Battle Damaged US Army Model 1912 Holster Rig for Colt 1911 Pistol

Very interesting World War One Rig for a Colt Model 1911 Automatic Pistol in .45 ACP. This one is complete with the early Model 1912 Swivel Holster made by Rock Island Arsenal dated 1913 with leg strap, early marked "Mills Cartridge Belt Co" of Worcester, Massachusetts Woven Canvas Woven Belt, "L-L Inc" marked woven canvas magazine pouch dated April 1918, a Miller-Hexter Company First Aid Pouch Dated 1917, and a Novemver 2, 1916 Contract Bauer and Black, Chicago First Aid Tin (empty), and two WW1 era 2-tone magazine for the Colt 1911 Pistol. The magazine pouch appears to be battle damage as it sustained some sort of puncture through both the flap and one of the pockets holding the pistol magazines which is frayed. I don't know if this was a bullet or a piece of shrapnel but the hole on the pocket is much more extensive than the puncture hole on the flap which makes me wonder of a cartridge in the magazine exploded OR the damaged deformed mag tore a bigger hole when it was removed. We put two correct Model 1916 Two Tone Magazines in the pouch. Both retain about 70% original blue with the temper lines 3/5 of the way from the top where the metal is bright...correct. These are both original authentic WW1 mags...not the later ones people fake by removing the blue at the top. The 1916 Holster is in pretty good shape for 111 years old and its still a nice un-darkened russet tan hue with good stictching. The little milled out line inside the flap at the fold is not torn or beginning to break like you see on so many Model 1912s. There is a little pulling of the leather around the 4 rivets on the back but they are all intact and the stitching between them is solid. The back has a unit mark of some sort stamped on it: "110 SP. TR. F. 2." The swivel part at the top is good and while the leather is a little crazed, you can still read ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL 1913. The Mills Best is in great shape with the nice canvas and blackened brass rings and buckle that has a nice Mills stamping on the back. The first aid pouch is in good condition and there is another unit stamping inside the flap...two crossed rifles and the number "129" in addition to the Miller Hexter 1917 mark. The Bauer and Black 1916 First Aid tin is actually made of brass with most of its original light olive drab paint. It has been opened so there is no bandage inside but it completes the rig and would be fitting for a rig that suffered a battle wound itself. This would go great with an early 1911 Pistol, especially an early one circa 1912 all the way up to a 1918 Black Army. The 4 - 18 date on the mag pouch is in my opinion a good date to see on a rig that would have seen actual use in the First World War as most of the AEF ( American Expeditionary Force ) did not arrive in France until mid-1918 with the War ending on November 11, 1918. Great rig that I wish could talk. This came to us via an auction several years ago.

Item# 540

$895