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M-1967 Modernized Load-Carrying Equipment, 1968-1975


sgtmonroe
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I originally posted these images on another forum. Hopefully some of the others here might have some images to add.

 

M-1967 Modernized Load-Carrying Equipment [MLCE]

In Use, Southeast Asia, 1968-1975

 

Part One

United States Army

 

m1967_03.jpg

 

1969 - Photograph taken by Ronnie R. Edwards of L Company [Ranger], 101st Airborne Division, United States Army circa 1969 of equipment staging in Quang Tri, Vietnam. A M-1967 water canteen cover is visible. It is loaded with 20-round cartridge magazines. The rifles are XM177E1s.

 

005.jpg

 

1969 - Captain William H. Gaylor, commander of Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, Americal Division - 28 August 1969, Hiep Duc Valley, Vietnam - armed with an XM177E1 [with collapsible stock replaced with fixed M16A1 stock] and wearing M-1967 individual equipment belt suspenders. He also has the two-quart canteen and cover.

 

The next four [4] images come from the text "Ranger" by Ron Field.

 

1969_01.jpg

 

1969 - P Company [Ranger], 75th Infantry [Airborne], Quang-Tri Provence, Vietnam, 21 December 1969. On the left is Roy Burke and the right is David Barber. Shorty after this image was taken the helicopter was airborne and under fire. The helicopter crashed killing all aboard except for Larry Smith [pictured below]. Both men have M-1967 MLCE small arms ammunition cases.

 

1969_02.jpg

 

1969 - Larry Smith aboard the same helicopter pictured above. He survived the crash. Pictured is a M-1967 MLCE small arms ammunition case.

 

1970_01.jpg

 

1970 - H Company [Ranger], 75th Infanrty [Airborne], Phouc Vinh, November 1970. Al Rapp applies camouflage face paint to Glen McCrary's face. McCrary is wearing a pair of M-1967 MLCE individual equipment belt suspenders.

 

1970_02.jpg

 

1970 - P Company [Ranger], 75th Infantry [Airborne], near DMZ, 1970. The center Ranger [name unknown] is wearing both M-1967 MLCE individual equipment belt suspenders and small arms ammunition cases.

 

hausmann_71.jpg

 

1971 - Clem Hausman of the 62nd IPCT attached to the 1st Cavalry Division [Airmobile], United States Army in 1971. The M-1967 individual equipment belt suspenders are being worn.

 

miller_taylor_1971.jpg

 

1971 - Miller Taylor, unknown unit, United States Army in 1971. Attached to the rucksack is a M-1967 water canteen cover.

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Part Two

United States Marine Corps

 

saigon1975.jpg

 

1975 - United States Marine atop the U.S. embassy wall in Saigon, 29 April 1975 during Operation Frequent Wind. Visible are the M-1967 small arms ammunition case [30-round] and M-1967 intrenching tool carrier.

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Part Three

United States Navy

 

m1967_seal68.jpg

 

1968 - A U.S. Navy SEAL with Stoner and M-1967 water canteen cover attached to the individual equipment belt. The photograph is credited as being taken in 1968.

 

007.jpg

 

1969-70 - A U.S. Navy SEAL circa 1969-70 with M-1967 individual equipment belt suspenders and M-1967 20-round small arms ammunition case. The rifle is a Colt Model 601.

 

m1967_04.jpg

 

1969-70 - United States Navy SEALs. This image was already captioned when I found it. I do not believe it is 1967! The SEAL on the far left has a pair of M-1967 small arms ammunition cases. Of note is the SEAL second from right [standing] - he is holding a very rare CAR-15 Submachine Gun also known as a Colt Model 607.

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The fourth picture in post 1, Larry Smith, what is the ammo pouch he is wearing? It may just be the angle of the picture but I don't recognize it, the front of both the pouch and cover look rounded rather than squared off and it looks wider than I would expect. Dose any one have one of these pouches that they could post a picture of I would appreciate it.

