ID These Field Pants

[Celduin]

Came home with a bargain bin stuffed mostly with Korea- and VN-era khaki dress shirts in my size. The best part was that everything was $2 each. Lurking at the bottom of the pile were two identical pairs of these field pants that I've never seen before:

 

 

Storage wrinkles aside, these are stone mint unissued. They even have that unmistakable NOS surplus smell still lingering about. Size is S-Reg, for those who are interested. The cut is absolutely identical to that on my 1973 OD M65 field pants, whose sheer baggy ugliness belies my intense like for them, though these are in a khaki / tan shade vaguely reminiscent of Luftwaffe Afrikakorps uniforms.

 

 

Again, an identical cut to the OD M65.

 

 

[Celduin]

 

Size tag and stock No. for those who are interested.

 

 

Another tag, this time with maintenance info. Date of contract is FY 1976. The interior has all the button attachments for M1951 trouser suspenders, not to mention the small compass-sized pouch / pocket characteristic of M65s.

[Celduin]

 

All the pockets are closed with press studs. Personally, I think the later BDUs and ACUs should have retained this excellent feature. The cargo pockets lack the VN-era interior pouch for the jungle survival kit, but these have the "airborne" tie-down straps.

 

Anyways, were these trial desert uniforms pending the adoption of the DBDU? FBI? Forest Service? Imperial Iranian contract that never made it over there?

 

Are these tan M65s rare and / or desirable at all? Lastly, will I be putting my dollar bills to the flame if I use this set as neutral-color hiking pants to not alarm the REI sheeple?

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

 

[B229]

Imperial Iranian contract that never made it over there?

 

Yes. Or foreign military sales contract to another Middle Eastern country. Some of this stuff was floating around the surplus market back in the 1980's.

[chief_919]

Those were made for the Saudi Arabian Army under a 1970's military aid contract- hence the U.S. NSN.

 

Here is a screenshot on the NSN Data

 

[Celduin]

That's some spot-on research, Chief. My initial lookup of the NSN did not yield anything meaningful, but I'm glad yours did.

 

I'll keep the other pair in my closet and use this one for outdoor activities. I really wonder why the modern military hasn't returned to the convenient pocket snaps on the M65. IMO, 3rd pattern jungle trousers + M65 slash pockets + M65 snaps and zipper + OD color = full of win.

[B229]

I really wonder why the modern military hasn't returned to the convenient pocket snaps on the M65. IMO, 3rd pattern jungle trousers + M65 slash pockets + M65 snaps and zipper + OD color = full of win.

 

Snaps and zippers are difficult, if not impossible, to repair in the field. They fill with dirt easily, freeze up in cold weather and are difficult to manipulate with cold hands. Buttons are simple and work even if it's cold and wet, and any GI can fix them with a pocket sewing kit.