I have what I thought was a magazine pouch for USGI 20 rounders.  

description
-green nylon
-2 alice clips
-grenade holder on each side
-black plastic clasp like the common 3x30 round magazine carriers
-thin nylon strap that looks like it hooks to the h harness
-inside nylon pull strap that looks like it is meant to assist in getting the magazines out.
-the dimensions are 4 1/4 high with flap closed  x 4 1/4 wide x 2 inches deep.  


I thought I knew what I had until I tried to fill the thing and couldn't find a decent way to fit the 20 rounders in it.  The 20 rounders are 4 7/8 in tall 7/8 wide and 2 1/2 long.  The best I can do is 2 magazines vertical flat to the belt but the cut of the pouch doesn't look like that was the intent.

Your thoughts?

SoS

Can you post or send a picture?  That would certainly help.

If not, to me it sounds like you have a pouch that was made to hold either 4-20 round m-16 mags or 5-M-1 carbine mags.  I believe they were only made for a couple of years, when we first switched to nylon instead of canvas for all of our gear.  Any nomenclature on the underside of the lid?  If this is the case, you SHOULD be able to fit 4-20 rounders in there.  They should be in the pouch vertically, with the back of the mag (longest edge) nearest to your body when the pouch is worn.  Hope this helps.

Thanks Devil Dog,

I only have 2 20 rdrs for my fit test but i did stick 2 30s in next to them (w/o closing the lid).  They do fit but distort the pouch a little.    I bet 4 should fit like you describe but it also looks like they probably were designed for M1 carbine 15 rounders as the case looks like the depth more closely suits the shorter (fr to bk) m1 magazines.  It's a really tight fit closing the pouch with just the 2 20 rounder Ar mags held in position.

There are numbers under the lid, ....mostly faded out.

4 lines

                     CA?????????????????????
                        2?????????????????????
                           DSA 200 68?????????
                              84???????????????
                         
I'm betting the top is Case, small arms something or other
second line may be 200 or 20 ROUND not sure

These things that are out of the system always interested me, be it the rusty M1 enbloc clip found while digging a fox hole at LeJeune or right in the arms room finding a "lost" artillery sight from the viet nam era that no one knew what it was other than an old nam vet.

Thanks for the response!  i wish I had a digital camera for a lot of things!  
SoS

Yep, you guessed it.  The top line of the nomenclature should read something to the effect of "case, small arms" etc etc bs bs.  If I remember correctly, the second line says something about 20 round m-16 mags in it, which would make sense according to what is on your pouch.

I always keep my eye out for stuff like this.  You never know what you might find that everyone else thinks is just another piece of equipment/junk.

Quoted: 20 rnd M-16 mag pouch.

+1 they hold four 20 rd mags each

hey steelonsteel : it sounds like you have a U.S.  m-67  ammo pouch ....it was part of a larger web gear system issued during the vietnam war.....and yes it does carry 4ea. 20rd. m-16 mags...i have two of these type pouches on my web gear along with the m-67 nylon H-suspenders...also a photo would help to cnfirm what type of item you have.....vince g. 11b inf.....

Thanks for your help guys.  I can't remember where I got this pouch from.  I think it was given to me by a coworker who was in the guard years and years ago.

I am ticked off, I just broke the hook off my H harness.  I have 2 Y harnesses in the garage that I never really cared for.  The H just carries better.  I always carried an older canvas butt pack when I was in.  They held up way better than the nylon ones.


One of my M-16 pouches (30 Rdr) is an odd ball.  Under the lid there are flaps with snaps that hold each individual magazine in place.  I don't know the deal on it.  It is neat but in combat I wouldn't want to undo two flaps to get a mag.

SoS

hey heavy metal  :the hooks you speak of  on the m-67 nylon H-harness are for the nylon m-67 buttpack.....you guys are correct, the flaps under the lid of that early issue 30rd. ammo pouch are to keep the mags seperate so they can'nt rattle loose in the pouch...latter issues of that same pouch did not have flaps only thin web straps which everyone used to cut out as they would catch on the lips of the mags......gee i do'nt know why they went from a H-type harness to a Y-type...but with the new molle stuff they seemed to have went back to the H-style harness......vince g. 11b inf....

hey heavymetal :the two buttpacks was the concept with the hooks on the top yoke of the m-67 gear...also left the back of the belt clear for 1qt. canteens and ammo pouches etc.......vince g. 11b inf

Quoted: photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=2871photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=2872 -Troy

That's it.  I've got one and want more...

TS

yup, that's the pouch I have Troy.  now all I need is a a few more twenty round mags.  I always liked them better in use.  

I have lots of 30 rounders and two 20 rounders, maybe that's why I like the lil ones!

Thanks guys, you certainly are a living resource.

SoS

I've got a few of the older versions that have the canvas strap instead of the platic clip. I like the canvas better, it's easier to open and close and it won't break. I wish I had some 30 round mag pouches like that. Brigade Quartemaster sold some that they custom made for a contract but they were out of my price range compared with a normal mag pouch for about $5...