303 British Ammo Bandolier

Why I Started Making 303 British Ammo Bandoliers

As a gun collector or reenactor, you might be wondering what 303 British ammo bandoliers are doing on a designer fashion website.

So I thought this would be a good opportunity to share how the 303 ammo bandoliers ended up here and how it aligns with my brand.

Middle Eastern Journey

In 2007, I embarked on a 3-month trip to the Near East. I had been learning modern Hebrew and Arabic, and thought it was a good time for another international trip. I was also hoping to see some sites and traditional culture in the region.

While I spent most of my time in Israel, I also spent a few weeks in Jordan and Egypt.

Even before I left for my trip, I started doing some online research. One of the places I looked up was Petra in Jordan. Petra was an ancient Nabatean city that is famous for its buildings, which are carved out of the rock. You probably saw Petra’s famous treasury building in Indian Jones and The Lost Crusade.

While I was looking at photos of Petra, I came across an Arab man in a uniform, and I was blown away. What I saw was a photo of a man in the Bedouin Police, which patrols desert outposts like Petra.

The uniform had so many wonderful elements. There were generally Arab features like the headscarf, and dishdasha (tunic) but what I really loved about it was the blend of military/police uniform, with traditional folk garb.

And one of the centerpieces of the uniform was the bright red 303 bandolier harness, full of bullets.

I resolved at this point, that I must go to Jordan, and I must bring back one of these uniforms!

The Hunt

While in Israel, I had the chance to do an overnight trip to Petra. My friends and I crossed the border and hopped into a taxi for a long ride to Wadi Musa, the nearest town with food and accommodation.

We explored Petra, and I got to see many Bedouin Police uniforms first-hand, but none of them were for sale. To buy one, I had to go to Amman, the capital city of Jordan.

So, a few weeks later, I decided to return to Jordan and spend a few days in Amman. While there, I found a local tailor shop to make me a couple of dishdashas. I also found some tan 303 bandolier harnesses in a couple mom-and-pop shops, where they made them on the spot. I also learned that there were Jordanian uniform shops in the nearby city of al-Zurqa.

I took a taxi to al-Zurqa and browsed a few shops. I found plenty of patches, chevrons, badges and pins. I found a set of Bedouin Police tassels, a sash, and a cross-body holster. I even purchased a special police uniform that was really nothing more than a Korean knock-off of US jungle fatigues.

I carefully packed all of my pieces into my backpack and took a taxi to the Israeli border. That’s when I hit a snag.

When you try to leave a country, sometimes the customs/border patrol will inspect all of your belongings before they will let you leave. Well, the Jordanians were not too happy about me bringing their uniforms into Israel. And they told me that I should not have been able to even purchase these things in the first place.

I was fortunate enough that they allowed me to stay in Jordan, with all of my pieces, so that I could return to al-Zurqa and ask for a refund. However, I was far too determined to keep my prizes.

So I took a taxi to the closest city, Irbid, and spent the night. I found a box at a local grocery store. In the morning, I packed most of my Jordanian uniform parts into the box, and shipped them to myself from the local post office. No one asked too many questions. I simply noted on the customs slip that the box contained belts and clothing.

I was tired, but I made it back to Israel that day without any more problems.

History

Before I get into what I did with my uniform pieces, I thought I’d cover a little bit about the history that I’ve pieced together about these uniforms.

I don’t know a lot of the details, but the Bedouin Police uniform is practically the same uniform as that of the Arab Legion, which was the Arab nationalist army that fought Ottoman occupation with the help of Lawrence of Arabia. As a matter of fact, the badges worn on the headband (agal) and the shoulders, still say “Arab Legion.”

A lot of stylings of the uniform, particularly the chevrons (but maybe even the red sash and tassels), originated from British uniforms (the same could be said of many Middle-eastern and South Asian uniforms).

They were armed with British weapons, and thus used the 303 stripper clips. But the harness and bandolier design may have been borrowed directly from Turkish Mauser bandoliers. So it might be more accurate to call them Turkish or Arab bandoliers.

The distinctive characteristic of most Jordanian bandoliers is the bifurcated snap flap.

Enjoying My Spoils

I got back to the US, where my box was waiting, and kept my uniform pieces stored away for some time.

A couple years later, I wore the uniform for Halloween, and also had my friend take a proper portrait of me in it.

Years later, when I had started my clothing business and was looking for ideas, I decided to make a few copies of the 303 ammo bandolier harness. I thought they were a great post-apocalyptic accessory for attendees of Wasteland Weekend. In some ways, the harness resembled the one wore by Max in Mad Max beyond Thunderdome.

Unfortunately, they weren’t the hit I hoped they would be.

But before quitting, I decided to also make some crossbody 303 ammo bandoliers. They were a simpler design, and there was no more need for all the complications of sizing.

The bandoliers were a hit! They started selling at events, and online, and have become one of the top selling products. I even started making mint tin bandoliers after a customer requested one.

Conclusion

As you can see, I’m not selling bandoliers because I’m into the Lee Enfield rifle, or even firearms or stripper clips. I offer bandoliers because they are connected to my love of history, and culture. The bandoliers represent a blend of world culture, and military history, and fit into my sometimes post-apocalyptic vibe.