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Thanks, I guess it was just the angle, it did not appear to have the squared off bottom or the seams in the flap and it looked bigger than the 20 round pouch but upon closed look I guess it dose look right. I thought for a minute there was some thing else I would have to start looking for.

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Now, if you look at the second Navy SEAL image, that small arms ammunition case does look very "squared off" compared to all the other images of the small arms ammunition case.

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Part Three

United States Navy

 

007.jpg

 

1969-70 - A U.S. Navy SEAL circa 1969-70 with M-1967 individual equipment belt suspenders and M-1967 20-round small arms ammunition case. The rifle is a Colt Model 601.

 

This pictured ammo case is a "Case Small Arms Ammunition 30 Rd XM-16E1"

These were available from 1969.

 

Link.

http://www.vietnamgear.com/kit.aspx?kit=114

 

It can be clearly be seen that it isn't a 20 Rd mag pouch, it's too tall.

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Here's another odd rig:

 

ManPack.jpg

 

Not all that uncommon, and it isn't M-1967 gear but M-1956.

M-1967 suspenders had this feature built in and didn't require an adapter to move the butt pack.

 

The SF trooper is using a navigation device and has had to move his Butt pack to the top of the suspenders via the Butt pack adapter straps.

 

Link

http://www.vietnamgear.com/kit.aspx?kit=142

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  • 2 weeks later...
Cool thread! Any pictures of USMC Recon with M1967?

marine recons were using M61 & M56 mixed gear with mostly ARVN packs....not common for marine recons to have army nylon M67 pieces

 

they could'nt put hand to the new army staff that easy...they were allways using older M56 patterns

 

from 1968-69 the army M1956 canteen covers suspenders & ammo pouches were common to most of the marines allways mixed with M61 belts & marines jungle FA pouches

it does'nt seem that they used M56 butt packs-they were happy with their ARVN & the M41s & they kept their M43 E-tool covers till the end...

 

some times you can see quite a few marines with army M1952/M69 flak jackets esspecialy to the battle of hue but it was allways the exeption to the rule

 

for some reason you can see in period pictures very many marines with airborne M1C helmet liners!!! & ERDL cammo uniforms were universal after 1968 to all the marines

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I've got some more images to add and will try and get them posted in the next few days. I am trying to identify the time period on a couple of them. But for now I am adding this one that ended up on another post:

 

Troopers from D Company, 2/8 Cavalry, Xuân Lộc, Dong Nai Province, South Vietnam, 1971. The trooper on the right has a 30-round M-1967 small arms ammunition case.

 

Xuan_Loc_1971.jpg

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Both the following images are of RTO [rank unknown] Peter Guthrie, Charlie Company, 1/9 Cavalry, unknown location in South Vietnam. Date is either late 1969 or early 1970. Both the small arms ammunition cases are M-1967 MLCE.

 

guthrie_01.jpg

 

guthrie_02.jpg

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Both the following images are of RTO [rank unknown] Peter Guthrie, Charlie Company, 1/9 Cavalry, unknown location in South Vietnam. Date is either late 1969 or early 1970. Both the small arms ammunition cases are M-1967 MLCE.

 

guthrie_01.jpg

 

guthrie_02.jpg

and the suspenders too...

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Dave Weeks, L Company [Ranger], 101st Airborne Division. Unknown location in South Vietnam. Date is late 1969 or early 1970 [photograph by Robin Kristiansen]. Weeks is wearing the M-1967 MLCE individual equipment belt suspenders.

