AVERY 1943 magazine pouch

These magazine pouches appear to be reasonably common but I am selling MY OWN Rhodesian Army memorabilia so there is a story here.

I am the owner of a Browning HP 9mm (9x19mm) automatic pistol. We were allowed to carry personal firearms both privately and on duty and I did not have a suitable magazine pouch until I got this one from an American who was serving with us.

This individual was attached to the MPs and had a private stock of weapons and associated items brought from the US. One day he came to me and offered to barter something if I could get him an aerial for a radio that he had lost or damaged.  I was Corps of Signals and was able to scrounge one for him (don't ask) and in return he gave me this mag pouch.

The belt loop was much too big for our belts so I put a few stitches into this so that it would sit squarely on my belt and not tip over. I wore it whenever I went to the bush or carried my pistol while in uniform until the end of our era and it has been with my personal kit ever since.

It is therefore from a RHODESIAN soldier's kit and was NEVER issued in the US. It was still brand new when I got it.

Showing pouch open with and without Browning 13 round magazines

Mounted on a Rhodesian web belt

Showing how the pouch would tilt before the stitches were added