine body and three wooden blocks fill in the other four slots for magazines.

The number 5564076 is a U.S. Ordnance identification or drawing number associated with the complete 20-round Browning Automatic Rifle cartridge magazine. The same numerical designation continued to appear in later U.S. technical manuals, where the BAR magazine is listed as Magazine, Cartridge: 5564076.

The only issues are some oxidation on the blacked brass and galvanized steel fittings, which unfortunately often happens when items are close to 80 years old.

The combination of the clearly marked D.M. Shoe Co. 1942 manufacture, complete six-pocket M1937 configuration, eight accompanying BAR magazines, surviving original hardware, and strong overall condition makes this a very representative example of the ammunition-carrying equipment used by American Browning Automatic Rifle teams during World War II. The later filler pieces allow the belt to retain a full appearance for display while remaining readily distinguishable from the eight actual magazines included with the group.