HELP what is this vest ????????

Ebay find , have no idea what it is .

It is the same front and back , three pockets that seem to be for High Cap mags of the 7.62 Nato variety , they are big deep pockets .

If it helps , the back of the clips are marked "rapco" "brevete" with part numbers , French ???? Spanish ?????

That looks like French canvas and metal hardware. Or at least it's very similar to their stuff. "Brevete" is French for "Patent", which seems to lend credibility to the theory this is French. But it's nothing I've seen, so I can't say for sure what it is.

My blindman's guess is that this is a vest for a MAC Mod. 1924/29 light machine gunner. The pouches look about the correct size for those mags. It was the standard LMG of the French Army for the 2nd quarter of the 20th Century. It was also the time when the French were using this sort of canvas and metal equipment.

Steve

CollectinSteve wrote:That looks like French canvas and metal hardware. Or at least it's very similar to their stuff. "Brevete" is French for "Patent", which seems to lend credibility to the theory this is French. But it's nothing I've seen, so I can't say for sure what it is.

My blindman's guess is that this is a vest for a MAC Mod. 1924/29 light machine gunner. The pouches look about the correct size for those mags. It was the standard LMG of the French Army for the 2nd quarter of the 20th Century. It was also the time when the French were using this sort of canvas and metal equipment.

Steve

Do you mean 2nd half? This doesn't look WWII era...
Andrew

CollectinSteve is right - it's French. Material and construction is exactly the same as their 'TAP 1950' webbing. 'Rapco' is the French manufacturer which made some items of this set (the front fastening on the pistol belt of the 1950 set is often known as the 'Rapco' buckle).
The 1950 set saw use right up till the early 1980's when the French adopted the 5.56mm FAMAS bullpup assault rifle.

I don't know if the vest saw service - I have never seen pictures of French soldiers of the time (or since) wearing this vest and there have been plentiful examples on the surplus market for a number of years.

Thanks Guys !! French it is !! I will see now if I can find some pics of it being used .

Nah, I meant 2nd Quarter It was in frontline use with French forces for WW2 through Indochina. It was replaced with the belt fed AAT M.1952, though I'm sure it took many years for the transition to be complete. Countries are generally very reluctant to ditch old weaponry, either due to cost, manufacturing delays, reserves, niche rolls, etc.

It's definitely an interesting vest that I have also never seen a picture of. Not that I've seen thousands of combat pics of French troops, so that doesn't mean much. I could be one of those things which was made and issued but not generally used.

I'm always happy when my stabs in the dark appear to be correct

Steve

CollectinSteve wrote:Nah, I meant 2nd Quarter It was in frontline use with French forces for WW2 through Indochina. It was replaced with the belt fed AAT M.1952, though I'm sure it took many years for the transition to be complete. Countries are generally very reluctant to ditch old weaponry, either due to cost, manufacturing delays, reserves, niche rolls, etc.

It's definitely an interesting vest that I have also never seen a picture of. Not that I've seen thousands of combat pics of French troops, so that doesn't mean much. I could be one of those things which was made and issued but not generally used.

I'm always happy when my stabs in the dark appear to be correct

Steve

I stand corrected.
Andrew

I got this reply on Whermact awards:

Hello:
This writer served two tours of duty in Vietnam (1951-53 and 1954-56) including as chef de groupe fusileur-voltigeur which was equipped with a FM24/29. We certainly had no such vest in inventory nor have I ever seen such one worn by any FM 24/29 gunner or assistant(s) . My personal observation included many French units of different affiliation (FFL, colonial troups or Vietnamese units) with which my parent unit (2.Groupement Amphibie of the !er REC) operated.
So to me it seems rather remote to find any kind of photographic evidence of this vest in wear.

Good info, and not surprising. Reinforces the notion this was either a failed experimental item or it was for export along with the Model 24/29 LMG.

Steve

Vest looks familiar, did you get that in Ebay? From a Philippine seller?

it was ebay from a U.S. seller , I think it was $16 shipped.