The new modern 1874 was a great improvement on the M1872 but still retained the 1872 pattern brass buckle bearing the letters U.S. The belt had two brass slides with loops on the bottom of the detachable sabre slings, this had come about as there had been questions with aboard on whether the sabre had any use in fighting the Indians so the sabre slings were designed to be detached from the sabre belt and attached to the pommel and cantle rings on the saddle.
