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Buzz M-43 Field Jacket

asiamiles

Well-Known Member
Just taken receipt of this Buzz M-43. I've never owned an original or repro of this Field Jacket before so wasn't quite sure what to expect.

One thing I personally don't particularly care for is the buttons, which is something I'd never really noticed before as one usually sees these jackets buttoned up.

The other is something that I'm not sure applies to all M-43's or just this Buzz repro, and that's the front side seam and the lining being slightly shorter than the outer shell, which as you can see makes the jacket bunch up and sit rather awkwardly, mainly at the side. This doesn't seem to be a flaw, but has been deliberately done this way. Were originals also made like this?

Otherwise it seems to be a nicely made jacket, with the patches adding a bit of welcome colour. It can only have been worn a handful of times if at all.

m431_zps36thhy6e.jpg

m434_zpsyzsq06hs.jpg
 

a2jacketpatches

Active Member
Nice jacket looks the part, not sure about that bunching up on the bottom sides but it doesn't look right. You might try the M-51. It's my favorite with a zipper and no internal hood bulking up the neck area. Picked up a lightly faded original Large a few months back in super condition, no holes, stains, or damage. The guy is a fellow picker at the swap meet so I stole it for 10 bucks. Plenty in your size about 50 bucks on Ebay. Haven't got around to it yet but I have some larger size 1950's Patches of my unit 42nd Bomb Wing SAC for it.



 

watchmanjimg

Well-Known Member
Both the repro and original shown here look great. I'm not sure why Buzz implemented the bunching at the waist as it's incorrect per originals, but in my view it doesn't spoil an otherwise nice item.
 

Peter Graham

Well-Known Member
Miles, I hope you didn't pay much for it as good originals are still available for $25 to $100 depending on size. I think the M-43 is the poorest design of the M-43, 51, 65 progression, which is logical as it's the first. The patches don't make sense. I think the pocket is 17th Airborne and the sleeve is Army Air Force. I'd sell that mate.
 

asiamiles

Well-Known Member
Peter Graham said:
Miles, I hope you didn't pay much for it as good originals are still available for $25 to $100 depending on size. I think the M-43 is the poorest design of the M-43, 51, 65 progression, which is logical as it's the first. The patches don't make sense. I think the pocket is 17th Airborne and the sleeve is Army Air Force. I'd sell that mate.
Peter, the patch on the pocket is a Troop Carrier Command one, so there's no issue with that.

None of the other repro's seem to bunch up like that, but some originals do look like that in photos, and I wonder if that might be caused by shrinkage of the lining, and Buzz has mistakenly copied a used original where this has occurred? On second throughts, no; the extra material must be intended to allow room for things to be put in the pockets without the outer becoming too stretched. Would like to see good pics of an original to compare though.
 

Monsoon

Well-Known Member
That bunching reminds me of my M65 when I had the lower drawstring adjusted, but I know the M43 doesn't have that.
 

asiamiles

Well-Known Member
It doesn't seem to occur on other repro's but maybe Buzz got it right? The bunching on this original looks pretty
similar to the Buzz.

36Rb.jpg

36Rc.jpg
 

asiamiles

Well-Known Member
Here's the ATF M-43, which you can see is quite different to the Buzz, though there is a hint of bunching bottom right. Of course, that original M-43 is not new and unworn.

atfm43_zpsdyppca6u.jpg
 

watchmanjimg

Well-Known Member
The original and ATF jackets simply aren't lying perfectly flat in the pictures. I have several M43s in my collection and there's no bunching around the bottom hem. As Monsoon points out the M65 has an elastic drawstring that creates such an effect. Perhaps this inspired Buzz to engage in bit of artistic license.
 
BTW - Cockpit's M-43 Field Jacket

I recently got a Cockpit M-43 repro, and I was thrilled that they offered it in black, 'cause OD isn't really my thing. I like the jacket, but it's an awfully inaccurate reproduction: the fabric seems too thin, it isn't fully lined (and it's got images/text inside the back about some Navy event totally unrelated to this jacket), and most frustratingly, there's only one button on each sleeve. I had to move them in to keep the too-long sleeves from going past my wrists.

