Bandeleros

[GunClick Rick]

Was there a certain way they were used,or did ya pull from where they hung on the body?

[Slowhand Bob]

Har har har, my only reference would be movies and now that I think of it the bandittos always wore them but I never actually saw them reloading from the bandoliers!  Now if you are talking, with holsters rather than reloads, then several Spaghetti Westerns depicted drawing from these rigs and the holsters always maintained their positions during the draw???  For drawing a gun, it would be practical to stake them at the pants line and just consider them as a shoulder rig, otherwise plan to grab on with the other hand to stabilize in place during the draw.  For SASS use, I am not sure if it is even legal to attach bandoliers at the bottom?   

[St. George]

'Bandolero' was a Raquel Welch movie - notable only for that.

The only photos normally seen will date from the Mexican Revolution of 1910 - they are usually filled with 7mm ammunition for the Mausers and Rolling Blocks - with no doubt a bunch of .30-30 Winchester thrown in.

You see them in Boer War photos, too...

They're an ammunition carrying device, and were just a more convenient way to transport ammunition, as they spread the weight more evenly on dismounted men than some sort of box would.

They reloaded on as 'as-needed' basis - not on the clock.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,23055.0.html

This is Rattlesnake Jacks very fine post on NWMP accoutrements.  Scroll down for several views of bandoliers circa 1885.  The post was repeated in several other locations, leather, historical and GAF.

[GunClick Rick]

Dat esplains it,mucho grrracious mi amigos..

[Daniel Nighteyes]

If anyone is considering a bandolier to carry reloads, here is a suggestion.

All the photographs I have seen show bandoliers loaded from the "top" so that the ammunition is pointed down.  Therefore, most people carry/wear them this way.  Unfortunately, when one attempts to extract a round they have to pull upward, and the bandolier comes up with it.  The other hand must hold the bandolier in place.

Now consider a bandolier that has been loaded so that the ammunition is pointed up.  Now one pulls DOWNWARD when attempting to extract the round.  This movement causes the bandolier to  actually tighten against the shoulder and chest. The round comes right out, and only one hand was needed.

This wouldn't work for carrying ammo all day long, either on foot or horseback.  However, for our sport it should do quite well.

(I do the same thing with the cartridges in the loops on my pistol belt. When loading or reloading on the clock, pulling down is easier/smoother than pulling up; at least, to me it is.)

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

If anyone is considering a bandolier to carry reloads, here is a suggestion.

All the photographs I have seen show bandoliers loaded from the "top" so that the ammunition is pointed down.  Therefore, most people carry/wear them this way.  Unfortunately, when one attempts to extract a round they have to pull upward, and the bandolier comes up with it.  The other hand must hold the bandolier in place.

Now consider a bandolier that has been loaded so that the ammunition is pointed up.  Now one pulls DOWNWARD when attempting to extract the round.  This movement causes the bandolier to  actually tighten against the shoulder and chest. The round comes right out, and only one hand was needed.

This wouldn't work for carrying ammo all day long, either on foot or horseback.  However, for our sport it should do quite well.

(I do the same thing with the cartridges in the loops on my pistol belt. When loading or reloading on the clock, pulling down is easier/smoother than pulling up; at least, to me it is.)

 +1 Daniel, that's the only way that makes any sense to me, one other thing, is even though they carried their ammo in bandeleros, when in battle a lot of them would take one off to have it handy for reloading, it was just a means of carrying their ammo.  

   tEN wOLVES