 

dweeks.jpg

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looks like the use of the M67 MLCE in late nam was much more common than i thought

 

The question remains with the butt pack.I asked an old dealer of militaria in belgium about the dates of the M67 army contract butt pack & he told me that he'v never seen one dated before 1972 allthough he had for sale & examined along the years thousands of those!! For him the 60s dated M67 is an elusive item also..probably the production of the butt pack delayed a few years so finaly coincidend with the advance of the ALICE gear & not with the older M67...the reason why is probably bc the MLCE was intented strictly for jungle warfare in Nam.You dont see M67 MLCE in germany or allsewere in the early to mid 70s...not even later.. but the large M67 jungle pack was much more usefull in nam than a butt pack so it was no rush for the quick production of the butt pack...you dont see much even the M56 & M62 butt packs in nam after 1965-66 as they proved useless in real combat due to their small capacity.Its size make it ideal as a general purpose ammo bag or a demolition bag but it's way too small to be a real combat pack esspecially for vietnam long marches.In the greek army we had faithfull greek copies of the M62 & it was totally dissapointing as a combat pack...that's why after declared as a "TRAINING PACK.."even when you squeezing the contents you cannot putt inside anything more than 1 pair of socks 1 pair of underwear- british style rectangular mess tins- knife-fork- spoon a very small towel-1 can of pork beef & crackers inside the mess tins.

 

so an explaination may be that very few "if not any" butt pack produced in the 60s bc there was no need for butt packs in nam..

just for the shake of history..Does anyone has ever seen a M67 butt pack even in very poor condition with a readeable date 1968 1969 or 70?

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looks like the use of the M67 MLCE in late nam was much more common than i thought

 

I have to agree. For the longest I really did not think the M-1967 MLCE was even used in Southeast Asia. Most of the older texts I have do not contain images of the equipment being utilized. It was not until I really got into researching the stuff did I start to find images of its use.

 

Rangers Byrd (left) and Wolfiel; L Company (Ranger), 101st Airborne Division, unknown location in South Vietnam; August 1970. Wolfiel has a pair of M-1967 MLCE small arms ammunition cases.

 

wolfiel.jpg

 

I personally have never come across a M-1967 field pack in 20 years of collecting. Here is a list of the other equipment I have or have seen (with contract information):

 

Belt, Individual Equipment

FSN 8465-935-6815 (medium)

FSN 8465-935-6816 (large)

DSA 100-68-C-2566 - no manufacturer listed

Only one known contract is issued for the individual equipment belt in 1968. Most nomenclature and contract information printed on these individual equipment belts is illegible.

 

Carrier, Intrenching Tool

FSN 8465-935-6826

DSA 100-68-C-2833 - no manufacturer listed

DSA 100-69-C-1711 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

DSA 100-70-C-0765 - R T Corporation

DSA 100-71-C-0416 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

DSA 100-74-C-0097 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

I believe there are contracts for 1972 and 1973.

 

Carrier, Sleeping Equipment

FSN 8465-935-6813

DSA 100-68-C-2549 - no manufacturer listed

 

Case, Field First Aid Dressing - Unmounted Magnetic Compass

FSN 8465-935-6814

DSA 100-68-C-2743 - no manufacturer listed

 

Case, Small Arms Ammunition

FSN 8465-935-6780

DSA 100-68-C-2778 - no manufacturer listed

DSA 100-69-C-2177 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

I have a 1970 contract case but everything is illegible.

 

Cover, Water Canteen

FSN 8465-860-0256

DSA 100-68-C-1000 - no manufacturer listed

DSA 100-68-C-1680 - no manufacturer listed

DSA 100-68-C-2766 - no manufacturer listed

DSA 100-69-C-0259 - no manufacturer listed

DSA 100-69-C-1232 - Lake State Manufacturing Corporation

DSA 100-69-C-2050 - Lake State Manufacturing Corporation

DSA 100-70-C-1984 - La Crosse Garment Manufacturing Company

DSA 100-71-C-1156 - E.C.T. Corporation

DSA 100-71-C-1683 - E.C.T. Corporation

DSA 100-72-C-0752 - CBS Enterprises Incorporated

DSA 100-72-C-1281 - CBS Enterprises Incorporated

DSA 100-73-C-0310 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

DSA 100-73-C-0416 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

DSA 100-74-C-0323 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

 

Field Pack

FSN 8465-935-6825

The field pack (also known as a "butt pack") appears to only have a 1968 contract issued, don't know what the contract number is.

