{"product_id":"original-u-s-spanish-american-war-mills-orndorff-model-1894-100-round-double-loop-30-40-krag-rifle-ammunition-belt-with-c-closure-scarce-dark-blue-variant","title":"Original U.S. Spanish-American War Mills \u0026 Orndorff Model 1894 100-Round Double Loop .30-40 Krag Rifle Ammunition Belt with “C” Closure - Scarce Dark Blue Variant","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent original \u003cstrong\u003eU.S. Spanish-American War era Mills \u0026amp; Orndorff 100-round woven ammunition belt for the .30-40 Krag-Jørgensen service rifle\u003c\/strong\u003e, representing the transition from the earlier .45-70 Trapdoor era cartridge belts to the more advanced woven equipment adopted with the new Krag rifle. This example is the desirable \u003cstrong\u003edark blue variant\u003c\/strong\u003e and retains its correct brass \u003cstrong\u003e“C” closure\u003c\/strong\u003e, making it a particularly attractive surviving piece of late 19th century U.S. Army field equipment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe U.S. Army adopted the \u003cstrong\u003eKrag-Jørgensen rifle in the 1890s\u003c\/strong\u003e, replacing the single shot .45-70 Springfield Trapdoor with a more modern repeating rifle chambered for the new:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e.30-40 Krag\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecartridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat change required corresponding updates to the soldier’s ammunition carrying equipment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEarlier woven belts had been designed around the much larger .45-70 cartridge, so the Krag belt adapted the established Mills woven construction to the smaller diameter .30 caliber ammunition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstead of a single row of large cartridge loops, this pattern uses:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e50 double loops\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith each loop accommodating two .30-40 cartridges, providing a total capacity of:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e100 rounds\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis compact arrangement allowed a soldier to carry a substantial ammunition load while maintaining the flexibility and comfort that had made woven Mills belts so successful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe belt is associated with:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMills \u0026amp; Orndorff\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand the brass fittings on this pattern are known with a series of patent dates extending through:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeptember 11, 1894\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhich is the basis for the commonly used Model 1894 designation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis example is the scarcer:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003edark blue woven variant\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhich gives it a particularly attractive appearance and places it squarely within the equipment styles of the Spanish-American War period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike later cartridge belts with a conventional buckle, this pattern does not use a standard tongue and frame closure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstead, the two ends are joined using the characteristic:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ebrass “C” closure\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhich is still present with this example.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat closure is an important original component and is often missing from loose belts today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe belt remains in excellent overall condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe woven body is still strong enough to retain its form and the cartridge loops remain serviceable in appearance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe belt could still physically hold cartridges, although it should of course be treated as a historical collectible rather than used as active field equipment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts survival in this condition is especially noteworthy because these belts were designed for hard field use and were constantly flexed, loaded, adjusted, and exposed to dirt, sweat, moisture, and abrasion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Spanish-American War was one of the first major conflicts in which the Krag rifle and its associated accoutrements saw widespread U.S. service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmerican troops carried Krags in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, and the rifle quickly became associated with the campaigns of 1898 and the Philippine-American War that followed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe woven Mills cartridge belt became one of the most distinctive elements of the American soldier’s equipment during this period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts design reflected a major change in battlefield ammunition consumption.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA soldier armed with a repeating Krag could fire and reload far more rapidly than one using the older single shot Trapdoor Springfield, making a high capacity ammunition belt increasingly important.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Mills system answered that need efficiently.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe company’s woven construction eliminated much of the bulky leather used in earlier cartridge boxes and belts, while the integral cartridge loops held ammunition securely and distributed its weight around the waist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis basic principle would continue to influence American military equipment well into the 20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the collector, this example is especially appealing because it combines \u003cstrong\u003eMills \u0026amp; Orndorff manufacture, the 1894 patent-era configuration, 100-round double loop construction, scarce dark blue webbing, and the original brass “C” closure\u003c\/strong\u003e in one very well preserved belt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt would make an excellent addition to a \u003cstrong\u003eSpanish-American War, .30-40 Krag, Rough Riders era, U.S. Army accoutrement, Mills woven equipment, or advanced late 19th century American militaria collection\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44850917769285,"sku":"ONJR26MAAC077","price":275.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONJR26MAAC077__01.jpg?v=1775510613","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-spanish-american-war-mills-orndorff-model-1894-100-round-double-loop-30-40-krag-rifle-ammunition-belt-with-c-closure-scarce-dark-blue-variant","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}