gear vietnam Original U.S. Vietnam War M-56 Gear Set

gear vietnam Original U.S. Vietnam War M-56 Gear SetOriginal Items. Only One set available. This is a great Vietnam War era gear belt rig set consisting of several scarce pieces of Vietnam field gear. The set includes: Vietnam War M 56 Pistol Belt. The pistol belt was originally issued in 1956 with a horizontal weave body (left to right). There is no documentation that I have seen that proves the date for the authorization for vertical wave belts, but it is safe to assume that this change occurred with

Original Items. Only One set available. This is a great Vietnam War era gear belt rig set consisting of several scarce pieces of Vietnam field gear.

The set includes:

-Vietnam War M-56 Pistol Belt. The pistol belt was originally issued in 1956 with a horizontal weave body (left to right). There is no documentation that I have seen that proves the date for the authorization for vertical wave belts, but it is safe to assume that this change occurred with the revisions of 1961 as there are vertical weave (up and down) belts that are dated 1962 and photo documentation of them being used pre-65/66. The horizontal weave belts were made in conjunction with the vertical up to about 65, likely as a result of pre-existing contracts being filled. In 65/66 they also began producing belts with the Trapezoid shaped "Davis buckle." These buckles never fully replaced the standard ball fastener system, but seem to be made in limited numbers throughout the mid to late 60's.
-Vietnam War M-56 Suspenders. The suspenders originally had simple wire buckles on each strap. These are referred to as "4-wire" suspenders and lack the snaps of later suspenders. In 61 specs were changed to make the front hooks out of aluminum and the rear hooks became the standard gated snap. You see these changes in the 1963 production year. A later change in the suspenders was the use of nylon for the underneath padding of the suspender body. These suspenders are typically early 70's production.
-3 Vietnam War M-56 Universal Small Arms Ammo Pouches. The original pouches were produced with a stiffener in the front of the pouch and the closure toggle has a grommet in the end. In 1961 the specs were changed to drop the stiffener and the grommet. The Pouch, Ammunition, M-16A1 Rifle is an interesting side experiment of the M-56 ammo pouch that was produced for about 6 months from late 67 into early 68. These are commonly referred to as "short" M-56 ammo pouches as they look identical to the M-56 pouch except that they are shorter to accommodate the 20rd M16 magazine. The short production time is due to the fact that the M-67 nylon ammo pouch was introduced into production and replaced it.
-2 Vietnam War 1qt Canteens with M-56 Canteen Covers. The 1qt canteen in 1956 was essentially the same metal body with plastic cap carried throughout WWII and Korea. In 1962, the plastic 1qt canteens were designed and began limited production in 63 on a larger scale. However, it is not until the mid-60's that they become the most common style. The M-56 Canteen Cover was issued without major changes from 1956 through 1966. During this period, there was a transition from a felted insulation lining to a synthetic fleece lining.The only cosmetic exterior change occurred in 1967. At this time the trim around the canteen cover flaps was changed from cotton to a nylon trim.
-Vietnam War M-56 / M-61 Individual Field Pack. The "buttpack" was originally a square design with no liner. In 1961 the pack was revised to be larger and it had the addition of the rubber throat in the liner.
-Vietnam War Fulton MX991/U Flashlight (aka GI Flashlight, Army flashlight, or Moonbeam). This is a right-angle-head flashlight developed from the TL-122 military flashlight series of 1937-1944 and is a development of the MX-99/U flashlight issued in 1963. Produced since the Vietnam era, the MX-991/U has been made by various contractors over the years, including GT Price, Bright Star, and Fulton Industries. MX-991/U flashlights currently issued to the United States Army and United States Marines are produced by Fulton Industries.
-Vietnam War M1911 Ammunition magazine pouch. Great shape marked 03 on inside with verdigris on metal fittings.

This is a great pistol belt rig set ready for further research and display on your Vietnam GI mannequin!