question 58 pattern webbing

[shatters]

Was there a specific 58 pattern ammo pouch for those issued with L2A3 sterling smg, if not how many mags would be carried within a standard 58 pattern pouch ?

 

Many thanks

 

Phil

[schliesser92]

Was there a specific 58 pattern ammo pouch for those issued with L2A3 sterling smg, if not how many mags would be carried within a standard 58 pattern pouch ?

 

Many thanks

 

Phil

 

 

Not as far as I know. We only ever carried one SMG magazine on exercise and in NI. It was also awkward to stow in the pouch too.

[airportable]

Morning folks.

Yes there is. See pg. 44 Simon Howlett's book, British Post-War Jungle Webbing. (well worth adding to collection) Good photo's front and rear and discription. Possible only for SAS etc. attatched to belt via. belt loops as most of SAS kit seam to be.

If you come accross any, Buy them.

Andy.

[ferrettkitt]

think that this might be what you're after, packed up out of the way at the moment

 

[airportable]

You lucky ...

Did you pick up the ammo pouch by chance or know of any more.

Andy.

[ferrettkitt]

You lucky ...

Did you pick up the ammo pouch by chance or know of any more.

Andy.

 

The whole belt pouches and the like came with the Stirling £200 a few years ago

[airportable]

:wow: Fantastic rig.

[chevpol]

ooooh nice Sterling pouches!!!!!!!

 

Am not jealous at all!!!!!!!

 

Mark

[ArtistsRifles]

Morning folks.

Yes there is. See pg. 44 Simon Howlett's book, British Post-War Jungle Webbing. (well worth adding to collection) Good photo's front and rear and discription. Possible only for SAS etc. attatched to belt via. belt loops as most of SAS kit seam to be.

If you come accross any, Buy them.

Andy.

 

Possibly because SAS belt kit was highly personalised - there was no standard or regulation format for it, it was as the individual trooper set it up for himself. Typically it would be:

 

 

• one or two kidney pouches with mess tin, 24 hours rations and hexe cooker + tablets in one and first aid/survival kit in the other; possibly also some means of delivering nastiness to the bad guys..

• S6 respirator

• one or two water bottles depending on zone.

• two ammo pouches (rarely the 59 pattern ones - the US M16 pouch was a good fit for two SLR mags).

 

This would be tailored to suit individual operations. The yoke, big pack and poncho roll were never used that I knew of!

[ferretfixer]

You lucky ...

Did you pick up the ammo pouch by chance or know of any more.

Andy.

 

I am fortunate enough to have Two of these pouches in my collection. Both in mint, unissued condition. On the subject of chance, the last one I bought. I knew EXACTLY what it was when I saw it, & asked how much, & then paid up. When I got home, I examined it & felt what I thought was paper inside one of the pouches. Thinking, 'Oh it's some paper put inside to pad out the pouch pocket & make it look better'. Wanting to remove this paper, as paper attracts moisture. I opened one of the pockets. What do you think I found? Only THE Seal & Label for THE Sealed pattern for this type of pouch!!!! Hows THAT for rarity? Good luck DOES sometimes happen! Oh, & before you ask, NO, Neither of them are for sale, Sorry! :-D

[ferrettkitt]

Why so rare? You would have thought that loads of these were made

[ferretfixer]

Why so rare? You would have thought that loads of these were made

 

I would hazzard a guess that the quantity was always small when manufactured. Small by manufacturers standards. They would have made hundereds of thousands of Normal '58 Webbing. This I would say IMOHO is because 'The Regiment' during normal peacetime holding. never really had more than 650-700 personell serving at anytime (Neil can correct me here if im wrong!) To that effect, only hundereds would have existed & be used by 'The Regiment' only. They would most certainly NOT have been general issue to the Rest of the Army!

