Information on an Ammo Belt

[MichaelT]

Hi, I have a brown leather Ammo Belt

I believed it was WW2 but after seeing similar pictures I believe it to be WW1

It has a Kings Stamp on the belt and is stamped with LO No 58A

Also it's got a bit mouldy from an old flat I used to rent

Any advice on best way to clean it?

Thanks in advance 

 

[shippingsteel]

I believe these ammunition belts are Swedish they are quite common. If you want to Google "Swedish ammo belt" you will find plenty similar. The crown stamp is the Swedish Royal crown, I have the same one on my M96 Swedish Mauser rifle.

 

Cheers, SS 

[shippingsteel]

They seem to be known as M1910 Ammunition belts so certainly from the WW1 period but Sweden remained a neutral non-combatant country in the Great War. 

 

Cheers, SS 

[MichaelT]

Thanks a lot for the info 

I'll look into it 🙂

[Chasemuseum]

Virtually impossible to reliably date. Standard Swedish Army equipment from 1910 until well after WW2. Sweden of course was neutral in both wars but massively expanded and modernised its army in WW2 to encourage it's neighbours of it's intent to remain neutral.

 

Hence these belts are most likely WW2 vintage 

[MichaelT]

Thanks, would the number 58A mean it's an early version?

[Chasemuseum]

I cannot give a definitive comment, but looking at the way the stampings line up, the number looks more like "rack number" to allow the pouch belt to be recorded as issued to a specific soldier within a battalion, and not indicative of production year or period of manufacture.

[MichaelT]

Thanks, it's all new information for me so I've learned a bit more about it