Post by 2nd Bat on Nov 26, 2016 2:04:49 GMT -5
I had recently made several pairs of "Hollywood" leggings using some heavy duty vintage Khaki colored canvas setting them up to look correct but functioning with Velcro for ease of equipping walk on players. They came out great and left me with lots of left over canvas, some sections with already installed snaps. I decided to use these odds and ends to make riggers pouches. In Ww2 elite forces like paratroopers and Rangers expressed the need for larger more customized pouches for ammo and grenades than the standard issue web gear. These items were custom made in theater often by the parachute riggers and supply depots who were equipped with heavy duty sewing machines and canvas repair supplies.
There was a wide variety of patterns and sizes. The most common size held two grenades, 5 carbine box magazines or 5 enblock clips. They were made with conventional belt loops sized to go over a pistol belt. The flap closure attached with snaps, ties or dot buttons. A soldier so equipped might have two to four of them in addition to conventional pouches which would give home ready additional ammo.
Since I don't have a heavy duty sewing machine I used fabric glue which I have found through the leggings project holds surprisingly well. The build started out by looking at lots of reference photos. I then used five of my CYMA carbine magazines to establish the size I would like and taped them together to form an inner shaped form around which I'd cut and size my canvas.
I cut out patterns creating the front, rear, sides and base using the block of five magazines to determine the size of each. I had removed significant lengths of seamed strips of hem from my donor canvas and used those pieces to attach the cut out patterns and create appropriate boxed pouches with an open top. The fabric glue was applied connecting each seam and I used plastic walls taped firmly to hold it all snug while the glue dried overnight. Again the box magazines inside braced the canvas firmly into place. I surrounded magazines with walls of AbS plastic so the pouches would be slightly larger than the five magazines as I wanted to be able to slide them in and out but not have them clatter about in the pouches.
To finish the rim at the top of the pouch I used some of the seam fabric and glued it in place. This seam material helps the pouches to retain their shape.
The final steps was to fabricate a flap, install snaps. In some cases I was able to use snaps already mounted in my canvas although lining these up was a little tricky. The final step was to fashion the belt loop. I noticed that many of the riggers pouches angle folded the flap into a V shaped flap so I did the same. I made four with another four in progress.
Once done with this project I will buy some leather bits and make some German pouches for my MP44 Eggs and my homemade G43. Like all my DIY projects it's been a nice learning experience. The time required doesn't justify the work as reproductions can be bought fairly affordably but it's been a fun project.
There was a wide variety of patterns and sizes. The most common size held two grenades, 5 carbine box magazines or 5 enblock clips. They were made with conventional belt loops sized to go over a pistol belt. The flap closure attached with snaps, ties or dot buttons. A soldier so equipped might have two to four of them in addition to conventional pouches which would give home ready additional ammo.
Since I don't have a heavy duty sewing machine I used fabric glue which I have found through the leggings project holds surprisingly well. The build started out by looking at lots of reference photos. I then used five of my CYMA carbine magazines to establish the size I would like and taped them together to form an inner shaped form around which I'd cut and size my canvas.
I cut out patterns creating the front, rear, sides and base using the block of five magazines to determine the size of each. I had removed significant lengths of seamed strips of hem from my donor canvas and used those pieces to attach the cut out patterns and create appropriate boxed pouches with an open top. The fabric glue was applied connecting each seam and I used plastic walls taped firmly to hold it all snug while the glue dried overnight. Again the box magazines inside braced the canvas firmly into place. I surrounded magazines with walls of AbS plastic so the pouches would be slightly larger than the five magazines as I wanted to be able to slide them in and out but not have them clatter about in the pouches.
To finish the rim at the top of the pouch I used some of the seam fabric and glued it in place. This seam material helps the pouches to retain their shape.
The final steps was to fabricate a flap, install snaps. In some cases I was able to use snaps already mounted in my canvas although lining these up was a little tricky. The final step was to fashion the belt loop. I noticed that many of the riggers pouches angle folded the flap into a V shaped flap so I did the same. I made four with another four in progress.
Once done with this project I will buy some leather bits and make some German pouches for my MP44 Eggs and my homemade G43. Like all my DIY projects it's been a nice learning experience. The time required doesn't justify the work as reproductions can be bought fairly affordably but it's been a fun project.