Sack coat ?

[Doc O]

Had this in the NCOWS board and was told to try here.
I now all of you have been through the sack coat questions before.
I have one question I'm not sure about.
I have made one before of cotton and don't want to make another.
After looking at alot of old post. I have most questions figured out, like buttons, lapels,
pockets and such.
I need to know about the lower front of the coat.
Did they have rounded corners or square corners?
After looking at some old photos it looks like it could go either way.
I'm going to try to revamp a goodwill coat. Wool.
I'm also talking about the late 1870's.
Thanks Doc

[St. George]

Either way's going to be fine - so pick one that you like.

You'll find that wool will be easier to work with and will also be more historically accurate.

Good Luck!

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Doc O]

Thank you.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I THINK that by the late 1870s the 5 button issue sack coats had pointed collars and lower front.  The rounded collar 4 button front type was Civil War era.


Of course, much CW equipment was used well past the end of the war and some even as late as the Span-Am period.



As a modern example of the same type of situation, by reading US Army history, we all switched from the 1911A1 pistols to the Beretta M9s (M92SBF I think is the civilian version) in the mid to late 1980s.  I was issued mine in late 1990 - 2 weeks (and less than 100 rounds) before we went to the Big Sand Pit.


I'm STILL unhappy with that trade.








OK, OK - it does shoot paper targets well.

 

[Texas Lawdog]

I got one of those Italian made Beretta 92 several years ago. I've shot it very little but I never carried it as a duty weapon. The County where I worked did not authorize single action semiautos to be carried at anytime. I bought a 45 acp Glock to carry. It was too big in my hand. I bought a 40 Glock in 2000 and carried it the last 8.5 years that I worked. I'm with SHB, I still like that Ol rattlin' 1911.

[Montana Slim]

SHB,

Like the tree that fell in the forest.......what good is a big bullet if it misses the intended "target".

Only real problem with the 1911 ( I am a fan) is that the Army got rid of their 1911's 20 years after they were worn out.

Regards,
Slim

[Steel Horse Bailey]

As a taxpayer, it bugs me:  ALL the 1911A1s could have been re-built and new mags bought for less than it took to buy the new weapons.  But that's politics.

[St. George]

As a matter of fact, that had been discussed - but the last M1911A1's were built in 1945 - and some of them were getting 'tired'.

The associated costs to upgrade/rebuild were more than new production would be, given that all parts were going to have to be bought from shelf-stock at current prices.

It had 'nothing' to do with the sort of 'politics' alluded to - it had 'everything' to do with the fact that the United States had issued a large number of weapons that were still in inventory, though no spare parts were available, whatsoever.

Calibers ranged from .25 ACP, .32 ACP, .38 S&W, .380  ACP, .38 Special to .45 ACP.

There was a need to upgrade existing weaponry and to comply with NATO's STANAG requirements for commonality across all Services.

The Joint Services Small Arms Program did just that - the fact that Colt and  Smith & Wesson didn't make the cut in favor of Beretta was sad - but they just didn't - even after crying 'Foul!' and still not meeting the standards a second time.

The toss-up was between Beretta and SIG - with the kicker being that after the first production - all waepons would be made in America.

SIG didn't want to build a plant in America at that time - Beretta did...

I've shot both in competition for Uncle Sam - and I've carried both 'for real'.

Both are excellent weapons - the M9 never jamming at all, either in South America or in the desert.

Now - let's either get back to the topic of the 'Sack Coat' or I'll delete until we do.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!