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If you remember this post I wondered if the M1956 small arms, universal, pouch could carry 40mm grenades and, if so, how many.
I bought a book! Vietnam War US and Allied Combat Equipment.
The “universal” in the designation indicated that it held 2x M14 rifle 20-rd magazines, 4x M16 rifle 20-rd magazines, 4x M2 carbine 30-rd magazines, a bandoleer of 6x 8-rd M1 rifle clips, 8x M1 clips without bandoleer, 2x BAR or Australian L1A1 rifle 20-rd magazines (tight fit), 24x 12-gauge shotgun shells, 3x 40mm grenades (two nose down, one horizontally on top), or 3x hand grenades internally. M16 magazines were too short to conveniently withdraw, so soldiers inserted a field dressing or folded sock underneath to raise them. Some pouches were too tight and held only three magazines.
That's interesting stuff. Exactly the kind of trivia I love for gaming.
FWIW, one of the time-concurrent SF Lessons Learned manuals advised inserting either a field dressing, or a plastic baggie with cooked rice under M16 mags to make them easier to access, thus giving a troop either more beans, or more bandaids, along with the bullets.
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