This old ammo box

[Rookie]

So I found this old wooden ammo box in an antique store in New Mexico. It has nice tongue and groove construction with steel hardware in good shape. It's on the small side so I'm thinking it was for pistol ammo. The only markings are 49 -1- 8. I assume that means year of manufacture1949 but not sure. I have a couple of questions if anybody knows the answers.

1. Country of origin?
2. What is the circular indentation for underneath the handle?
3. What is the slot for on the end that looks like it might hold a roll of quarters?

 

[JoshPutman]

It kinda looks like it might be home made, but hard to tell.

Pretty cool, though.

 

[lash]

Agreed that it looks homemade. It’s a nice piece though.

 

[Downtown]

Not homemade. Just an old ammobox. This was my Grandfather's shoe shine box.

 

[Downtown]

World War 1, apparently.

Google Image Result for https://res.cloudinary.com/dyx4yhvoq/image/fetch/w_800,h_800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto/https://www.1944militaria.com/v/vspfiles/photos/ORUSMBARAMMOBX1-2.jpg

 

[ironpony52]

Seeing what was posted as a shoe shine box I will say the slanted foot part sat in the circle so it would not move and the cut out fit into a standard block at the chair station to keep it from sliding.

EDIT: After seeing above post it is an ammo box

 

[Downtown]

Well, I meant that that was a surplus WW1 ammobox that my Grandfather kept his shoe polish in. I'm afraid we've still not answered the OPs questions.

 

[Hairball]

90th IDPG 1917 / 1917a1 Ammo Box Restoration

 

[Rookie]

Still I didn't know that it was World War 1 that is Super cool so thanks for that.

 

[Rookie]

Not homemade. Just an old ammobox. This was my Grandfather's shoe shine box.

Man that's it exactly thanks so much for posting! It was full of disintegrating machine gun links. I bought it because I hadn't seen another like it. Now im stoked I did. Great shape for being 100+years old. Keep the info comin!

 

[ironpony52]

I was just checking a few out on EBay would make a nice show piece in the gun room.

 

[Rookie]

With a little closer reading of that article posted this one is for the 1917a1 which makes it World War 2 era but still...

 

[Rookie]

I wonder what is the meaning of 49-1-84? Apparently both WW1 and WW2 versions had it. So not a date code.

 

[CanisLupus]

I wonder what is the meaning of 49-1-84? Apparently both WW1 and WW2 versions had it. So not a date code.

Wood ammo box markings?

I've a number of wooden .30 MG boxes, none of which are their original color (unless gold, silver, red, bright green, white and bare are their original colors); and I'd like to restore them to some facsimile of original appearance. What markings would they have had; anything akin to the metal ones?

www.usmilitariaforum.com

From post #2, “In the '30s--approximately 1936, the M1917 box was remanufactured, and the outside front of the box was marked "CHEST 49-1-84" which was the drawing number, and the stencil on the inside bottom of the box was changed to three arrows.”

 

[lash]

This thread is full of great information.

 

[XP1K]

I have one of these! Inherited from my grandfather. No clue where he picked it up. He was a waste gunner/ radio operator on a B-24 in WWII.

I'll get a pick of it this evening when I get home. I believe my dad said it was also used as a shoe shine box when he was a kid. It's full of 357 reloading components at the moment. I always figured it for an old ammo can.

 

[Rookie]

I have one of these! Inherited from my grandfather. No clue where he picked it up. He was a waste gunner/ radio operator on a B-24 in WWII.

I'll get a pick of it this evening when I get home. I believe my dad said it was also used as a shoe shine box when he was a kid. It's full of 357 reloading components at the moment. I always figured it for an old ammo can.

Mine was full of disintegrating links for 30cal something.