Rough Guide To A U.S Vietnam Era Loadout

[ABrewTooFar]

My aim with this guide is to help other people either starting a Vietnam era loadout or help with a already existing loadout, I myself don't claim to be a expert in the war, so please give me some leeway if my facts are not 100% but I would like to share what I have learnt whilst making my loadout. I will try to help you decide what clothing, gear and weapons to choose for you loadout.

 

US Army or USMC.

You could in theory have a loadout for less that £60 without a gun. Whilst Tiger Stripe (which I'll cover in a future guide on ARVN and US Special forces) and ERDL are more expensive than the standard olive drab uniforms you can find in the UK (with ERDL being the more expensive of the two)

 

A pair of olive drab top and trousers should be less than £50 in most cases some even cheaper. Tiger stripe can be slightly more expensive depending on what type you've chosen but generally your looking at £50 for a set and ERDL coming in at £60 or higher.

 

 

The tricky part is often getting the webbing right, whilst there are a wide range of different webbing used in the conflict I'm going to talk mainly about M56 or M1967 webbing, which is very hard to find in the UK with some kits often going for the more widely accessible ALICE LC2 system which was implemented after the US had already left the conflict, a ALICE LC2 set should cost around £25 for the suspenders, the pistol belt, two ammo pouches and a canteen cover + canteen.

 

 

Now whilst this is slightly anarchistic, I myself would go for a LC2 webbing with the steel buckle as opposed to the plastic buckle (pictured above) as this is a bit of a giveaway and generally the steel buckle is better looking, it can save the user a great deal of money.

 

For those looking for a M56 or M1967 webbing set it can be trickier to find but it isn't impossible to locate, for instance I myself found a bargain and  got a complete set of M56 webbing for slightly less than £50. But generally both types of webbing can cost upwards of £60 to even £100, some even more.

 

 

Boots can often be purchased for around £30, typically these would be the Jungle boots that were black and green.

 

A very loose example of a impression could be.

 

US ARMY GRUNT

• Olive Drab Uniform

• M56 or 67 webbing, with a assortment of pouches.

• M1 helmet with cover or your choice of headgear

• Jungle Boots

Weapons

• M16

• M14

• XM21

• M60

• M79

• M3A1 Grease Gun

• XM177E1 or E2

• 12 Gauge Shotguns, M37 or others

• M1911A1

 

USMC GRUNT

• ERDL or Olive Drab Uniform

• M56 or 67 webbing, with a assortment of pouches.

• M1 helmet with cover or your choice of headgear

• Jungle Boots

Weapons

• M16

• M14

• M40A1

• Model 70

• M60

• M79

• M3A1 Grease Gun

• 12 Gauge Shotguns, M37 or others

• M1911A1

Like I said I'm not a certified historian but I thought I'd make a start and hopefully give some ideas or help to someone looking to start a Vietnam loadout or improve a existing one. I aim to put some more details on here and then I'll update this thread with a couple of posts when I find the time for a couple of more factions such as US special forces and the ARVN, as well as a guide on what weapons to buy and how to generally run your kit as these.

 

If you have any requests or anything like that don't hesitate to post them.  

 

PrivatePyle Out

 

[Immortal]

Cool dude. Love that era. Thanks for the info.

 

I'm embarking on Tiger stripe at the mo as I picked up a few XM177 E2 rifs the other day.

 

Typically I bought a pair of Tiger MFH trousers and MFH boonie but I'm struggling to find the damn shirt anywhere. It's become a game of spot the difference trying to find a pattern match with so many tiger patterns out there (official & impression). No luck yet, may have to mix it up with just a plain green one.

 

I'll be looking for a bit of a messy sheen/dafoe/sheen look (ha, two sheens both doing good films...).

[EvilMonkee]

Or just go as PAVN and spend £20 on a set of British Jungle Greens, £15 on a pith helmet and £10 on a Chicom.....and have 20 times more fun ambushing the Yanks all day long ....you die GI

[MisterG]

I'm working on 2 Vietnam era loadouts just now

VC

- Black Cargo Pants

- Black Chinese shirt

- OD Boonie

- Chicom Vest / Bandolier

- M16 (many were captured)

 

US

- Tiger Stripe shirt, trousers, and boonie/crap hat

- mix of M56/67 webbing/pouches, just need a yoke

- M16

 

Probably go with simple black boots for now for both.

 

Cheers

 

G

[ABrewTooFar]

41 minutes ago, EvilMonkee said:

Or just go as PAVN and spend £20 on a set of British Jungle Greens, £15 on a pith helmet and £10 on a Chicom.....and have 20 times more fun ambushing the Yanks all day long ....you die GI

Hell yes, playing like that is too much fun, I've been thinking about one for a while though with a gbbr akm. But i imagine you missing a key item... a shovel. Though i cant imagine the site owners will be happy to find you've dug a couple of mile long tunnel complex into their site.......or would they.... hmm🤔

3 hours ago, Immortal said:

Cool dude. Love that era. Thanks for the info.

 

I'm embarking on Tiger stripe at the mo as I picked up a few XM177 E2 rifs the other day.

 

Typically I bought a pair of Tiger MFH trousers and MFH boonie but I'm struggling to find the damn shirt anywhere. It's become a game of spot the difference trying to find a pattern match with so many tiger patterns out there (official & impression). No luck yet, may have to mix it up with just a plain green one.