There is a very close variant of these twin mag pouches. They are IDENTICAL in construction but a lighter shade of green webbing material. These are from the '44 pattern web sets & were made for the Stengun. They look ENTIRELY the same, except for the colour. The down side of this is, they ALSO are very scarce! I do not even have an example in my own collection! :embarrassed:

[ferrettkitt]

I would hazzard a guess that the quantity was always small when manufactured. Small by manufacturers standards. They would have made hundereds of thousands of Normal '58 Webbing. This I would say IMOHO is because 'The Regiment' during normal peacetime holding. never really had more than 650-700 personell serving at anytime (Neil can correct me here if im wrong!) To that effect, only hundereds would have existed & be used by 'The Regiment' only. They would most certainly NOT have been general issue to the Rest of the Army!

There is a very close variant of these twin mag pouches. They are IDENTICAL in construction but a lighter shade of green webbing material. These are from the '44 pattern web sets & were made for the Stengun. They look ENTIRELY the same, except for the colour. The down side of this is, they ALSO are very scarce! I do not even have an example in my own collection! :embarrassed:

 

So through a fluke we'll call it a fluke I may or may not have a bit of kit that was destined for 'the regiment'.

 

Thanks

[ArtistsRifles]

I would hazzard a guess that the quantity was always small when manufactured. Small by manufacturers standards. They would have made hundereds of thousands of Normal '58 Webbing. This I would say IMOHO is because 'The Regiment' during normal peacetime holding. never really had more than 650-700 personell serving at anytime (Neil can correct me here if im wrong!) To that effect, only hundereds would have existed & be used by 'The Regiment' only. They would most certainly NOT have been general issue to the Rest of the Army!

There is a very close variant of these twin mag pouches. They are IDENTICAL in construction but a lighter shade of green webbing material. These are from the '44 pattern web sets & were made for the Stengun. They look ENTIRELY the same, except for the colour. The down side of this is, they ALSO are very scarce! I do not even have an example in my own collection! :embarrassed:

 

I've no idea now of the actual figures for my day (remember this was pre Iranian Embassy siege when The Regiments were seen as purely the "Dirty Tricks" brigade ). I'd be surprised, though, if the figures for any of the three exceeded maybe 600 pax.

Again I cannot speak for before or after. or for 22 or 23 - but in the 8 years I spent with 21 virtually the only time the SMG's left the armoury were for range qualification days or the (very) odd ceremonial role - and then it was the silenced version. I have to say I never saw anyone with SMG mag pouches on their belt kit - but that means nothing as 21,22 and 23 rarely crossed operational paths.

 

So through a fluke we'll call it a fluke I may or may not have a bit of kit that was destined for 'the regiment'.

 

Thanks

 

Quite possibly - enjoy!!

[ferretfixer]

So through a fluke we'll call it a fluke I may or may not have a bit of kit that was destined for 'the regiment'.

 

Thanks

 

Yes, Andy, you did VERY well to acquire it!

This does NOT mean though. That a serving soldier from a 'Normal' Regiment who managed to get one of these didnt utilise it. With regards to the lighter 44 patt version.

I remember when I was Attached to the RE's (MANY Ferrets!) a fellow REME Junior NCO used to wear such a pouch on one side of a 58 Patt belt, & a wound dressing on the other. (VERY Common practice tapeing a dressing to belts) I REALLY coverted that pouch & offered him many 'Bribes' in the form of Beer or cash. But he would NOT accept! :embarrassed: The pouch setup was ideal for Mechanics as it meant you could wear the belt with two mags & STILL be able to work on vehicles with your SMG close beside you. If you had a full 58 setup, which was the norm. You had to remove it & have that beside you with your personal weapon. That was a pain becuase it got in the way & you could trip over it in the dark! If were being honnest here also. It REALLY looked good too! The thing with Squaddies is that you would always try to stand out from the crowd by doing or having something different. As it was originaly a British Army Issue item. It was tolerated! :-D

[AlienFTM]

Why so rare? You would have thought that loads of these were made

 

You might think that. Even when we had too many Royal Armoured Corps regiments to count* with hardly an SLR between them, nobody ever saw a Sterling mag pouch.

