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Posted: 3/27/2006 12:34:42 PM EDT
| I just purchased a .223 Vietnam era cleaning kit on ebay and I was wondering if any of you ever had one of these. It consists of an OD green pouch with two separate velcro closure pockets. One of the pockets is very shallow and runs the length of the pouch. The other pocket is the size of the pouch. The pouch also has a wrap-over flap with three snaps to secure the velcro closures. The pouch has an attachment for a web belt so that it can be carried as field gear. Attachments include: four piece metal rod w/T handle; bore brush; two barrel brushes; metal patch attachment; two allen wrenches; ten white pipe cleaner type cleaning sticks; an OD bottle of gun oil - only words I can make out on bottle are "oil" and "medium"; square patches; and last but not least is a brush two different bristles on each end. This kit has barely been used, the brushes look new. I guess time has rubbed the writing off of the oil bottle. I purchased this kit to clean my AR15, but since receiving it I almost hate to use it. Official stamp on bag says: CASE, MAINT. EQUIP., M16A1 RIFLE INDUSTRY FOR THE BLIND. On the front side of bag is stamped: U.S. Would you consider this bag a collector's item? Thanks for you opinions and thoughts on this. |
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Hi Sarge, the stamp is somewhat weak and it is difficult to make out but this is what it looks like to best of my judgement: CASE, MAINT. EQUIP., M16A1 RIFLE DLA-10084F-EDIT 8465-00-781-9564 INDUSTRIES FOR THE BLIND On the front side of the kit are simply the letters: US I'm trying to contact the seller now to gain more info. Thanks. |
| They are not worth much at all. The army has millions of them. I have at least ten of them around the house. mostly just the cases. I would lose the components when I left them in the stock and turned the rifle back into the arms room... I don't know why the armors love to take the cleaning kits out of the rifles.. then you wouldn't have one when you needed it... |
If the armorer left the cleaning kit it the butstock that would take all the fun out of weapons cleaning! Everyone loves digging through an old ammo crate full of old cleaning rod sections, trying to find enough serviceable sections to put together a decent cleaning rod! 
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Don't think so. Velcro was not even "invented" at the time of the Vietnam war. These kits are very common and can be had at any mulitude of places such as gunshows, surplus stores, etc. They are not collectors items and most can be had for $15 or so, depending on condition and how many of the parts are with them. BTW, do NOT use those jointed cleaning rods on your rifle unless you want to booger it up. Dinging a muzzle crown is about all they are good for. |
| The Army is switching to the Otis kit but the old kit has worked just fine for the past 40 years. I wouldn't worry about the metal rod in the chrome plated USGI barrel. For those intrested there have been 5 versions of the m16 USGI cleaning rod. The first 3 were three piece and the last two are the current size. |
A one piece cleaning rod is far superior to a jointed cleaning rod. In a SHTF scenario, sure use the jointed one. But, for a far lesser chance of damaging the muzzle crown a one piece is far better. |
| I'm with you QUIBB, seriously......I have a stockpile of cleaning supplies all wadded up in a section of my gun cabinet. I have some cleaning rags and cloths that I have been using for some 45 years. There's nothing like the smell of those old rags with all that old bore cleaner, oil, solvent and whatever else has collected on them over the years. My wife can tell immediately when I'm cleaning guns, just from the smell in the house. Better aroma than coffee. |
Actually Velcro was invented in 1948, but it was called Hook and Loop back then, still is really. I have a VN dated Jungle Ruck with a velcro map conpartment. |
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