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Posted: 6/6/2007 10:45:00 AM EDT
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With all of the topics on period correct slings, magazines, bayonets, and the like, I was wondering if anyone is into collecting the period correct gear in general for their retro AR's? If so, what era are you trying to collect from and what have you got? I've been picking up odds and ends since the 70's and I'm now beginning to realize that I've got quite a bit of gear to go with my "new" retro NDS 16A1. |
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I put together a 1st Cavalry Div. impression. It includes 3rd pattern tropical uniform, complete M56 gear, 3/4 collar flak jacket, helmet. Have a couple ERDL poncho liners, too, which I got in the Army in the early '90s!hock.gif I also have a complete 1st Avn. Bgd. crew chief impression which includes 2-piece Nomex flight suit, aircrew body armor (front and rear plates), SPH4 flight helmet, Nomex gloves and RT-10 survival radio, plus the obligatory black Stetson "Cav hat".My XM177E2 clone goes well with both, as my 1st Cav uniform is for a SSgt. (squad or platoon sergeant) and many aircrew used the "shorties" as their personal weapons. |
Sounds good Bones... I've got an assortment of M1956 and M1967 web gear, an ERDL poncho liner, a 1965 ARVN X-frame pack, a couple of Vietnam era M1 steel pots, one with a Mitchell cover and the other with an ERDL. I have a set of 3rd pattern OD ripstops, and an ERDL ripstop top, trousers and boonie (actually 2 boonies). Also a pair of late 60's jungle boots with Panama soles. I just picked up odds and ends, not realizing what I had until I started dating some of it. I never tried to piece together any unit patches or markings though. My M1956 Web gear goes with my M14, and my M1967 I have with my newly built NDS 16A1 clone. Who knew back in the 70's when this stuff was everywhere that it would become collectible! |
Yeah, no kidding! I had a set of M56 gear when I was in high school. I remember piecing it together at the local surplus store. That stuff was a few dollars a piece. Sadly, I lost most of it over the years. Who knew what I would have to spend today to put it all together again. |
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I had a complete outfit - helmet, boots, uniform (ripstop), suspenders, belt, pouches, canteens, binocular and case, buttpack. Wore it only once when we (combat pistol shooting club) did a full on rifle shoot where we advanced forward from six hundred yards and fired at varying distances when given the command to engage. I used a M1A. Very tiring and uncomfortable. Got all the gear years earlier. Posted this in another topic: My memory is a little hazy but when we were college kids: There was a shoe repair outside of Schofield Barracks in the early 1970s. Surplus by the truck load. Literally hundreds of pouches, ponchos and poncho liners, jungle boots, uniforms, slings, web gear - belts and suspenders, canteens and covers - 1 and 2 quart, etc, etc. We were buying pouches for .50 to .75 cents - my friend bought a couple of the M1956 type short cotton canvas pouches for the 20 rounders but we decided that the nylon pouches were cooler looking - both for the 20s and the 30s. But the nylon slings were slippery so we mostly bought the cotton slings. The pistol belts were interesting - there were at least 3 variations - cotton with brass buckles, nylon with brass buckles and nylon with flat sheet aluminum(?) buckles. There were also some white cotton pistol belts - MPs?. I guess the Army was dumping a lot of surplus gear as VN was winding down. Condition of the gear varied from dirty, rotten junk to brand new If I had kept everything I'd have quite a stash of retro gear but of course almost all of it got lost or worn out over the years. As posted by KBL & Bones357 - Who knew this stuff would be worth anything? Edit: Yipes! The binoculars and case were military M16 binoculars - just saw where CMP auctioned off a set for $408. |
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I'm putting together an ARVN set for the period. So far - M1956 web gear, OD poncho, X-frame ruck (ARVN cotton duck), ARVN ERDL and tiger stripes, vibram boots (Bata), steel pot ... last but not least retro 16A1. Working on the XM's. I picked up a few extra X-frame rucks (ARVN). Contact me if you want/need any. |
*GASP* No NDS16A1 lower on there?? 
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I have a complete set of web gear, three original 3rd patter tops. One with 1st Cav patch and CIB, name tape and US Army tape. One that I modified the pockets from the bottom to the sleeves to represent a SOG uniform. One put together with period 1st Division patch and a Korean era 25th combat patch. I also have one green sateen top from an RI in the 60's with all color patches and one from the 28th Infantry Division. I also have an NVA ruck sack and NVA grenade pouch. I have three advisor/duckhunter camo tops, an original Ausi style boonie hat with a Vietnam tab on it, original steel pot with Mitchell cover, an original 173rd Specialists Class A uniform with all patches, ribbons, name badge, CIB, jump wings, and 82nd combat patch. I also have two original Montagnard crossbows with two different style bamboo quivers and fire dried bamboo arrows. I might have more but will have to check to make sure. I am very obsessed with Vietnam and plan to keep adding to the collection, along with all the other 20th Century wars. |
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