Early Ammo Box for Benet Mercie MG -- Flea Market Find

[tfhiii]

I thought I'd share some photos of an ammo box that I recently purchased. At the time, I had no idea of the type but I could tell it was WWI era and the slots inside were a good indication that it held Hotchkiss-like feeder strips. The box is pretty solid, has traces of original paint, and is in overall good shape. Of course, with some searches in this forum and others I found out that it is a box for a U.S. M1909 Benet-Mercie LMG. The story behind America's first LMG is fascinating and makes my flea market find that much more exciting. As a side note, one collector of this type of box mentioned that one end of these boxes often had a white stripe painted (like mine) on it to identify it as holding ammo as opposed to gun tools which were carried in a similar container. Apparently, the M1909 became obsolete by 1918, from what I've read. I'm guessing that the partitions in the boxes were eventually removed and the boxes were reused (i.e., tools) for other weapons. Any additional information or comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Tom

[Taber10]

Tom,

 

In addition to the partitions, there was also a "flat-topped" rectangular piece of wood between each partition that held the points of the bullets in the two feed strips apart. Wish I had a better way to explain it. I have one box with original partitions and another box with the wood pieces still intact. I have found it difficult to impossible to find the correct Cal.30 metal strips, but there are French Lebel and Japanese strips available. If you are going to restore your box, let me know and I'll get you some measurements or a tracing of the partition, which is "higher" on the ends and curves down in the center to allow easier removal of the feed strips.

 

In my experience, the "armorer's kit" strip- or belt-filling machine, etc. were in the same size box, to facilitate stowage in the carts popular in the day of these early guns. However, the ammo boxes--I'm certain of this for the Browning and Vickers MGs--were without stripe and the "non-ammo" boxes had stripes. I've seen gray, white, blue and most common red, stripes around the boxes, approximately the same width as the cutouts for attaching the leather or canvas handles.

 

Hope this helps,

Taber

[Charlie Flick]

Neat piece, and very hard to find.

 

From my archives here is an image of the box taken from the B-M Machine Rifle Handbook.

 

 

Regards,

Charlie

 

 

[tfhiii]

Taber,

 

I really appreciate the information and the pics (I'm actually thinking of printing off a copy of the original field manual for the gun and keeping with the box). Although I've thought about restoration, I'll leave as-is for now (except for just wiping of the dirt and dust). Your box with sounds very cool and rare, at least from the (relatively few) examples I've seen and read about where the partitions area missing. Thanks again for your response.

 

Tom

[tfhiii]

Charlie,

 

Thanks for the pics, very neat to have as part of an archieve. I'm actually thinking of printing off a copy of the original field manual for the gun and keeping with the box.

 

Tom

[robinb]

Here's mine. Restored using a complete original as a pattern. You can use French Hotchkiss feed strips but only if you put 30 caliber cartridges in it. The Lebel round is too wide to allow two feed strips to be placed in the same slot.

 

[Taber10]

Robinb,

 

GREAT looking box! Shows the wood pieces between the bullets. Looks good with the Lebel strips, although they are shorter than the .30 cal strips--24 vs 30 rounds, I believe.

Thanks for posting.

Taber

[Rakkasan187]

Here is a picture of the BM ammo box we currently have on exhibit at the US Army NCO Museum. This weapon system played a key role during the Columbus, New Mexico raid by Pancho Villa on March 9, 1916. The Benet Merci was known as a daylight gun because of the complexities of loading the stripper clips into the gun. The rounds were inserted inverted, which made it very difficult at night to accurately line up the notches to feed the gun. During the raid which occurred in the very early hours of the morning, one of the first BMs that was set up outside the Hoover Hotel jammed and since it was so dark outside the cavalry troopers abandoned that weapon and went back to the armory and retrieved a second BM. The first BM that was abandoned was later cleared and it went back into action. After action reports initially claimed that the BM was ineffective, but this report was coming from a Hospital Steward who at the time had barricaded himself and others in the hospital building. When troopers requested entry into the hospital to utilize the light of the lantern to clear the jam in the gun, the Hospital Steward denied entry to anyone. After the raid the Hospital Steward was transporting wounded back to Fort Bliss, Texas and he was talking about the ineffectiveness of the Cavalry's response to the attack. This launched an investigation which later confirmed that in fact for each BM that was deployed and in action during the raid, the gunners had fired several thousand rounds from each gun at the attacking Villista's..

 

Leigh

 

 

 

 

[tfhiii]

Robinb, great job on the box!

 

Tom