Best, George
- IMG_5081.JPG (71.78 KiB) Viewed 5579 times
- IMG_5079.JPG (59.7 KiB) Viewed 5579 times
- IMG_5080.JPG (61.43 KiB) Viewed 5579 times
Guidon socket for the M1912 Experimental Saddle
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George Clark
- Society Member
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2000 10:03 pm
I was lucky enough to pick this up on Ebay last week. The only one I've ever seen in almost 55 years of collecting. It's in just about unused condition. As seen in the photo it is stamped in three lines, R.I.A.-1918- J.N.S. It is pictured on plate XIII of the M1912 Cavalry Equipment Manual. Hope you enjoy seeing it.
Best, George
Best, George
Nice find - and with a 1918 date stamp from Rock Island, that's so unusual.
In hindsight, there was so much irrational production going on in those two years (1917 and 1918) that darn near anything is possible. Especially with the M1912 equipment set.
Not to be too pedantic, but I do believe the 'experimental' label is a collectors creation, as the equipment set was adopted and was the planned full replacement for the McClellan equipments. While the saddle production was stopped @ 1915, a lot of the other components continued to be produced. The 1917 enlisted saddle would have likely used much of the M1912 equipment set, but that got lost in the avalanche of war profiteering contracts that launched in early 1917. And yet, here is a rather odd guidon boot being produced a year further along at THE arsenal - which was shut down for all horse equipment production by October/November of that year.
In hindsight, there was so much irrational production going on in those two years (1917 and 1918) that darn near anything is possible. Especially with the M1912 equipment set.
Not to be too pedantic, but I do believe the 'experimental' label is a collectors creation, as the equipment set was adopted and was the planned full replacement for the McClellan equipments. While the saddle production was stopped @ 1915, a lot of the other components continued to be produced. The 1917 enlisted saddle would have likely used much of the M1912 equipment set, but that got lost in the avalanche of war profiteering contracts that launched in early 1917. And yet, here is a rather odd guidon boot being produced a year further along at THE arsenal - which was shut down for all horse equipment production by October/November of that year.
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George Clark
- Society Member
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2000 10:03 pm
Todd,
I agree with you on the miss use of the term "experimental" when referring to the 1912 saddle and equipment. I think that the production run of both the saddle and its equipment plus three government publications. The hard covered "CAVALRY SERVICE REGULATIONS UNITED STATES ARMY 1915", includes section on the use and care of the '12 saddle, and two soft cover publications, "DESCRIPTION AND DIRECTIONS FOR THEUSE AND CARE OF CAVALRY EQUIPMENT MODEL OF 1912" October 5,th 1914 and a little known manual "INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CARE AND REPAIR OF SMALL ARMS AND ORDNANCE EQUIPMENT" July 12th 1915 which has chapters on the repair of both the saddle and all related equipment take this saddle well out of the category of experimental.
Best, George.
I agree with you on the miss use of the term "experimental" when referring to the 1912 saddle and equipment. I think that the production run of both the saddle and its equipment plus three government publications. The hard covered "CAVALRY SERVICE REGULATIONS UNITED STATES ARMY 1915", includes section on the use and care of the '12 saddle, and two soft cover publications, "DESCRIPTION AND DIRECTIONS FOR THEUSE AND CARE OF CAVALRY EQUIPMENT MODEL OF 1912" October 5,th 1914 and a little known manual "INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CARE AND REPAIR OF SMALL ARMS AND ORDNANCE EQUIPMENT" July 12th 1915 which has chapters on the repair of both the saddle and all related equipment take this saddle well out of the category of experimental.
Best, George.
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Fossilhorse
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2008 2:22 pm
- Last Name: Ramey
A fine piece indeed. Congratulations on your acquisition.