Bandolier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other uses, see Bandolier (disambiguation).
A bandolier is a pocketed belt for holding ammunition. It was usually slung over the chest. In its original form, it was common issue to soldiers from the 16th to 18th centuries. This was very useful for quickly reloading a musket.
A somewhat different form of the bandolier came into use in the 20th century when it accompanied modern cartridges and hand grenades. They are now rare due to the prohibitive size of modern magazine.
The bandolier was used to keep ammunition off the soldier's hips, (opposed to keeping in on a belt) as carrying too much weight on the hips can cause constraint of movement, and difficulty retrieving ammunition.