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MODEL 1904 CANTEEN WEB STRAPS – MARKED ROCK ISLAND
ARSENAL AND DATED – EXCELLENT CONDITION:
Introduced in the 1905 dated Ordnance Department Manual
Horse Equipments and Equipments for Officers and
Enlisted Men, this “Y” shaped folded webbing strap
was the last canteen strap for the last of the ovoid
canteens issued to the U.S. Army soldiers, the Model
1904 Canteen. Issued to all soldiers, mounted and
dismounted, the snap hook at the top of the strap was
designed to attach to one of the rear grommets on the
lower edge of the pocketed cartridge belts, and it was
large enough to be snapped to one of the equipment rings
on the McClellan Saddles.
Years ago these straps used to be available at
collector’s shows in the arsenal packaged bundles of ten
or twenty, still wrapped with the original twine – one
of those accoutrements we thought would last forever.
They have gradually disappeared from the market, and are
now, like everything else, becoming less and less common
in this condition.
I have the following
straps, each listed below with a full description and
accompanying photographs.
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NO. 1
MODEL 1904 WEB STRAP – DATED 1904: This canteen
strap is in “like new” unissued condition, showing no
evidence of having been issued or used. The web
material is clean and bright, the arsenal ink stamp –
“R.I.A. 1904” is fully legible, and the brass fittings
still retain their arsenal applied darkened finish.
(0115) $65
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NO. 2
MODEL 1904 WEB STRAP – DATED 1905: This canteen
strap is in “like new” unissued condition, showing no
evidence of having been issued or used. The web
material is clean and bright, the arsenal ink stamp –
“R.I.A. 1905” is fully legible, it is stamped with the
inspector's initials "C.B.G.", and the brass fittings
still retain their arsenal applied darkened finish.
(0116) $65
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NO.
3
MODEL 1904 WEB STRAP – SCARCE DARK GREEN VARIANT:
This canteen strap is in “like new” unissued condition,
showing no evidence of having been issued or used.
This strap differs from the standard specimens shown
above in that it is manufactured of a heavier dark green
webbing, and hooks which attach to the canteen are snap
hooks rather than the standard open hook found on the
khaki versions. Otherwise the size, manner of
assembly and metal fittings are identical to the khaki
versions. This variant is not common, however they
have been found occasionally in small numbers - less
than 1% of the total - in original boxes of the khaki
straps, so apparently they were made and issued during
the same period. It has been suggested that the
dark green versions were made for the Marine Corps, but
there is no documentation to support that idea.
The web material is clean and bright, and the brass fittings
still retain their arsenal applied darkened finish.
There is no arsenal name or date stamp.
There is some minor corrosion to the faces of the iron
rivet which secures the fold in the webbing at the top,
and there is some minor corrosion on the leafs of the
clip springs.
An interesting variant to add to
your collection of canteens. (0407) $90
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