Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/929822
1990-contracted Small Arms Ammunition Case (made in 1991) The 12.5 oz. CG483 nylon had a specific grayish shade. Final version of CG483 Small Arms Ammunition Case Early version of OG106 Small Arms Ammunition Case M1967 Cover, Water Canteen in 1973- 1975 variant, included in early ALICE. belts were changed to 8465-01-120-0675 (Large) and 8465-01- 120-0674 (Medium). The first test belts had olive-green buckles, while the belts from the serial production had gray buckles. LC-2 belts with QR buckles were produced until 1990. The last contract (DLA100-90-F-EA68) was awarded on 11 January 1989. Belts were not produced within 1985–1987. Belts with a modified adjustment and a Fastex buckle On 29 June 1990, a new belt with modified adjustment system was standardized. NSNs were changed to 8465-01-322- 1965 (Medium) and 8465-01-322-1966 (Large). From that point on, the length of the belt was adjusted by using two adjustment buckles near the belt buckle, which had a slide and bands with a snap at each end of the belt. It allowed for even smoother adjustment since it there was no need to arrange the adjustment buckles, fas- tening buckles, loops, and slides, which at times could be simply in- convenient. The belts still had a gray QR buckle. They were produced in such version only for a short time in 1991. Still in 1991, the gray plastic QR buckle was replaced with a black Fastex buckle, but the NSN remained unchanged. In 1996, the MIL- SPEC for 2.25" webbing was changed and the color of the belts was changed from OD7 to CG483. In 2004, belts in color Foliage Green were produced (without changing the NSN) under SPO100- 03-D-EA59-0004 contract. The belts were mainly intended for Drill Instructors or for various ceremonies for use with new Army Com- bat Uniforms in Universal Camouflage Pattern. The latest LC-2 belts were ordered on 9 March 2017 under SPE1C1-17-D-B006 contract and should be supplied by 26 October 2017. Suspenders, Individual Equipment Belt ALICE Suspenders, Individual Equipment Belt, LC-1 were standardized on 24 September 1972 under FSN 8465-001-6471. The suspenders were described in MIL-S-43829. The main part of shoulder harness was made from one piece of 2.25" OD7 nylon web- bing band formed in the shape of letter "V" (with a proper clip cover in the back part, which covered the folds). The front straps and rear strap were 1" OD7 nylon webbing. Shoulder pads were made from a padded plastic spacer mesh closed in 4 oz. OG106 nylon "envelope". The length of straps could be adjusted with standard non-slip buck- les, while the elastic bands on them could be used to secure the excess fragments. The suspenders were attached to the belt with brass, blackened snap hooks. The outer part of the suspender arms had additional horizontal strap to attach a dressing case or a flash- light. Below them, there were D-rings to clip the stabilization straps of older types of magazine pouches. First run of suspenders was manufactured in 1974 under the LC-1 designation. What is inter- esting, the suspenders from one contract from 1980 were marked M1972 (error caused by the chaos in the documentation). Since 1975, suspenders had been assigned NSN 8465-00-001-6471. Already at the beginning of the use, there were problems with du- rability of the snap hooks (they broke off). The Snap Hook for Load Carrying Equipment was patented by four employees of Natick Labs in 1965 (one of which was Eldon C. Metzger, the future pro- ject manager of LINCLOE). In the case of ALICE suspend- ers, the snap hooks were more exposed to higher loads than in LLCE, where snap hooks were used for the first time, because the additional straps stabilizing the magazine pouches were removed and their whole weight was shifted directly to the snap hooks. In 1976, a new version of the snap hooks was proposed (made of steel). Tests proved that the new snap hooks could allow increasing the load from 80 to 100 kg, which was a satisfying result. Con- www.fragoutmag.com