Pocket, Ammunition, Magazine
General Information
Name: Pocket, Ammunition, Magazine.
Country of Origin: Singapore.
Date of Manufacture: See examples.
Manufacturer: Firstex Holding Co PTE, LTD.
Singapore Stock Number (SSN): See examples.
Contract Number: See examples.
Colour: Deep Bronze Green.
Equipment Family: Yet to be identified.
Number Of compartments: One.
Volume Capacity: 2L (if used as a utility pouch).
Weight: See examples.
Dimensions (cm): 17 (H) × 10 (W) × 6 (D).
Waterproof: No.
History
The Pocket, Ammunition, Magazine was issued by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) from the early 1980s into the early 1990s. It served as the main ammunition pouch for the SAF nylon individual equipment system and was designed to hold three 30-round 5.56mm magazines for the M-16S1 Singapore’s locally manufactured variant of the M16 rifle.
Each side of the pouch also held a hand grenade in a webbing cradle, similar in concept to the U.S. Case, Small Arms Ammunition used with the ALICE system.
As well as being issued to Singaporean soldiers, the pouch found its way into the hands of New Zealand soldiers stationed in Singapore who were issued with M16 rifles. It was often preferred over the New Zealand-issued Pouch, Ammunition, Small Arms (SA) of the 1980s, as the Singaporean pouch was properly sized for M16 magazines. New Zealand soldiers sometimes modified these pouches by adding belt loops and removing unwanted components.
Description
The Pocket, Ammunition, Magazine is a basic box-shaped pouch fabricated from woven deep bronze green polypropylene nylon.
The lid is sewn to the rear of the pouch and is a simple rectangular flap secured at the front by a large hook-and-loop fastener, a feature that was uncommon on military ammunition pouches of the period. The pouch body is sized to hold three 30-round M16 magazines.
Each side of the pouch is fitted with a woven nylon webbing grenade cradle. A hand grenade is retained by a webbing strap sewn to the rear of the pouch and secured at the front with a metal dome fastener.
The rear of the pouch has an adjustable woven nylon webbing support strap sewn to the upper centre of the body. The strap passes through a metal triglide buckle and terminates in an ALICE-type metal attachment clip/hook secured by a webbing loop and metal dome fastener.
Sewn across the middle of the rear face is a 50 mm wide horizontal webbing strap. Anchored to the centre of this strap is a 25 mm wide vertical belt loop, sewn directly to the pouch body. On either side of the belt loop is a 50 mm wide channel designed to accept a British-style double hook (C-hook) attachment.
The base of the pouch is fitted with a metal drainage grommet to allow water to escape freely.
Examples
Example One
Date of Manufacture: 1988.
Singapore Stock Number (SSN): 8465-32-006-9470F
Contract Number: CMM 8800220 AL.
Weight: 160g.
ASMO Number: 2421-702-46101.
Example Two
Example Two found its way into the hands of a New Zealand soldier and has undergone two simple modifications. Firstly, the supporting strap has been removed and, secondly, the original double hooks have been replaced with ALICE-style side keeper clips.
Weight: 150g.
ASMO Number: 2421-702-46103.
