ca. 1892 MILLS .38 CALIBER REVOLVER CAVALRY
CARTRIDGE BELT SET – COMPLETE w/ THE SCARCE MILLS “US”
REVOLVER BELT PLATE, A MILLS WIRE HOLSTER HANGER, TWO
MILLS WIRE SABRE STRAP HANGERS AND A PAIR OF SABRE
STRAPS – EXCELLENT SPECIMEN:
This is an excellent Mills
Cavalry Pistol Cartridge Belt set from the Spanish
American War era, ready to display with your Model 1892
Colt Revolver. This belt pattern is well documented in
Dorsey’s American Military and Naval Belts 1812-1902,
on pages 315-317.
The Mills Revolver Cartridge Belt is full length, and
has all forty-five .38 caliber cartridge loops present,
all in excellent condition with no wear or fraying. The
belt is fitted with the scarce Mills “US” Revolver
Cartridge Belt Plate, complete with the proper catch and
the plate tongue is stamped with the correct Mills
patent information. The plate is full form with no
damage or loss of finish and has not been polished,
having a nice even patina.
The belt webbing retains a nice even dark blue color
with no color loss or fading. As described in Dorsey’s
well received work on the subject, the body of the belt
is fitted with the proper series of 12 brass grommets
for mounting the equipment hanger wires, with all the
grommets still firmly mounted and intact.
The belt is fitted with the very rare Mills Holster Wire
Hanger on the right side and with two of the Mills Sabre
Strap Wire Hangers on the left side, complete with both
leather sabre straps – each fitted with a functional
brass snap swivel. These wire hangers, in particular
the holster hanger wire, have all but disappeared from
the collector’s market and are very rare pieces in their
own right. All three wire hangers are in excellent
condition, hold their proper shape and the hooks are
full length.
The black leather sabre straps are full length and both
are complete with the brass closure buttons – 2 on each
strap. The leather surfaces retain a nice smooth shiny
surface with no crazing, only some minor flexing, and no
weak points.
These Mills Revolver Cartridge Belts are not found as
common as the rifle and carbine cartridge belts and even
less so when found complete with the proper plate, catch
and the proper equipment hanger wires and sabre straps
in place. This is a particularly nice set that will be
a fine addition to your Spanish American War collection
displayed with one of the early .38 revolvers that are
now growing in popularity. (0205) $995
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