 

I'll be looking for a bit of a messy sheen/dafoe/sheen look (ha, two sheens both doing good films...).

And yeh i had the same problem but luckily i bought a tiger stripe shirt from eBay that looked legit, as opposed to some really strange colour and dull copies that are rather bad.So it was a case of matching a top to loads of different trousers, which is strange that there are more tiger stripe trousers available here than shirts that are available, than  just a bit strange if you ask me .🤔 wonder who has been collecting them all....... but wish you luck on finding the top hope you keep me updated as it sounds really good and of course who doesn't wanna run a xm177e2 .

[MisterG]

I got all my tiger stripe stuff from Military 1st, so it all matches

 

Cheers

 

G

[EvilMonkee]

Gunman Airsoft Nam games have a tunnel system built already as well as a fully dug out, entrenched with 6 bunkers US FOB.  Check it out on YT

11 hours ago, MisterG said:

I'm working on 2 Vietnam era loadouts just now

VC

- Black Cargo Pants

- Black Chinese shirt

- OD Boonie

- Chicom Vest / Bandolier

- M16 (many were captured)

 

 

Pretty much perfect for Vietcong . Though I still thing that PAVN is cheapers still as you can find British Lightweight Greens dead dead cheap.  Don't go for the Hollywood style rice hat - they didn't wear those in combat.  I would be cautious over M16 usage as well but TBH it doesn't matter.  Thats the great thing about Vietnam games, the Communists used anything they could lay their hands on as long as it is pre 1974 you are good to go pretty much.  I have used a K98k, a Sterling, an SLR an AKM and a RPD for example.

[Immortal]

Whilst I'm sitting here typing, Charlies squatting in the bush getting stronger...

[MisterG]

3 hours ago, EvilMonkee said:

Gunman Airsoft Nam games have a tunnel system built already as well as a fully dug out, entrenched with 6 bunkers US FOB.  Check it out on YT

 

Pretty much perfect for Vietcong . Though I still thing that PAVN is cheapers still as you can find British Lightweight Greens dead dead cheap.  Don't go for the Hollywood style rice hat - they didn't wear those in combat.  I would be cautious over M16 usage as well but TBH it doesn't matter.  Thats the great thing about Vietnam games, the Communists used anything they could lay their hands on as long as it is pre 1974 you are good to go pretty much.  I have used a K98k, a Sterling, an SLR an AKM and a RPD for example.

Why cautious with the M16?

 

I've seen photos from the war with them carrying it.  Also most were wearing boonies in the few photos I looked at, hence the OD boonie rather than a rice hat.

 

Cheers

G

[EvilMonkee]

23 minutes ago, MisterG said:

Why cautious with the M16?

 

I've seen photos from the war with them carrying it.  Also most were wearing boonies in the few photos I looked at, hence the OD boonie rather than a rice hat.

 

Cheers

G

Numerous VC vets in various Docs saying that they avoided using them as they weren't reliable.  That being said there is pics of PAVN using them in the final assault on Saigon though its suspected that these were ex ARVN troops who had defected.  Don't get me wrong its a perfectly acceptable rifle to use for our airsoft games just that it probably wasn't used as widely as thought.

[CrackCommandoUnit1972]

I did 15 tours in 'Nam. Any do any more than that?

[Tackle]

1 hour ago, CrackCommandoUnit1972 said:

I did 15 tours in 'Nam. Any do any more than that?

HAHA, tours are for pussies, I came here in '68 & never went home.....la dai motherfucker.

(& yes I have excellent WiFi in my rice paddy hooch 😉)

 

[EvilMonkee]

I am just a dude dressed as a dude playing another dude....

[Immortal]

"Here we go again, again..."

[Lozart]

Never go full retard.

[AshOnSnow]

DBoys do a good metal 20rd style M16 mag in mid cap.

[Immortal]

Think I finally found the MFH Tiger Stripe shirt!

 

Last time this happened I got a "Sorry Out of Stock" email a day later...

[CrackCommandoUnit1972]

All the good stuff is always out of stock.

[Immortal]

Tiger camo arrived, turned out not to be a match for my existing trousers (which are a little too big anyway).

 

It was listed as MFH, but was actually MMB. Luckily I ordered the trousers as well so it's a set regardless! FInally...

 

I've also got a G&P XM177E2 coming, does anyone know a source for the old M16 era scope that fits the top handle? An airsoft version...

 

I think they were made by Colt or at least they did one too. Looks like this:

 

[ABrewTooFar]

On 09/12/2018 at 10:52, Immortal said:

Tiger camo arrived, turned out not to be a match for my existing trousers (which are a little too big anyway).

 

It was listed as MFH, but was actually MMB. Luckily I ordered the trousers as well so it's a set regardless! FInally...

 

I've also got a G&P XM177E2 coming, does anyone know a source for the old M16 era scope that fits the top handle? An airsoft version...

 

I think they were made by Colt or at least they did one too. Looks like this:

 

yeh its called a colt scope but there seems to be some decent replicas but there also seems to be some terrible ones floating about the internet but the ones ive found have always been called 'carry handle scopes' rather than the former as I don't believe they are a exact replica, rather a similar outer appearance with red dot inside instead of the colt scopes reticle. I too was thinking of getting one but Ill keep em peeled until i find a decent one.