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MODEL 1885 CAVALRY MILLS WOVEN CARTRIDGE BELT – 10TH
CAVALRY IDENTIFIED: The first cavalry belt to
use the Mills woven belt body with the integral woven
loops, the Model 1885 Cavalry Cartridge Belt is one of
the classic belts of the western Indian War era. Often
associated by the collecting community specifically with
the Apache Wars of the Southwest, in reality these belts
were issued army wide during their period of use.
This specimen features the original full length leather
tongue, the brass frame buckle and a leather sabre chape
riveted to the left side of the belt under the cartridge
loops which holds the brass sabre box ring and
dismounted hook. The tongue, which on most of these
belts was cut down by the soldiers due to its excessive
length, is full length, still retains a vestige of the
imprint of the “ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL” stamp just shy of
the belt tip, and the leather on both the tongue and the
buckle chape retains a clear surface with no crazing or
flaking. Making this belt a particularly nice specimen
is the unit stamping on the front side of the base of
the tongue, “10 CAV No 13”, positively
identifying this belt as having been issued to the
famous 10th Cavalry Regiment. On the inside
surface of the web belt body is written in ink “Co. I,
and a soldier’s name “Wanton”. The body of the belt is
solid with no tears or weak points and all of the brass
eyelets are present and securely set in the belt. The
45 cartridge loops are all present and full form, and
fully attached to the body of the belt. There are
approximately 5 loops on each end of the belt, four or
five loops back from each end, that show minor wear on
the top and bottom edges of the loops. These two
sections of cartridge loops would be those that would
rest on the soldier’s hips and were likely the areas on
the belt where his holster, knife sheath or pistol
cartridge pouch would have been worn, thus causing the
wear to the edges of the loops. The loops are not
damaged, and the wear is not excessive, and is
consistent with a belt that saw actual service as
indicated by the unit identification stamps. A very
desirable example of the Model 1885 Cavalry Cartridge
belt with a firm association to a historic regiment,
this belt while showing signs of actual issue and use,
still retains all of the proper characteristics. $875
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