willysmjeeps.com

Related to the rifle rack discussion down the page.

I read where various pieces of equipment were sourced from
different suppliers as well as different times and it is not
only acceptable but desired in a Class restoration to have
non-matching shades of OD.

Was wondering specifically about the rifle rack. All of the ones
I've seen for sale appear to be in "original" condition,
with perhaps some level of touch up paint. Most of the
webbing appears WWII vintage even where the paint may be in
better shape. However, that may just be time in the weather.

My question is since virtually no racks installed on the M38's
were built circa 1950 and were takeoffs from WWII vintage
vehicles would they in most cases be WWII era paint, not
late 40's semi gloss?

Would they have repainted and re-webbed them to install
on the M38's or just grabbed them out of the pile and bolted
them on? So should they be the flat, older OD?

I believe if you look hard enough you will find an NOS rifle carrier that comes in a wrapper dated much later than WWII.

Rifle carriers were installed in the field and would have been installed primarily in front line operated jeeps. They were stored new & used in the supply system. When a jeep needed one the motor pool withdrew one from supply (new or used) and put it on the jeep.

For example, when the M38's showed up in Korea in early 1952 they were brand new, a lot different than MB's (24 V, tire size, trailer connector etc) that they would have been held at no lower usually than company level. They were still outnumbered by the MB/GPW 20 to one in the Army.

The majority of MB/GPW's still in service 7 years after the end of WWII in 1952 had already been repainted in the late WWII semi-gloss.

I think it should be obvious at this point that WWII drab, Post WWII semi-gloss and even carriers provided new as late as 54 may have had 24087 so any color works.

Evan at the Willys factory many accessories like the BO Driving lamp and slave cable receptacles were whatever shade of OD the vendor was applying to them when Willys bought them.