 

Suspenders, Individual Equipment Belt

FSN 8465-935-6830

DSA 100-68-C-2823 - no manufacturer listed

 

Case, Small Arms Ammunition

FSN 8465-926-6610

DSA 100-69-C-2799 - Rebmar Incorporated

30-round small arms ammunition case.

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craig_pickrall

The M1967 gear showed up in TM 10-276 AUG, 1970 before it appeared in FM 21-15.

 

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I have to agree. For the longest I really did not think the M-1967 MLCE was even used in Southeast Asia. Most of the older texts I have do not contain images of the equipment being utilized. It was not until I really got into researching the stuff did I start to find images of its use.

 

Rangers Byrd (left) and Wolfiel; L Company (Ranger), 101st Airborne Division, unknown location in South Vietnam; August 1970. Wolfiel has a pair of M-1967 MLCE small arms ammunition cases.

 

wolfiel.jpg

 

I personally have never come across a M-1967 field pack in 20 years of collecting. Here is a list of the other equipment I have or have seen (with contract information):

 

Belt, Individual Equipment

FSN 8465-935-6815 (medium)

FSN 8465-935-6816 (large)

DSA 100-68-C-2566 - no manufacturer listed

Only one known contract is issued for the individual equipment belt in 1968. Most nomenclature and contract information printed on these individual equipment belts is illegible.

 

Carrier, Intrenching Tool

FSN 8465-935-6826

DSA 100-68-C-2833 - no manufacturer listed

DSA 100-69-C-1711 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

DSA 100-70-C-0765 - R T Corporation

DSA 100-71-C-0416 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

DSA 100-74-C-0097 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

I believe there are contracts for 1972 and 1973.

 

Carrier, Sleeping Equipment

FSN 8465-935-6813

DSA 100-68-C-2549 - no manufacturer listed

 

Case, Field First Aid Dressing - Unmounted Magnetic Compass

FSN 8465-935-6814

DSA 100-68-C-2743 - no manufacturer listed

 

Case, Small Arms Ammunition

FSN 8465-935-6780

DSA 100-68-C-2778 - no manufacturer listed

DSA 100-69-C-2177 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

I have a 1970 contract case but everything is illegible.

 

Cover, Water Canteen

FSN 8465-860-0256

DSA 100-68-C-1000 - no manufacturer listed

DSA 100-68-C-1680 - no manufacturer listed

DSA 100-68-C-2766 - no manufacturer listed

DSA 100-69-C-0259 - no manufacturer listed

DSA 100-69-C-1232 - Lake State Manufacturing Corporation

DSA 100-69-C-2050 - Lake State Manufacturing Corporation

DSA 100-70-C-1984 - La Crosse Garment Manufacturing Company

DSA 100-71-C-1156 - E.C.T. Corporation

DSA 100-71-C-1683 - E.C.T. Corporation

DSA 100-72-C-0752 - CBS Enterprises Incorporated

DSA 100-72-C-1281 - CBS Enterprises Incorporated

DSA 100-73-C-0310 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

DSA 100-73-C-0416 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

DSA 100-74-C-0323 - Eastern Canvas Products Incorporated

 

Field Pack

FSN 8465-935-6825

The field pack (also known as a "butt pack") appears to only have a 1968 contract issued, don't know what the contract number is.

 

Suspenders, Individual Equipment Belt

FSN 8465-935-6830

DSA 100-68-C-2823 - no manufacturer listed

 

Case, Small Arms Ammunition

FSN 8465-926-6610

DSA 100-69-C-2799 - Rebmar Incorporated

30-round small arms ammunition case.

so you say you have seen packs with 60s date...so they did'nt start making it in 1972 then... think.gif but we have no foto & the question remains..why all the rest M67 pieces are so common with sharp 60s dated & you can find them all over the place fairly easy while the 60s dated butt pack is so elusive...??? that's not a normal phenomenon...you can only see them dated in 70s & that's make sence to me...if they were some dated 1968 were are they hiden?is it a global conspiracy to hiden all the 1968 dated butt packs??? i dont thinks so :blink: if they were in production why anyone have'nt ever seen one?

