[Nando Aqui]

A Simple Question:

Every military surplus 30-06 ammo I have bought that has included a bandoleer, regardless of its source, has included a large safety pin attached to the bandoleer strap. What is/was is the purpose of the pin?

Alex

[Destructo6]

For collecting, of course. I have a large pile.

Probably to shorten the sling portion so that the bandolier doesn't swing about so much. Cravats (triangular bandages) also come with the same size safety pin for the similar purposes, although most of the time I'd just use a knot instead.

[Preacherman]

If it's a safety pin, perhaps it's a safety reminder?

:neener: :p :D

[Grump]

Okay, okay, forgive me PLEEEZE since I never joined up and served...

But I thought the safety pin was to pin the bandoleer to your BDUs so it would not slip off when you stop, drop and roll at the beginning of the ambush.

[Kharn]

stop, drop and roll
That's fire safety, not ambush tactics. :neener:

Kharn

[Steve Smith]

Its so you can fasten the spoon (mag charger) or clips to your bandolier and not lose it!

[hps1]

I don't know the answer, but the safety pins were on M1 garand bandoleers back in the '50s. No one ever explained what we were to do with them.:confused: (The safety pins, that is. :) )

Regards,
hps

[Steve Smith]

Hmm...on an M1 bandolier, it would be for....ummm....lesseee.....oh!....no, that's not it......


Diapers?

a-ha, maybe I know! Did a BAR have a mag charger? If so, that's what they were there for.

[hps1]

Only fired BAR on two occasions, did not see any mag. chargers for them, but can't say they didn't have one. Any BAR men out there?

I always suspected the pin was to pin multiple bandoleer straps together so that you could carry several in your hand and not lose one while making quick tactical move, but what do I know???

Regards,
hps

[Steve Smith]

But the pin and material seem too weak to start strapping multiples together safely...right?

[hps1]

My thought was to keep the straps bundled so you could grab them in a hurry or in the dark and not miss one, not to actually carry the weight.

Being in an armored outfit, I (happily) never carried bandoleers as we could carry 80 rounds IIRC in our web belt and unless something really went south, were not ever that far from our vehicles.

Regards,
hps

[blue86buick]

I believe I heard somewhere that they were used to shorten the strap (as someone already mentioned).

On an M1 Garand bandolier, that would seem to be the most logical answer...or, they're so you always have a small sharp object (pin/needle) to pop your blisters with. :confused:

[Mike Irwin]

Steve,


"Hmm...on an M1 bandolier, it would be for....ummm....lesseee.....oh!....no, that's not it......


Diapers?

a-ha, maybe I know! Did a BAR have a mag charger? If so, that's what they were there for."

Care to explain how you'd use a mag charger to charge a BAR magazine from an M 1's 8 round enbloc clip?

[Steve Smith]

Point to Mike. Was thinking strippers.

Ok, so I'm stumped too. Hey, it was a good college try!

[Chipperman]

Thanks for asking the question. I've always wondered the same thing. I guess nobody is really sure.

OK, here's my theory:

The guy that originally designed the bandolier sent it to the factory with a note pinned to it. The note got torn off, but the pin remained attached. The factory guys just assumed the pin was supposed to be there and attached one to every bandolier since then.

Sound plausible? :scrutiny:

[kudu]

OH MY, DON'T PULL THE PIN, IT MIGHT GO OFF!! :D

[hps1]

Where's eclancy when you need him?

Calling for reinforcements. :)

Regards,
hps

[Nando Aqui]

This is more fun than I had anticipated. And yes, when I said surplus 30-06 in bandoleers I meant for the M1 Garand with the 8-round clips.

I thought perhaps I was one of the very few who didn't know what the safety pin was for. Glad to know that I am in such distinguished company! And at the BattleRifles.com, dedicated to the M1's and M1A's etc., no definitive response either.

Besides all the possible guesses I have also heard that the safety pin was intended to be used to pin the strap to the blouse (shirt) so the bandoleer wouldn't slide around. But this was another 'opinion'.

Actually, I was hoping that perhaps a World War II or Korean vet could remember if they were told by their instructors what to use the pin for. Any memories?


Thanks to all for participating!

Alex

[Grump]

Kharn quoted:

quote:stop, drop and roll
That's fire safety, not ambush tactics. :neener:

Okay, Kharn, what do YOU plan to do in an ambush?:p BEFORE you call in the air strike or art'y fire mission?

Those safety pins are brass, I'm told by an ex-Marine (rare type, most "stay" Marines), to avoid problems with rust. Maybe I'd better ask him...?

