Italian Modello 1897 / M91 Carcano Cavalry Bandoliers
Two four-pocket leather cavalry bandoliers for M91 Carcano clips, with original owner inscriptions naming Pasquale Cundari and Pietro Rossi.
Images
Specifications
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Item | Pair of Italian cavalry ammunition bandoliers for M91 Carcano clips |
| Italian Catalog Designation | Bandoliera Modello 1897 per moschetto Mod. 91 da cavalleria |
| Alternate Designation | Bandoliera da cavalleria per caricatori Mod. 1891; commonly called an M91 cavalry bandolier by collectors |
| Country | Kingdom of Italy |
| Military Association | Regio Esercito cavalry and other mounted or carbine-armed personnel |
| Pattern Era | Late 1890s; used during the first half of the 20th century |
| Material | Brown to blackened leather with metal studs, adjustment hardware, and lower holster ring |
| Ammunition | 6.5×52 mm Carcano cartridges in six-round en bloc clips |
| Capacity | Four loaded clips, one per pocket, for a total of 24 cartridges |
| Pouch Arrangement | Four individual clip pockets grouped beneath two broad leather flaps |
| Carry Method | Adjustable shoulder bandolier |
| Additional Fitting | Lower metal ring for attachment of a pistol holster |
| Owner Inscriptions | “Pasquale Cundari” and “Pietro Rossi,” one name on each bandolier |
| Quantity | Two original examples |
Overview
These are two original Italian cavalry ammunition bandoliers made to carry loaded clips for the M91 Carcano carbine. Each bandolier combines an adjustable shoulder strap with four individual ammunition pockets, two broad protective flaps, metal closure studs, and a lower ring for suspending a pistol holster. The design kept both rifle ammunition and a sidearm accessible to mounted personnel without relying on the standard infantry waist-belt arrangement.
Italian museum cataloging identifies this form as the Bandoliera Modello 1897 per moschetto Mod. 91 da cavalleria. Specialist Carcano references also describe the early form as the Bandoliera da cavalleria per caricatori Mod. 1891 and place its adoption in the mid-1890s. Because both names appear in current reference material, this profile uses the combined description Modello 1897 / M91 Carcano cavalry bandolier.
The two examples are especially valuable as an artifact grouping because each retains an individual owner inscription. One is marked Pasquale Cundari in faded reddish writing, while the other is deeply scratched Pietro Rossi. These names turn otherwise anonymous field equipment into two separately identified personal objects.
Design and Construction
The main body is made from heavy leather formed into four upright clip pockets. The pockets are arranged as two pairs, with each pair protected by a broad top flap. Narrow vertical straps draw the flaps down over metal studs positioned near the lower edge of the pouch body. This layout protected the loaded clips while allowing the wearer to open only the side needed.
A wide leather strap continues above and behind the ammunition pouches to form the shoulder-carrying bandolier. Metal loops, studs, and adjustment holes allow the fit to be changed. The exact hardware and stitching show small differences between the two examples, which is normal for equipment manufactured and repaired over a long service period.
A distinctive metal ring is secured at the lower end of each bandolier. Italian catalog descriptions identify the pentagonal ring as the attachment point for a pistol holster. This combined arrangement allowed a mounted soldier to carry four M91 clips and a holstered sidearm on the same shoulder equipment.
Ammunition Arrangement
The M91 Carcano system used a six-round en bloc clip. Italian cultural catalog records describe the Modello 1897 bandolier as having four pockets for four six-round clips. Its standard carried capacity was therefore 24 cartridges.
The clip was inserted into the rifle with all six cartridges and remained in the fixed magazine until the last round was chambered. The empty clip then dropped through the opening beneath the magazine. The bandolier pockets were sized for these loaded clips rather than for loose cartridges or detachable box magazines.
The four-pocket arrangement was compact and well suited to mounted service. Ammunition could be reached across the body while the broad flaps helped retain and protect the clips during movement.
Owner Inscriptions
The first bandolier carries the name Pasquale Cundari on its interior leather. The inscription is arranged in two lines, with “Pasquale” above “Cundari.” The lettering survives as faded reddish writing, and contrast-enhanced photographs make the letter sequence easier to follow. The irregular shape of the handwritten “s” initially complicated the reading, but the full name is legible across the available views.
The second bandolier is marked Pietro Rossi. This name was cut deeply into the leather without an ink fill. The large initial letter has a single upper loop and long descending stroke, identifying it as a cursive capital “P.” The following letters form “ietro,” and the surname “Rossi” is clearly scratched to the right.
Both inscriptions are consistent with personal ownership marks placed where they would normally remain hidden during wear. They most likely served to identify issued equipment. No unit, service number, or dated maker mark is presently associated with either name, so the inscriptions should be recorded as owner names without assigning either bandolier to a specific regiment or campaign.
Historical Context
Italy adopted the M91 rifle system in the early 1890s. The shortened Moschetto Modello 1891 followed for cavalry and other personnel who required a handier shoulder arm. The new six-round clip system required purpose-built leather equipment, including belt pouches and shoulder bandoliers.
The Modello 1897 cavalry bandolier belongs to that first generation of M91 equipment. Its form reflects the requirements of mounted service: compact ammunition pockets, an adjustable cross-body strap, and a lower ring that allowed a pistol holster to be carried with the rifle ammunition. Related patterns and later revisions continued the same basic concept into the interwar period.
Italian cultural records place surviving Modello 1897 bandoliers in the first half of the 20th century. Equipment of this family is associated with the long service life of the M91 system through World War I, the interwar years, and World War II. The exact manufacture and service dates of these two examples remain unknown because no readable dated production stamps have been identified.
Condition
Both bandoliers are in heavily used condition. The leather shows darkening, surface crazing, stiffness, edge wear, scratches, and areas where the finished surface has worn away. The pouch bodies, shoulder straps, metal fittings, and lower holster rings remain present.
One example retains a darker and more even exterior finish. The other shows heavier abrasion, exposed lighter leather, rough stitching, and localized loss around the lower ring attachment. The differences in wear help distinguish the two pieces and support their interpretation as separately issued equipment rather than a manufactured pair.
The inscriptions should not be cleaned, retraced, or filled. Water, solvents, leather dye, and heavy dressing could weaken or obscure the remaining writing. The safest preservation approach is dry surface dusting only, limited handling, and full support beneath the aged leather during display.
Collector Notes
These bandoliers are strong companion pieces for an M91 cavalry carbine, Bodeo revolver, Beretta service pistol, or broader Italian mounted-troop display. The four-pocket form, shoulder strap, and lower holster ring make their intended use immediately understandable even when displayed empty.
The owner inscriptions are the most important individual features. They should remain central to the artifact record and photo sequence. Recording the names in searchable text also preserves information that might otherwise be lost as the leather continues to age and the markings become harder to read.
Research Sources
- Catalogo Generale dei Beni Culturali, “Bandoliera mod 1897”. Italian cultural catalog entry describing the brown leather cavalry bandolier, four pockets for four six-round M91 clips, and pentagonal holster ring.
- Ministero della Guerra, Istruzione sulle armi Mod. 1891, Rome, 1900. Period instruction covering the M91 six-round clip, ammunition packaging, and contemporary leather equipment.
- Carcano Compendium, “Load Bearing Equipment”. Specialist reference documenting the M91 cavalry bandolier designation and related Italian equipment patterns.