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Craig and I, along with a few others, had the same discussion years ago on the old Gunboards forum. A very wise member mentioned something about them being all shipped to Central America.

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Craig and I, along with a few others, had the same discussion years ago on the old Gunboards forum. A very wise member mentioned something about them being all shipped to Central America.

Before the collector starts collecting its good to know if the item ever existed or not existed...there is a more simple & convincing theory abt the M67 butt pack..maybe we collectors dont like it bc we are allways looking for the holly grail...simply they probably produced during 70s...a prototype of the butt pack shown up only to the field manual witch of what i can see is more a nylon copy of the M62 than a M67 as we know it later

 

In the same manual we can see also a large pouch to the same dimensions as the older M1956 probably made for M14 magazines-later this droped as the M14 was no longer the standard service rifle & decided to make 2 different pouches the 20rd short & the 30rd long M16E1

 

belt with Davis buckle...not an issue item as Davis did'nt adopted for nylon M67 belts

 

experimental e-tool cover-adopted later but revised without the bayonet tab & strap

 

sleeping bag carrier in the standard production pattern

 

1st aid pouch in the standard production pattern

 

canteen cover in the standard production pattern

 

experimental suspenders-the issue production model had the back buckles transfered midway to the straps lenght

 

so we have a picture of an experimental butt pack in a photo of experimental pre-production items...that's not a great evidence of its acctual production date & not necessarilly means that this pack produced in 1968 along with the rest pieces of equipment.According to all the evidence & owr collecting experiance the butt pack production delayed for about 4 or 5 years!!! Dont ask me why? i dont know why...till now the oldest date we'v seen in one is the 1970 dated USMC contract witch is part of another equipmet...i love to see a good clear picture of an Army contract dated 1968 69 or 70.. that will be a great evidence & will drop the theory that this pack allthough part of the M67 system as a design never was a real part of this equipment & acctually goes along the ALICE line of equipment.

 

To add to the confusion of what i can see on very later 80s butt packs they are still marked as M1967...so an explaination is that the M1967 is just a pattent date...imdeed patented in 1967 & not produced in 1967 but produced later in 1972

 

we need a myth buster here to bring us a 60s dated butt pack....the theory with the export to the latin america is not convincing...US sent ALL the packs to latin america & not even 1 sample survived to the states!!!????? w00t.gif:blink: why the US government was so desperate to get rid of them?!!! were they so horrible?!!!

 

when we are identifying an item i'm trying not to fall in to my dreams & my obssesions..."and believe me as a collector i have many obsessions to fight"..i'm trying to accept only the logical theories:

 

i can accept that the item was little produced in the 60s & there are not many surviving samples

 

i can accept that its production delayed to the early 70s

 

i can even accept that they exported to latin america-i can accept anything but i cannot accept the crazy fact that we cannot find even one 60s sample!!! that's absolutely impossible for an item that normally produced in thousands of pieces

 

here in the forum there are ppl able to get even ultra rare experimental sets of the XM-M1956 equipment!!!!!!! w00t.gif & we'r all totally unable to find a production piece of a widely produced & distributed set of equipment???????? :blink: something stinx here think.gif

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craig_pickrall
Before the collector starts collecting its good to know if the item ever existed or not existed...there is a more simple & convincing theory abt the M67 butt pack..maybe we collectors dont like it bc we are allways looking for the holly grail...simply they probably produced during 70s...a prototype of the butt pack shown up only to the field manual witch of what i can see is more a nylon copy of the M62 than a M67 as we know it later

 

