French MAT Magazine Pouch

French MAT Magazine Pouch

This is a black leather magazine pouch issued by the French Army for magazines of the MAT submachine gun. MAT refers to the Manufacture d'Armes de Tulle, the state arsenal behind the weapon. The pouch is tall and narrow to fit long stick magazines, and a strapped flap keeps them inside. Collectors use it to complete a French SMG display, and reenactors wear it on the belt as part of a French Army kit.

Features

• Black Leather Body — The pouch is cut from stiff black leather that holds its rectangular shape when empty or loaded.
• Tall Magazine Compartment — Its deep, narrow body matches the length of MAT stick magazines and keeps them upright.
• Strap-And-Stud Closure — A leather tongue on the flap runs through a keeper loop and fastens over a brass stud on the front of the pouch.
• Full-Coverage Flap — The flap folds down over the whole opening, and its natural tan underside shows where the hide was left unfinished on the inner face.
• Twin Belt Loops — Two vertical leather loops on the back, box-stitched at each end, let the pouch slide onto a duty belt.
• Rear Suspension Hook — A metal hook on a stitched leather tab at the top of the back can clip to a strap or ring on load-bearing equipment.
• Stitched Edges — Rows of stitching run around the perimeter and seams to hold the panels together.
• Genuine French Army Issue — This is original government-issue equipment, not a commercial copy.

French Army Leather Gear

The French Army kept issuing leather equipment long after many armies had moved to webbing, and this pouch was built to that pattern. It has a molded leather body, brass and steel fittings, and two ways to mount it: belt loops for a waist belt, or a hook for suspenders and harness. If you are building out a MAT submachine gun display or a period French infantry kit, an original issue pouch gives it real provenance.