Jump to content

How to assemble the M1944 / 1945 Pack


craig_pickrall
 Share

Recommended Posts

are the M45 cargo packs scarce in america today? ppl buying them?they are WWII pattern but all seems to be made in 1951..at least the ones i'v seen here in europe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

craig_pickrall

I have been collecting over 30 years and the M45's with WW2 dates have been hard to find all of that time. I have at least one and maybe more but they have never been easy. There used to be 50's dated everywhere. I have some of those too because I collect Korean era as well. These packs were used by the Army until the late 50's and after that by the National Guard and Reserve.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greg Robinson
I have been collecting over 30 years and the M45's with WW2 dates have been hard to find all of that time. I have at least one and maybe more but they have never been easy. There used to be 50's dated everywhere. I have some of those too because I collect Korean era as well. These packs were used by the Army until the late 50's and after that by the National Guard and Reserve.

 

I think US Army troops used the M45 pack system in Viet Nam up until the mid 1960's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed that 45 dated 45s are hard to find. I have two sets and one is in so-so condition. THat they were used through Korea left few good specimans. But I found unaltered 44s tougher to find as most were altered to 45s. And as far as assembling them as I leave that to my son to do that. I just buy them and put them in a box

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed that 45 dated 45s are hard to find. I have two sets and one is in so-so condition. THat they were used through Korea left few good specimans. But I found unaltered 44s tougher to find as most were altered to 45s. And as far as assembling them as I leave that to my son to do that. I just buy them and put them in a box

 

M45 cargo's dated 1951 were fairly common here in europe in the past years...unaltered M44 cargo's never so!!

ultered combat packs M44 were more common than M45 combats!!!! i think 95% of the M44s modified to the M45 standards after the war...it's hard to find an original M44 in any condition...but the bad news is even the 1951 dated M45 cargo's gradually dissapeared from the market as stocks exausted...in 1 or 2 years time you'll not be able to find any cargo pack of the korean period in a fair price..!!!even good old vietnam M56 staff exausted today...you can easilly find that nylon 70s & 80s ALICE staff today but who cares of that nylon crap....? it is of very low collectability...

 

i think very very soon the prices on the korean war staff will be skyrocketed even with postwar dates

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think US Army troops used the M45 pack system in Viet Nam up until the mid 1960's.

 

No Greg...US troops in vietnam did'n use M45s at least not the regular troops...they'v had enough M56s & the M45 was not compatible system..they may have seen some use by US SF personel during the advisors period but they were prefering WWII/Korea M51 dark OD mountain rucksacks & the then very modern nylon lightweight rucks-but they were in universal use in the ARVN troops even very late in the war untill about 1969-70 i'm talking abt the M45 combat pack bc i'v never seen even an ARVN soldier with a cargo M45....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

"Figure 27.4

 

Connect suspender straps (2) to rear of cartridge belt."

 

It then states that "Be sure that straps (2) are passed through loops 8 when the cartridge belt is not worn.!

 

Question 1 So does it mean that they shouldn't go through loop 8 if the belt is worn?

 

Question 2Also, what is the "best fitting of suspender loops (5)" for a tall person?

 

I found that putting them in the highest suspender loop allows for a much longer strap (2) for the taller person.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been collecting over 30 years and the M45's with WW2 dates have been hard to find all of that time. I have at least one and maybe more but they have never been easy.

Yes, I know only one case when M1945 was manufactured in 1944 (most likely very very late) and it is a product of the J. A. Shoe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I know only one case when M1945 was manufactured in 1944 (most likely very very late) and it is a product of the J. A. Shoe.

 

a 1945 pack maded in 1944? hm....i dont think so gregory...are you sure?does'nt sound logical... i think it was a M1944 modified to the M1945 standards as all the M44s did post war

Link to comment
Share on other sites

a 1945 pack maded in 1944? hm....i dont think so gregory...are you sure?does'nt sound logical... i think it was a M1944 modified to the M1945 standards as all the M44s did post war

Yes, I agree that it may be strange. Just in case I am posting this pack below for the forumers expertise. I would say that majority of M1944s were converted into M1945 very fast and simple with visible marks of former M1944 model. In this case no marks of converting but I respect all other opinions of course.

post-75-1202060745.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I agree that it may be strange. Just in case I am posting this pack below for the forumers expertise. I would say that majority of M1944s were converted into M1945 very fast and simple with visible marks of former M1944 model. In this case no marks of converting but I respect all other opinions of course.

 

a mark of conversion is the tab under the E-Tool helve strap

 

yes it is a former M1944 as i suspected

 

very common conversion gregory

Link to comment
Share on other sites

craig_pickrall

In an attempt to answer some of the questions raised and to give better pics for additional discussion I did more photo work yesterday. I went through my entire grouping of M44 and M45 packs and photographed as many details as possible plus maker marks and dates.

 

The only big surprise I had was that I only had one of the M44 Combat Pack (upper bag) that was modified to M45. From all the discussions I thought I would have more of those. I did not have a modified Cargo Pack (lower bag).

 

I did not see any variations in the Suspenders from 1945 to 1952, the span of dates that I have.

 

I rediscovered the Sleeping Bag carrying straps that we have not discussed to date. These are unmarked and undated. I suspect they are a product of necessity for the cold Korean winters. In the good old days of plentiful surplus at give away prices we used to find these mixed in with huge boxes of the M56 Sleeping Bag Carriers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...