In the same manual we can see also a large pouch to the same dimensions as the older M1956 probably made for M14 magazines-later this droped as the M14 was no longer the standard service rifle & decided to make 2 different pouches the 20rd short & the 30rd long M16E1

 

belt with Davis buckle...not an issue item as Davis did'nt adopted for nylon M67 belts

 

experimental e-tool cover-adopted later but revised without the bayonet tab & strap

 

sleeping bag carrier in the standard production pattern

 

1st aid pouch in the standard production pattern

 

canteen cover in the standard production pattern

 

experimental suspenders-the issue production model had the back buckles transfered midway to the straps lenght

 

so we have a picture of an experimental butt pack in a photo of experimental pre-production items...that's not a great evidence of its acctual production date & not necessarilly means that this pack produced in 1968 along with the rest pieces of equipment.According to all the evidence & owr collecting experiance the butt pack production delayed for about 4 or 5 years!!! Dont ask me why? i dont know why...till now the oldest date we'v seen in one is the 1970 dated USMC contract witch is part of another equipmet...i love to see a good clear picture of an Army contract dated 1968 69 or 70.. that will be a great evidence & will drop the theory that this pack allthough part of the M67 system as a design never was a real part of this equipment & acctually goes along the ALICE line of equipment.

 

To add to the confusion of what i can see on very later 80s butt packs they are still marked as M1967...so an explaination is that the M1967 is just a pattent date...imdeed patented in 1967 & not produced in 1967 but produced later in 1972

 

we need a myth buster here to bring us a 60s dated butt pack....the theory with the export to the latin america is not convincing...US sent ALL the packs to latin america & not even 1 sample survived to the states!!!????? w00t.gif:blink: why the US government was so desperate to get rid of them?!!! were they so horrible?!!!

 

when we are identifying an item i'm trying not to fall in to my dreams & my obssesions..."and believe me as a collector i have many obsessions to fight"..i'm trying to accept only the logical theories:

 

i can accept that the item was little produced in the 60s & there are not many surviving samples

 

i can accept that its production delayed to the early 70s

 

i can even accept that they exported to latin america-i can accept anything but i cannot accept the crazy fact that we cannot find even one 60s sample!!! that's absolutely impossible for an item that normally produced in thousands of pieces

 

here in the forum there are ppl able to get even ultra rare experimental sets of the XM-M1956 equipment!!!!!!! w00t.gif & we'r all totally unable to find a production piece of a widely produced & distributed set of equipment???????? :blink: something stinx here think.gif

 

 

Sgtmonroe has been gathering gear and data on late Vietnam nylon gear and immediate post war nylon gear for the several years I have known him. I do not know of anyone that knows more about this particular era equipment. If he gives an estimate of the M67 Butt Pack being produced in only 1968 I will believe him. We all have been looking for photo or printed proof for years but so far no luck. Maybe one day.

 

As to the list of comments in the quote above I would like to be sure I understand this correctly. I think this is your personal theory and not necessairly the theory of the collector community at large. Is this correct? I know personally I have been collecting this gear almost from the beginning of production and I don't agree with a lot of your theory.

 

Some of the points I disagree with are as follows:

 

2nd paragraph - They made the magazine pouches in nylon for the M14 magazines. There were versions with and without the side straps for grenades.

 

3rd para - There is photo proof of Davis buckles in use with M67 nylon belts. For one see the manual photos I posted above. I have 11 of these belts and 9 of them have Davis buckles.

 

9th para - The butt pack was not part of the ALICE system. You can not find it in any version of FM 21-15 used during the ALICE period. The 1977 version was the first issue to give the main coverage to ALICE but there was a separate section that covered the older M56 / M67 gear since there was still so much of it in the system. There is no discussion of using the butt pack along with the ALICE pack.

 

10th para - The government does not use patent dates.

 

The only thing I see in your theory is the conclusions you have drawn from photos and data posted by other members of this forum. You have not introduced any new data or photos of your own. Do you have any other documentation for your conclusions? If so, I for one, would love to see them.

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