[Sean Cloherty]

Perhaps someone would be interested in posting it over at http://www.jouster.com in the Garand fouum. They seem to have very deep knowledge on M1 history.

[DMK]

OK, how are the bandoliers supposed to be worn? Maybe that would give us a clue?

I just throw them over my shoulder, but that can't be right. They'd fall off too easy.

[dickwholliday]

i'm just glad that someone has balls enough to ask the question.......i've always wondered what they were for.......DICK

[Jim K]

I don't know what its original purpose was, but the real best answer is that it for whatever you want to use it for. IIRC, they tried to drop it a few years back and got a lot of letters from GI's saying they used it for ...... (you name it). So back on went the safety pin.

BTW, there is a BAR magazine loader. It is a sort of frame that fits around the magazine and has a slot for the Model 1903 clip at one end. AFAIK, there was never anything like a "spoon" issued for loading BAR magazines.

Jim

[Al Thompson]

IIRC, 5.56 ammo has the same safety pin. We did sling them over our shoulders.

[Steve Smith]

Al, I do know that the 5.56 bandolier safety pin is used for the spoon more often than not. Hard thing to keep track of otherwise.

[Nando Aqui]

I thought it would only be fair to illustrate what all the fuzz is about. And yes, I had my reservations about asking what appeared to be such a mundane question. But what the heck - I would like to know...

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/pccb7a8c0fbc1a20a263c76064688b0b8/fb869a89.jpg

Besides, I need to practice my recently acquired skill: posting my own pictures!
Alex

[blue86buick]

apparently you need a little more practice ;)

edit: or...my computer at home is wonky, and doesn't always display pictures. ::grrr::

[eclancy]

Hi all,
I have data on how the bandollees first came about for the M1 Garand. I don't have a file on the pins. So I don't like to post unless I have a Ordnance file to back it up. However, in 'Nam we used them to stop them swinging on us when we moved fast.
Thanks again
Clancy

[hps1]

Clancy:

Makes sense! A good case for: For every solution there has to be a problem! :)

Thanks,
hps

[Nando Aqui]

blue86buick:

I thought perhaps you were referring to the pins being just a small part of the picture, or perhaps not quite focused correctly, so I took another one. Any better?

By the way, the pictures display fine on three PC's I have tried. Can anyone else see them OK? I surely would like t know.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/pef4b4d2e70b98e94b66867deaf8c8bc4/fb853c0d.jpg

Thanks!

Alex

[Kharn]

Grump:
Plan A is to shield my partner/spouse with my body (with double trauma plates, one duct-taped to my back, the other in the pouch of my level IV vest), while she assembles the 7mm WinMag takedown rifle she carries in a Pelican briefcase. One shot ambushes are the only way to go

Plan B involves seeing the enemy, wetting my pants, and running like a scared little girl while screaming out of fright, I would rather not go into too much depth with regards to this plan, as I might need it some day.

Kharn

[Art Eatman]

Both pictures showed up fine for me...

Art

[cookhj]

as a combat engineer, we use the safety pins to render our own land mines safe if we have to remove them (foreign mines are almost never removed any more. we just blow them in place).

[Grump]

Kharn: LOL!

I've always had your plan B in my toolkit. Closest I've come to actually using it was just ducking around the corner...:uhoh: :uhoh:

Cookhj: I'd forgotten that you could actually use the terms "land mine" and "safe" in the same sentence. Buried bombs are among my least favorite things.

[Sunray]

Steve, you college guys are always thinking about strippers.
In the olden days, the Portugese 7.62 ball ammo boxes came with an odd tool screwed to the inside of the lid. Looked like a big church key.(that's a bottle opener for you young bucks.) We finally figured out what it was for. The ammo box was sealed, so to speak with steel strapping. Yep, the tool was for breaking the strapping on the next box of ammo.
"...over my shoulder..." crosswise over your head carried on the opposite side like your gas mask bag.

[cookhj]

yeah, i'm not big on UXO either. they say that you can use those safety pins to replace the safeties on M-16 AP mines and on anti-handling devices; however i'm a firm believer in just blowing in place all UXO.

[Atlas Shrug]

I always thought this:

For 30-06, 7.62 NATO, 30 Carbine:
Safety pin holds bandoleer to shirt OR shortens the strap so that it hangs better (or both)

For 5.56 NATO:
You stab your enemy with the safety pin.


Sorry for the bad humor, I just could not help myself.......

[hps1]

For 5.56 NATO: You stab your enemy with the safety pin.

:D :D