M56 Mag Pouch

Made from cotton duck, the M1956 Universal Ammunition Case was designed to accommodate various ammo loads, such as a folded bandoleer containing six 8-round clips of M1 ammunition or two BAR mags. In Vietnam, M16 mags proved too short for the Universal pouch and as a result a sock was often put in the bottom to raise the magazines up for faster retrieval during firefights. The case attached to the pistol belt via two slide keepers and had a supporting strap that clipped to the metal loop on the suspender. In common with the majority of ammunition pouches, each case had strips on both sides for attaching hand grenades.