I do like wearing it, and it was a good deal - $99 on sale, pretty good for an American-made jacket these days. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Cockpit is way off on the details. I figured I'd post this in case anybody else is tempted by these M-43s... Essentially, they're okay wearers, but poor repros.
 

asiamiles

Well-Known Member
Re: BTW - Cockpit's M-43 Field Jacket

Doctor Strange said:
I recently got a Cockpit M-43 repro, and I was thrilled that they offered it in black, 'cause OD isn't really my thing. I like the jacket, but it's an awfully inaccurate reproduction: the fabric seems too thin, it isn't fully lined (and it's got images/text inside the back about some Navy event totally unrelated to this jacket), and most frustratingly, there's only one button on each sleeve. I had to move them in to keep the too-long sleeves from going past my wrists.

I do like wearing it, and it was a good deal - $99 on sale, pretty good for an American-made jacket these days. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Cockpit is way off on the details. I figured I'd post this in case anybody else is tempted by these M-43s... Essentially, they're okay wearers, but poor repros.
Buzz do a black M-43 as part of their William Gibson line. Identical to a normal M-43 except slightly slimmer, I believe. Looking at pics online it doesn't seem to have the bunching issue that the regular version has.
 

EmergencyIan

Active Member
I'm very late to the "party" here, but I just saw the thread. For what it's worth, I have owned three original M-43 field jackets (still own two of them). There was never an issue with any of them bunching up at the lower side seams.

One is a Pattern B and was manufactured on March 2, 1945. The other in has two dates on it October 11, 1943 and a manufacture date of November 16, 1943. There is a pattern stamp on the contract tag that is slightly smudged so I can't read the letter.

- Ian

PS. If you guys are so inclined, go with originals. You can, often, find them in quite a few sizes on eBay, in excellent condition at very reasonable prices. I would get about a size smaller than you would typically wear in a suit jacket, for example. If you're not planning on layering underneath it, at all (other than a t-shirt and shirt) you could probably get away with going down two sizes.
 

asiamiles

Well-Known Member
EmergencyIan said:
I'm very late to the "party" here, but I just saw the thread. For what it's worth, I have owned three original M-43 field jackets (still own two of them). There was never an issue with any of them bunching up at the lower side seams.

One is a Pattern B and was manufactured on March 2, 1945. The other in has two dates on it October 11, 1943 and a manufacture date of November 16, 1943. There is a pattern stamp on the contract tag that is slightly smudged so I can't read the letter.
Thanks for your input...never too late. I now always take notice when I see originals in films and old photos, and I've noticed a small proportion do seem to bunch up, presumably caused by shrinkage of the lining - and as the Buzz jacket comes pre-washed, maybe this has already occured here - perhaps an issue associated only with jackets supplied by a particular maker. Could this be one reason why the M-65 did not have the lining sewn to the outer shell at the bottom, though I think I read it was mainly to allow for quicker drying?
 

EmergencyIan

Active Member
asiamiles said:
EmergencyIan said:
I'm very late to the "party" here, but I just saw the thread. For what it's worth, I have owned three original M-43 field jackets (still own two of them). There was never an issue with any of them bunching up at the lower side seams.

One is a Pattern B and was manufactured on March 2, 1945. The other in has two dates on it October 11, 1943 and a manufacture date of November 16, 1943. There is a pattern stamp on the contract tag that is slightly smudged so I can't read the letter.
Thanks for your input...never too late. I now always take notice when I see originals in films and old photos, and I've noticed a small proportion do seem to bunch up, presumably caused by shrinkage of the lining - and as the Buzz jacket comes pre-washed, maybe this has already occured here - perhaps an issue associated only with jackets supplied by a particular maker. Could this be one reason why the M-65 did not have the lining sewn to the outer shell at the bottom, though I think I read it was mainly to allow for quicker drying?

You may be onto something as far as "washing" goes. Both of the M-43 jackets that I own, have never seen a washing machine. I'm not sure if the first one I owned had ever been in a washing machine. The two that I currently own were in unissued NOS condition when I purchased them and have only been dry cleaned. Then again, it could be an issue with a particular or certain manufactures. It seems like quite a few companies were contracted to manufacture the M-1943 field jacket. If that's the case, it's possible that Buzz Rickson picked out an example from one of those manufactures.

- Ian
 
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