USMC Painted Seabag FMF PAC

An example of how U.S. Marines like to decorate their sea bags. Painted Marine seabags are considered by some USGI collectors to be "the poor mans A2 jacket" because they are much more affordable than the more popular painted bomber jackets used by U.S. aircrews.

USMC Pistol Belts

A couple examples of USMC pistols belts use in the early years and prior to WWII.  These USMC contracted belts do not have the U.S. stamp on the exterior.

Collectors need to exercise extreme caution when buying these belts as most are fakes made out of surplus non-U.S. marked belts intended for lend-lease.

Hopefully these photo will give a feel for what original USMC stamped belts look like:

This only known period photo I know of that actually shows the USMC stamp:

DQP USMC Bandage Pouch

These bandage pouches are a classic USMC items that were manufactured by the USMC Philadelphia Depot prior to and during the early years of WWII.

The pouch on top (and bottom in second photo) is a convincing fake.  The pouch on bottom is a salty original.  I wrote an article on USMF that explains how to determine the most advanced fakes.

DQP .45 USMC Mag Pouch

DQP (USMC Philadelphia Depot) manufactured .45 mag pouches:













The Marine Corps also made use of WWI surplus mag pouches during this era.  These mag pouches are very common surplus items on e-bay and often sold in mint unissued condition, however these two examples have what I feel could be original USMC markings and some honest wear:

1938 Luftwaffe K98k

The rifle was assembled by Mauser Borsigwalde just prior to the outbreak of WWII and has managed to survive in original condition.  This particular rifle has a very uncommon feature; the original matching cleaning rod.

This rifle may have been captured and stashed away at the beginning of the war, or perhaps sat in a flak bunker until it was brought home by an allied soldier.

Rifles marked for the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine were less common than Heer marked examples but also saw extensive action.  German Fallschirmjagers who fell under Luftwaffe supply would have been issued these L marked K98k's.

BYF 44 P-38

A common WWII German pistol in uncommon condition.

When I received this pistol it was wrapped in wax paper, the veteran decided this would be the best method of preservation.  When I unwrapped the pistol, it was in mint condition with not even a hint of rust or pitting.   The German soldiers name is written inside the holster along with the guns serial number.

BYF 44 P-38 Gallery

Nambu Pistol Type 14a

I decided to add a Nambu pistol to my collection in 2012 because of their popularity as a captured war souvenir and bringback of U.S. Marines during WWII.  The Nambu I ended up purchasing was built in 1943 and known as the Nambu Type 14a. My Nambu has survived in almost factory mint condition complete with one of the original numbered magazines.  Compared to the United States, these pistols are much less frequently found in Canada due to very few Pacific war veterans residing here after the war. 

The best single resource for anything Nambu related is Teri's website Nambu World. There's nothing I can say about this pistol that hasn't already been covered on her extensively researched website.

With Teri's permission, I'm happy to have her website added to my link bar!







Cleaning rod: