Is this M-43 original vintage or modern repro?

[dr.raul]

I know this question is a bit off topic (not a flight jacket) but maybe someone can help anyway.
I am looking for an original WW2 era M-43 jacket, a guy is selling a nice one, but I am not an expert to be sure if it's original or a later repro.
Any advice is welcome, here is some pics.
Thank you in advance

 

[Chandler]

The jacket looks too new to be original, and I believe At The Front always uses the Philadelphia QM Depot spec on their tags.

That said, ATF is a great reproduction, so that would be a good purchase at the right price for a knock-around coat.

 

[Chandler]

US WWII M43 Field Jacket

Reproduction WW2 M1943 Field Jacket. This was the ancestor to the better known M65 Jackets. ATF's jackets are copied directly from genuine 1943 dated examples, and are identical to those issued in 1943-45.

www.atthefront.com

Looks like ATF puts the spec tag in the pocket of their M-43 -- and actually has ATF built into the nomenclature.

So I'm not sure what that particular jacket is, it looks awfully clean to be original, but...

 

[dr.raul]

Yes, it seems a bit too much clean to be original, but the ATF jacket as you say has ATF written on the label and is a 370B with beige cloth for pocketing.
This is a 370D with a herringbone cloth in the pocket, and in the ATF M43 identification page they write "Later 370D’s often use OD7 HBT cloth in the pockets".
This jacket has also an OD7 lining instead of the more common OD3, 370E had OD7 lining but I don't now if also some of the later 370D came with this darker lining...

 

[Pilot]

Congrats, its an original… very small size… hence never issued.
The buttons and the button holes are the prove of it.
ATF ( and others ) are different…

in label and make and buttons
Yours is 100% legit.

 

[Chandler]

...but I don't now if also some of the later 370D came with this darker lining...

They did.

Need to look up New England Mackintosh Co.

 

[Chandler]

... hence never issued.

Got (what appears to be) a name stenciled in the lining.

 

[Pilot]

Got (what appears to be) a name stenciled in the lining.

OK, thanks.. I overlooked that part… but still its an original.. the buttons the stiching of the buttons .. and all other details...not ATF like.

 

[dr.raul]

Congrats, its an original… very small size… hence never issued.
The buttons and the button holes are the prove of it.
ATF ( and others ) are different… in label and make and buttons
Yours is 100% legit.

Thank you, that's what I need to understand before buying it. You say it's a very small size but I see a lot of well used 36 on ebay. I still don't have the exact measurements of this but from what I see on ebay a 36R should have a chest around 21-22" and shoulders about 19", I have an M51 Small Short with these measurements and it fits me well (I am 5'9 and 154 pounds)

 

[Happy Hooligan]

it looks original to me.

 

[JonnyCrow]

The jacket looks too new to be original, and I believe At The Front always uses the Philadelphia QM Depot spec on their tags.

That said, ATF is a great reproduction, so that would be a good purchase at the right price for a knock-around coat.

Many original companies too have phila qm d, I think it's a nice original

 

[dr.raul]

I too think it's been issued, it has cuffs a bit frayed

 

[Grant]

Nice original example is great condition!

 

[dr.raul]

At last I bought it for € 130 ($140), it's already in europe so no customs troubles and no high shipping charges for me. I think it's a good price considering the condition.
Thanks to all of you for confirming it's original and for helping me to make a good buy.

 

[M. from Berlin]

original!

 

[JonnyCrow]

At last I bought it for € 130 ($140), it's already in europe so no customs troubles and no high shipping charges for me. I think it's a good price considering the condition.
Thanks to all of you for confirming it's original and for helping me to make a good buy.

Great buy and the deep dark green still I've seen many faded out obviously stored well

 

[Erwin]

Very nice and genuine item dr.raul, congrats!

 

[MauldinFan]

There's something about M43 jackets. Once you have handled a few you can just tell the reproductions even in photos. By the time I saw this thread, others had already confirmed it was original.

I too think it's been issued, it has cuffs a bit frayed

View attachment 110997

Those cuffs frayed if you so much as just looked at them on those originals.
I knew a guy who had one with cutter tags and even that one had light fraying.

 

[Erwin]

Hey MauldinFan,

Indeed it is interesting regarding frayed cuffs edges, the same can be spotted on the m50 jackets. I think that it is related to two factors, a rush in production [in both cases war] and coarse cotton fabric has a tendency for fraying [when the edge of flattened/ironed fabric is exposed to the abbration]. MQ-1 should have potentially the same issues.

 

[dr.raul]

Got the jacket, it's very nice and surely original. I think it was never washed before but as it was a dirty especially on the internal collar and not great smelling I decided to machine wash it (not high temp of course) as I did when I bought my M-51 and M-65. It came out nice, with a bit of general fading that makes it look more attractive and authentical to me, clean and without any bad smell.
But there were two drawbacks, the first one is in the internal collar, where maybe the skin grease left there for decades weakened/damaged the fabric so after washing I found 7-8 small tears (only one was already there when I got it) and of course the fraying on the cuffs increased a bit, and the second drawback was that the small label inside the pocket with dating details discolored/erased and now is unreadable. Maybe if I washed it by hand I could have avoided/reduced the small tears in the collar but I am not sure, but I think that the label would have discolored anyway (at least I still have the pic of it ). I naively believed that the old sturdy cotton would have tolerate well the machine washing like their later "brothers" did. Now I will use a bit of Prym fray check on these small damages and next time (I plan to was it very rarely anyway) I will wash it by hand. Lesson learned.