I am starting work on the Magic Factory M10 Booker and the RFM M109A7 Paladin and want to depict them as operational vehicles, so I plan to add a reasonable amount of stowage to both.
I’m going to use a variety of modern US stowage bits from Meng, Black Dog, Legend, T-Rex, and Eureka, and while some of the bits may already have securing straps moulded in, there are going to be a few bits that I’ll want to add accurate straps and buckles to.
Also, for example, I plan to remove the moulded-in tool straps on the M10 kit and replace them with more accurate straps as I’ve seen in reference images of the vehicle.
With that in mind, I’ve been looking at some of the Ratchet lashing straps and Buckles and straps from Miryoku (1/35). My question is, as the straps are available in different colours, which would be most commonly used on US vehicles as of today - would some stowage just be secured with standard buckles and some use ratchets? What colours are most commonly used – green, black, and grey?
I assume standard guidance for vehicle crews is to ensure everything is properly lashed down with the properly issued straps, and you’d only find crews using more improvised methods of securing things like rope when in a combat zone when vehicles were overloaded with perhaps an excessive amount of equipment.
Ratchet straps are used to secure large loads. They would not be used for individual tools or small pieces of equipment. Issued ratchet straps are green; with the ratchet mechanism being unpainted metal. This metal is usually plated, giving it a light gold-ish look.
So far as I know, the US Army still uses the standard green web straps with a black buckle to secure tools.
Ken
Looks like Voyager also makes a nice set of modern photoetched buckles that would also work well (Modern strap buckles (GP), Voyager Model PEA348), though the straps are etched rather than fabric.
I never saw any black ones myself. But I did retire back in '07. But the green ones, yeah, after starting out as olive green they took on multiple shades… often getting soaked with diesel fuel or motor oil, then absorbing whatever local dust is in the area, never to be olive green again.
While we were deployed, we would order anyting that we could get and sometimes they were black. That was a wild time for ordering things, kind of a spin the wheel on what you got sometimes.
The reason I mentioned soldiers ordering from REI is that I was one of them. Using team funds, I ordered a bunck of buckles and flat nylon webbing to make three point sling for anyone on the team who wanted them.
As did we. In Afghanistan we were all sporting thigh rigs - mainly Blackhawk, but with cloth holsters.
By the time Iraq rolled around we learned the value of the Serpa and its ability to be quickly relocated from hip to chest.
Practice. A lot. Since the XD9 is striker fired, there’s only the grip safely. If you’re carrying it in condition one you need to make damned sure you can remove it without placing your finger anywhere near that trigger. I’ve seen lots of accidents at the range (not fatal, thankfully) by people not familiar with that holster.
Too bad you’re in Colorado. Those tens round mags mean you can only shoot ten bad guys at a time…
If you want one, get it quick - you know what the Colorado legislature is up to.
It is against my religion to use a gun that should have a more than ten round mag with anything other than the standard capacity mag it should be with and my daughter lives in Wyoming, so I have a way
Good plan—your assumptions are mostly right. On modern US vehicles you’ll see both standard buckle straps and ratchet straps in use. OD green is by far the most common, with black also seen; grey is less typical. Ratchets are often used for heavier or awkward loads, while simple buckle straps secure lighter stowage. Rope/bungees do show up, but usually as field-expedient additions when crews are overloaded.
