Unusual Marksman Badge

[Rifleman]

A friend of mine brought this to me today for me to identify.I know it's a Marksman Badge,but it looks and feels like it's made of lead.It is very soft and bends very easy.Also the pin on the back is unknown to me.It's made of brass and is very crude.The bar is made of the same.My guess is foriegn made,possibly British made.Anybody have one or know anything about them?

[gunbunnyB/3/75FA]

kinda reminds me of some of those toys that were made in the early 70's

[Brig]

It is lead

 

Late in the war, when brass was place on the restricted metals list for need in munition production, as well as a lot of other metals, lead was used to make insignias as an economy measure

[Steve B.]

A lot of these so-called "econo-lead" pieces were made throughout the U.S. and possibly overseas. I am not convinced that these were made by officially-authorized suppliers. My belief is that these were made by the smaller companies and even Mom-and-Pop shops that spring up outside military bases everywhere.

 

I have seen some that are pretty nice looking, but most of them are very crude and look like they were made in someone's garage. Fasteners come in all shapes & sizes, some even being actual safety pins cast into the lead.

 

I believe that these are most likely from stateside manufacturers and were sold to soldiers who had not been overseas. A lot of uniforms worn home from overseas don't have marksmanship badges at all. I tend to think that the soldiers just cared about getting home, not about wearing every badge & ribbon they were authorized. Marksmanship badges are at the bottom of that heap. CIBs, CMBs and wings of all types were almost always worn, ribbons were almost always worn, but marksmanship badges not so much.

[Rifleman]

Thanks to all,I appreciate the info.

[Terry K.]

I have and have had many of these and most of the ones I got from the vet myself were from GI's that were in CBI. My have been made elsewhere but I think maybe India or China myself.

[teufelhunde.ret]

A lot of these so-called "econo-lead" pieces were made throughout the U.S. and possibly overseas. I am not convinced that these were made by officially-authorized suppliers. My belief is that these were made by the smaller companies and even Mom-and-Pop shops that spring up outside military bases everywhere.

 

I have seen some that are pretty nice looking, but most of them are very crude and look like they were made in someone's garage. Fasteners come in all shapes & sizes, some even being actual safety pins cast into the lead.

 

I believe that these are most likely from stateside manufacturers and were sold to soldiers who had not been overseas. A lot of uniforms worn home from overseas don't have marksmanship badges at all. I tend to think that the soldiers just cared about getting home, not about wearing every badge & ribbon they were authorized. Marksmanship badges are at the bottom of that heap. CIBs, CMBs and wings of all types were almost always worn, ribbons were almost always worn, but marksmanship badges not so much.

Spot-on!

[Brig]

I've owned dozens of lead USMC insignia...marksmanship badges, EGA's, sweetheart...and from the sources and my experience, lead was indeed heavily produced in the US