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Found this one yesterday. It is stamped on the back: WATERVLIET ARSENAL. The inside stamps are where the help is needed. One stamp reads A.R.SMITH and the other stamp is W.McD. Any ideas on these people? Is one an inspector and the other an owner? Both inspectors? Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

 

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A R Smith shows up on scads of boxes from this arsenal. It's safe to assume an inspector mark.

The W McD stamp also shows on a few others, but not as prolific as Smith, I presume also an inspector mark.

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A.R. Smith was fairly early inspector, his cartouche is on a lot of Watervliet 1870's-80's ordnance gear. I believe your McKeever is .45/70.

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Thanks CAC1901. Can this be determined with internal measurements? I don't have access to .30-40 or .45-70 rounds, however, a .45acp cartridge fits nicely. I'm guessing a .30 cal would slosh around. Thanks for your input.

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  • 1 year later...
On 2/7/2020 at 4:16 PM, mds308 said:

Thanks CAC1901. Can this be determined with internal measurements? I don't have access to .30-40 or .45-70 rounds, however, a .45acp cartridge fits nicely. I'm guessing a .30 cal would slosh around. Thanks for your input.

.....new to the forum, pretty sure when I say this, someone will prove me wrong. The McKeever box was indeed made for the 45-70 cartridge. To my knowledge there are no belt boxes for the Krag. The Mills belt was part of the Krag issue. The Doug McChristian books do a good job of explaining the various issue leather goods of the IW era.

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On 8/10/2021 at 8:03 PM, mds308 said:

An older post but I really do appreciate your input.  Thank you and welcome to this really great forum.  

....as an addendum to my previous post. Just received this book. On page 31 under the paragraph on Cartridge box & Bandoliers: it mentions using the McKeever box "not requiring modification" to carry .30-40 ammunition. I did not know this. It makes sense that the military would use a box already in the inventory. I was going off my limited knowledge of the Krag. The Mills belts being part of the issue when you drew a weapon.

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