 

We all got SLR mag pouches and lived with them.

 

_____

 

* I think it was about 18.

[tankie1rtr]

Hi All.

Being Tank Regiment, we were issued with the Sterling SMG, but only ever carried one mag, I have never seen the mag holsters shown in the pics, even in Belfast there was only one mag, now I am jealous.......lol...... Great Collection.

Regards to All

[Bazz]

I used converted thompson or sten mag pouches, I can't remember which

[ferrettkitt]

I have been sent some pictures of what may or may not be Sterling pouches are they Sterling pouches? My pouches have a slight curve to them these seem to be straight could they be Sten pouches and 44 pattern webbing?

 

Have a look see what you think

 

D4296

AS 81 followed by the arrow symbol

136 - 1905

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]49233[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]49234[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]49235[/ATTACH]

[wdbikemad]

When serving in the RAF Plod on "SD 814" duties (makes me still shudder today :cry:) the kit issue was standard "skeleton" '58 order........everyone was equipped with a Sterling with a mag fitted plus one in the pouch......no special mag pouches ever seen or issued......the spare mag used to rattle around uncontrollably usually resulting in at least one of the Flight losing a round or two each shift........

 

Mind you, we also had a few LMG's issued so the odd individual had the spare 58 pouch stuffed with at least 2 LMG mags........the other usually containing a bag of crisps, mars bar, and a small paperback of the adult variety to while away the hours on stag.......:-)

[ferretfixer]

I have been sent some pictures of what may or may not be Sterling pouches are they Sterling pouches? My pouches have a slight curve to them these seem to be straight could they be Sten pouches and 44 pattern webbing?

 

Have a look see what you think

 

D4296

AS 81 followed by the arrow symbol

136 - 1905

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]49233[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]49234[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]49235[/ATTACH]

 

Andy, 1981 manufactured for the Sterling. The Sten Pattern is a LIGHTER coloured Green Webbing that Matches the colour of the 1944 Patt Stuff.

When these pouches surface on the Market. they invaribly are in excellent to unsed condition generaly. This leads one to supose that they stayed in the Stores in Ordanance forgotten about for years! Hence their good condition! :-D

[ferrettkitt]

Andy, 1981 manufactured for the Sterling. The Sten Pattern is a LIGHTER coloured Green Webbing that Matches the colour of the 1944 Patt Stuff.

When these pouches surface on the Market. they invaribly are in excellent to unsed condition generaly. This leads one to supose that they stayed in the Stores in Ordanance forgotten about for years! Hence their good condition! :-D

 

Many thanks Mike. My pouches look very good so they must have been sat somewhere for a time.

 

 

 

If anyone wants the pouches in the pictures PM me and I will pass on the sellers email address to you.

 

 

I am not selling them and the gentleman emailed me out of the blue, but he did contact me because he had read this page on the forum.

Edited August 3, 2011 by ferrettkitt

[ferrettkitt]

When serving in the RAF Plod on "SD 814" duties (makes me still shudder today :cry:) the kit issue was standard "skeleton" '58 order........everyone was equipped with a Sterling with a mag fitted plus one in the pouch......no special mag pouches ever seen or issued......the spare mag used to rattle around uncontrollably usually resulting in at least one of the Flight losing a round or two each shift........

 

Mind you, we also had a few LMG's issued so the odd individual had the spare 58 pouch stuffed with at least 2 LMG mags........the other usually containing a bag of crisps, mars bar, and a small paperback of the adult variety to while away the hours on stag.......:-)

 

Did this paperback have pictures in it with stories from the readers wives by any chance? :cool2:

[Eaglehurst]

Did this paperback have pictures in it with stories from the readers wives by any chance? :cool2:

 

Ahhh... 'Readers Digest'.... excellent!

[wdbikemad]

Did this paperback have pictures in it with stories from the readers wives by any chance? :cool2:

 

So I heard....:red: