What U.S.M.C. Depot was the origin of so much canvass equipment?

[Fred]

Hey thanks Ray! I'm glad I've a better iPhone camera now.

[Richard Turner/Turner Saddlery]

Fred:

MCSC ("Marine Corps Supply Center") is the original base name as established in 1942, when the supply depot at San Francisco was moved to Barstow. It was changed to MCLB "Marine Corps Logistics Base" Barstow in 1978. As to the canvas bag, it is a USMC Rifle Teams rifle bag. The Marine Corps issued these from the 1940s to the early 1970s. They were made by Boyt under contract for the USMC and some of the bags during Vietnam were OD Green, as they were also used as bags for sniper rifles.

Here is a link to a blog (they don't know what they have), that shows a photo of an OD USMC Rifle Bag.

http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=213534

Chandler has a good photo in "Death From Afar" Vol 1, Pg 142, of the khaki USMC bag. LtCol Chandler had Boyt make some reproductions of the khaki bag and sold them on his website, one of which I have for my Chandler Sniper, but I do not currently see them listed at this time on his deathfromafar site. Some of the bags had the Eagle Globe and Anchor and USMC embossed on the leather tip of the bag.

Richard

[Richard Turner/Turner Saddlery]

Fred:

If I were you, I would leave it as is. Washing may cause it to fade or deteriorate since the stuffing (quilting) is most likely cotton batting and will lump up when wet. Could hurt the value. It is a piece of USMC history and should be worth at least several hundred dollars today, maybe more.

Richard

[Fred]

Richard, thanks for the interesting information. I just looked and found the BOYT tag with Des Moines Iowa on it. The other side of the tag has 48" on it. I really ought to wash it carefully by hand to get the rifle grease off of the inside pads. It's very well made. Ain't it kinda ironic that I got a variety of WWII USMC stuff and I don't even collect it!
I guess it'll be perfect to carry my Minty 1920 National Match 1903 rifle (pictured with the padded case) around in on which I believe came one of the nice conditioned USMC 1907 type slings. Maybe another sling was on it, but I can't remember now... I'll look at the old original photo's of the rifle from when I bought it.

[Fred]

Shazam! It was the only one hanging up behind the Marine Supply Sergeants counter, so maybe it was the only one found somewhere and so was put out for surplus sale.
Heck, not bad for a Five Dollar bill!

Fred

[Richard Turner/Turner Saddlery]

Fred:

Here is a photo from Chandler's "Death From Afar" Marine Corps Sniping, Vol 1, Page 142.
IMG_20150415_175957.jpg

[Fred]

Thanks Richard! I've had it thrown over a chair or laying on the floor for 34 years. When I first saw it, I was thinking that it'd be perfect for my 1903 Springfield. That rifle, S.A. #362000 with a 1909 barrel, fit perfectly in it. I don't believe that an M1 Garand will fit in the 48" case.

[Richard Turner/Turner Saddlery]

Fred:

A Garand will fit with no problems. Although it is a scoped rifle case, we used them on occasion for the Match M14s and they were most commonly used for the M40A1s scoped.

[Fred]

I'll take it to a military collectors show in K. C. and trade it and the bayonet and slings for something interesting.