M3 ammo box adopted in 1934

**Bang** · November 2nd, 2016, 01:54 AM

I love the internet. I've had this ammo box for years. I made a handle for it and made a part that was missing from the latch. I had sprayed it gray. Now I wish I hadn't. Here's what I found about it:

Chest Ammunition Cal .50 M3. Adopted in June 1934, the M3 chest was made of aluminum and was similar to the M17 but had two metal loops (spacers) on the back. The M3 had a leather handle rather than cotton web. According to the August 1942 SNL-39 on the Browning Machine Gun It was the preferred type of box for use by cavalry. It was said to hold 120 rounds. Internal padding of a synthetic material similar to linoleum was possibly to deaden the sound of ammunition rattling or possibly to prevent the ammunition from denting of the box. The padding covered the inside of the lid, bottom and three sides but not the front of the chest and was riveted in place .The chest has a brass piano type hinge and the lid is not removable. According to "Notes on the Pack Equipment Cal .30 & Cal .50 from Rock Island Arsenal, January 1937" the M3 could be carried on a packsaddle using hanger ammunition M9. The box in the picture has black lettering but many have blue lettering. The drawing number of the M3 Chest was D7260.

No, I don't have the picture...but the one shown is identical to my box. I thought the inner lining material was leather hardened with age. Turns out to be something similar to linoleum.

I did not know what I had until I looked into it tonight. Love the internet. I printed this out and put it in the box. Maybe the kids will fight over it when I check out.

**Iron Sights** · November 2nd, 2016, 10:02 AM

Hindsight can be a terrible thing. I can't speak for all but most of us have done things we could kick ourselves for after we did a little research or read the instructions.

**Rosco the Iroc** · November 2nd, 2016, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by Bang

I

No, I don't have the picture...

yea google

**Nate7667** · November 2nd, 2016, 11:13 AM

Could be worse, you could be one of the guys who used late 60s-early 70s Chrysler B and E body cars for demolition-dery events in the early 80s since there were a pile of them and they weren't worth shit at the time.

**bamboomaster** · November 2nd, 2016, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by Rosco the Iroc

yea google

Somebody (?) ought to spray paint that thing gray.....

**Bang** · November 2nd, 2016, 07:57 PM

That is the box and the pictures I had found along with the article. I had posted thanks for posting it, but my post seems to be missing...so here's another one...