Vintage MA-1

[blackrat2]

Good afternoon all
Am just after some info on vintage MA-1’s
Looking into possibly buying one and just if anyone knows much about late 50’s to mid 60’s era
What’s the main differences, filling aside
How do these run length wise? and in terms of sizing does medium fit a 44 or should I be looking at a large
Are there any makers renowned for being better or any maker to be avoided
I just like the idea of something warmer than an A2 but something vintage as opposed to a modern down jacket, any help would be appreciated

 

[JonnyCrow]

I've seen vintage ma-1s, a couple here in Spain, alpha industries mil j 8279f were expensive but I don't know what's a good price for one, looked good though with Scovill zippers

 

[JonnyCrow]

This is one of the ones I saw

 

[JonnyCrow]

 

[JonnyCrow]

 

[JonnyCrow]

There's a question I've always wondered, when did they go to the orange lining?

 

[917_k]

There's a question I've always wondered, when did they go to the orange lining?

The first MA-1 to feature an orange liner was the MIL-J-8279C series, which was introduced around 1961-62 time. At that point they also permanently ditched features like the oxygen mask attachment tab on the chest.

 

[JonnyCrow]

The first MA-1 to feature an orange liner was the MIL-J-8279C series, which was introduced around 1961-62 time. At that point they also permanently ditched features like the oxygen mask attachment tab on the chest.

Any idea why the one I posted doesn't? I think it's eighties, could be wrong

 

[JonnyCrow]

The first MA-1 to feature an orange liner was the MIL-J-8279C series, which was introduced around 1961-62 time. At that point they also permanently ditched features like the oxygen mask attachment tab on the chest.

Didn't Spiewak & sons make one?

 

[JonnyCrow]

Here's a historic jacket with provenance for you http://www.bellsaviation.com/product/22649.html

 

[917_k]

Any idea why the one I posted doesn't? I think it's eighties, could be wrong

It’s a 1987 dated jacket. By that time the MA-1 had been superseded by the CWU-45/P flight jacket, however a number of MIL-J-8279F series MA-1s were made for ground crews, hence the green liner.

Re. Spiewak, no I don’t believe they ever made actual Air Force issue jackets. Might have produced something for the civilian market.

 

[JonnyCrow]

It’s a 1987 dated jacket. By that time the MA-1 had been superseded by the CWU-45/P flight jacket, however a number of MIL-J-8279F series MA-1s were made for ground crews, hence the green liner.

Re. Spiewak, no I don’t believe they ever made actual Air Force issue jackets. Might have produced something for the civilian market.

Mm strange on Spiewak then, and this label?

 

[917_k]

Good afternoon all
Am just after some info on vintage MA-1’s
Looking into possibly buying one and just if anyone knows much about late 50’s to mid 60’s era
What’s the main differences, filling aside
How do these run length wise? and in terms of sizing does medium fit a 44 or should I be looking at a large
Are there any makers renowned for being better or any maker to be avoided
I just like the idea of something warmer than an A2 but something vintage as opposed to a modern down jacket, any help would be appreciated

I can’t comment on sizing, but you can’t go wrong with a late 50s-60s MA-1. They’re much better made and with thicker lining than any of the modern repros. The earlier MIL-J-8279-MIL-J-8279B series are a lot harder to find, so you’ll probably want to go with a MIL-J-8279C series, when they switched to the orange liner.

 

[JonnyCrow]

Civilian jacket?

 

[JonnyCrow]

Another Spiewak with decal, are all these civilian made jackets? It's ok I'm just educating myself haha

 

[JonnyCrow]

 

[917_k]

Yep, that looks like a civi jacket, as is the previous Spiewak tag you posted. The Spiewak tag says ‘type MIL-J-8279E-(AF)’, the AF being Air Force, which wouldn’t be present on an actual issued Air Force jacket. Furthermore, that particular jacket is blue, MA-1s were never blue (I just googled that jacket).

 

[Adama36]

Good afternoon all
Am just after some info on vintage MA-1’s
Looking into possibly buying one and just if anyone knows much about late 50’s to mid 60’s era
What’s the main differences, filling aside
How do these run length wise? and in terms of sizing does medium fit a 44 or should I be looking at a large
Are there any makers renowned for being better or any maker to be avoided
I just like the idea of something warmer than an A2 but something vintage as opposed to a modern down jacket, any help would be appreciated

originals are nice but notoriously short
I have one from 1963 in size XL and the length is probably about 25 or 26 inches

 

[917_k]

Yep, that’s civi. It’s at least partially based on an early MIL-J-8279A series, but the tag is pure fiction ‘property US Army Air Force’ - the Air Force became a separate branch in 1947, well before the MA-1.

 

[JonnyCrow]

Yep, that looks like a civi jacket, as is the previous Spiewak tag you posted. The Spiewak tag says ‘type MIL-J-8279E-(AF)’, the AF being Air Force, which wouldn’t be present on an actual issued Air Force jacket. Furthermore, that particular jacket is blue, MA-1s were never blue (I just googled that jacket).

Cheers, like I said earlier, little knowledge on nylon jackets but I'll always bow to guys like you who do and further my interest