This is an authentic Spanish-American War McKeever Ammo Pouch with some original Ammo.
The U.S. Army McKeever cartridge box, a specialized leather ammunition pouch introduced in the late 19th century and utilized into the early 20th century. It would have been used prominently during the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War, and up to World War I.
Depending on the exact year of manufacture, these boxes were built to carry 20 rounds of either .45-70 Government or .30-40 Springfield & Krag rifle ammunition. Production was predominantly handled by government facilities.
Description:
The face of the brown leather pouch features the distinct embossed "US" oval stamp in the center. The top includes a small leather tab secured by a brass pin fastener, and the back contains belt loops to attach it to standard military web belts.
History:
Invented by Captain James Chauncey McKeever, this pouch opens down the center like a book, using an internal canvas webbing or loops to securely store individual rifle cartridges.
Ammunition & Headstamps:
The head stamps indicate the ammunition was manufactured at the Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to WW1, the U.S. military utilized a month-and-year system for marking service ammunition. Based on the rimmed design of the brass cases, the production dates, and the green canvas-lined leather storage pouch, these appear to be .30-40 Krag cartridges (officially known as .30 Army). This was the standard U.S. military service round used in the Krag-Jørgensen rifle prior to the adoption of the rimless .30-03 and .30-06 Springfield cartridges.
Markings:
a). F A - Stands for Frankford Arsenal, which was the primary government small-arms ammunition plant during this era.
b). 03 and 04 - These numbers indicate the year of manufacture, specifically 1903 and 1904.
c). Single Digits (e.g., 4, 9) - These numbers represent the month of manufacture (e.g., 4 for April, 9 for September).
