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Date	Original Topic
12th January 2004	Reproduction Ammunition Boxes By Carl Daeche Some of you may remember an entry I made some five months ago regarding the reproduction of the overseas ammo boxes from the Zulu War. May I thank the kind members of the Diehards for their thoughts and contributions unfortunately I never got the opportunity to meet up with the prototype at NAM back in October. For the information of the Diehards (Adrian, Tim and Ian) and any other interested party who may be attending the RE Museum in Chatham on Saturday 24th, I hope to take the box along. I welcome comment from any interested parties. I have been trying, unsuccessfully to find an original and have resorted to manufacturing my own. I have noted recent entries regarding repro-boxes. If anyone has found a supplier please let me know. I am willing to make others if there is a demand. the prototype has served me well as a coffee table and talking piece, let alone its re-enactment potential. Hope to see you there it looks like being a great event.
Date	Replies
12th January 2004	AMB Carl, The Dept of War Studies at RMA Sandhurst has an original - maybe someone will let you look at it, if you asked? The ownership of the box is under question - it either belongs to Dr Ed Yorke or Dr Duncan Anderson. Either, no doubt, would show you - though both Dr Yorke or Dr Anderson might ask for a beer! AMB
13th January 2004	Barry Taylor There is an Ammo Box on eBay at the moment, but not like one I've seen before. Anyone have any comments? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2217669572&category=135 Cheers Barry
13th January 2004	Steven Sass Carl, A while back on eBay, there was up for auction a very good reproduction of what I would consider a classic type (the kind most of us associate with Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift- rectangular, sliding lid, single closing screw and two metal bands)AZW Ammo box. It had all of the suitable War Dept. and 24th markings, and I believe was offered by Michael Long, a dealer in the UK. I had intentions of e-mailing you to call it to your attention but I was unable to find your last post. Nonetheless, the point I am trying to make, is that it was rather vigorously contested for. Unfortunately I can't remember the exact selling price. I'm pretty sure I saw some familiar names in the bid list so perhaps someone knows what the final price was. If indeed the demand is truly as it seems, it may be worth your while to produce a few. Steven
13th January 2004	Adrian Whiting Carl, I'll very much look forward to meeting you again at Chatham, and seeing how the ammunition box has progressed. I should have both my original MkI and MkIV boxes there, so you can offer it up against the latter, since both MkIVs and MkVs were in use together (and as you know are very similar, certainly in dimensions etc). Let me know if a pic of the MH cartridge label on the box lid would help re completing the labelling of yours. Barry, the box currently running on ebay is not of any of the small arms ammunition boxes as in the List of Changes from the introduction of the MkI onwards. In addition the marks that i can see in the photo do not correspond to the instructions for marking small arms ammuniton boxes - contents were detailed on a label, there was a Govt Explosives seal on the lid/box union, the dates were stamped into the wood rather than stencilled, and box lids were sliding rather than hinged. There are quite a few other differences too. I can say with certainty that it is not either a MkIV or MkV box for MH ammunition. It may be a box for earlier muzzle loading cartridges, but if so does not conform with the written descriptions I have of them - this would also make the stencilled date of 1878 seem odd. However I haven't yet identified the stencil " A & NL" on that box, so it may be for some other purpose. If anyone has ideas I would be interested ! Thanks Adrian
14th January 2004	Barry Taylor It was me that won the last box on eBay. It went for about �100, link below: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2203634527&category=4070&rd=1 Regarding the current box on eBay, could it be for artillery ammo? Cheers Barry