Whats with lanyard loop on 1911 magazine?

[45shooter]

I know military 1911 and 1911A1 pistols had lanyard loop on the MSH but whats with the lanyard loop on the magazine? Evidently some military magazines had lanyard loop on the magazine floor plate.

I assume they attached the lanyard to the loop on the MSH but whats the one for the magazine for? Did they use another lanyard to attached to the magazine?

 

[1911Ron]

In a word yes that was the intended use, when on horse back if you dropped something you have lost it.

 

[joab]

I saw a photo of American cavalrymen once, I believe in Mexico, charging in on horse back with loaded 1911s with magazines hanging off the MSH attached by a lanyard

 

[tegemu]

It is for attaching the gun to your body so that in the event you drop it, it is easily recovered. Especially useful in water, dense brush, night ops, fine sand. They are currently seeing a lot of use in Iraq and Afganistan.

 

[taz-2005]

In the Navy when we stood watch topside we wore the 1911 with a lanyard. Same with the M9 when we transitioned to that platform.

 

[XavierBreath]

Horse borne calvary used lanyards on boththe magazine and the pistol. Unless I'm mistaken (and that is not unusual) only the M1911 magazines had the lanyard loop. If my memory serves, it was only the "two toned" M1911 magazines at that.

 

[jacobtowne]

Retrieving a dropped sidearm when on foot is simple. Attempting this feat from horseback is another matter.
The pistol was considered in 1911 to be a "two-part sidearm" (these were all revolver people, remember), the gun and the magazine. So, it follows, that both must have lanyards, since the thing wont work if Part B is missing.
After a few years of tangled lanyards, the Army discontinued the lanyard ring magazine (1916 IIRC).
JT

 

[Dionysusigma]

If my memory serves, it was only the "two toned" M1911 magazines at that.

I'm not sure I agree. When I worked for Outdoor America, part of an estate came in one day that included a lot of really nice 1911s (not 1911A1s). Next to the NIB Union Switch & Signal was an original 1914 Colt Commercial. It had lanyard loops on both the bottom of the mainspring housing and the magazine floorplate as well. The one time I was allowed to handle it, I released the magazine before handing it back (which prompted a noticable cringe from my boss ), and it was definately all-blued.

'Course, that's the only time I've ever seen a 1911 mag with a lanyard loop on it...

 

[45shooter]

So how did the lanyard on the magazine work?
Did they wear multiple lanyards, one for the pistol and second one for the magazine in the pistol and third for the spare mag? Or were mags attached to the pistol lanyard loop?

Sounds confusing as hell.

 

[jaysouth]

Tegemu:

These magazines have not been manufactured since 1918. Where do the troops in the Rak and the Stan get them now days. If they were available, they still would not fit in a 9mm Beretta.