POTD: The Kittredge Brass Belt Box – The Henry Man’s Ammo Tin

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a little brass box that solves a problem nobody thinks about anymore. Kittredge and Co. of Cincinnati made these during the Civil War, originally to go along with the Frank Wesson rifles they were selling. The design belongs to Augustus Bennett, patented in January of 1863 and reissued that April. Round brass body, spring loaded lid, belt loops on the back. It also happens to take 44 rimfire Henry cartridges, which is why Henry men bought them.

Think about what that meant out in the field. Nearly every Henry that saw Civil War service was privately purchased. A soldier bought the rifle out of his own pocket and bought his own ammunition too, so hauling it around was his problem and nobody else’s. Rimfire priming sits exposed all the way around the case head. Loose cartridges rattling in a coat pocket next to a knife and a tin cup is asking for trouble, and paper packets turn to pulp the first hard rain you sit through.

A brass tube on your belt keeps the rounds dry, keeps them from banging into each other and puts them where your hand already is. Kittredge was the biggest Henry dealer in the country, so they knew exactly what their customers were walking into. Small piece of kit, but I find gear like this tells you more about the war than the rifles do.

Most of our POTDs utilize images from our friends at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms auction in the United States. Take some time to browse their current auctions – who knows, maybe you’ll find a piece of history to take home!

“Exceptional Civil War Kittredge Belt Cartridge Box Henry .44 RF.” Rock Island Auction, www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4097/1010/exceptional-civil-war-kittredge-belt-cartridge-box-henry-44-rf. Accessed 10 Sept. 2026.

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