Issued/Knockoff ACU?

[Wilco]

Hey guys, I purchased a set of ACU's on Ebay for 70 bucks. I got them and they are pretty nice and comfortable.

Here is the dilemma. They are made from a company called "Power of Fire"

So I was wondering if you guys who have the issued stuff can help me out.

Here are some pictures of the key things.

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/8426/img07635sy.jpg

This is the biggest clue to me that they are fake is this black looking square, possible "IR" Tab?
http://img418.imageshack.us/img418/4171/img07658dg.jpg

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/2514/img07660pg.jpg

http://img418.imageshack.us/img418/7296/img07673nx.jpg

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/507/img07689bw.jpg

Either way, I'm pretty damn satisfied on how they feel and look.

[Digital Marine]

I don't want to make a post that'll have you go ''OOOH look an answer on my question.......... oh crap... just a comment...''


but anyway... it looks pretty damn good to be a knock-off!:)

[Death.]

Do you have the pants as well? Check to see if they have a zipper or if it's buttons, then you'll know

[Wilco]

They're button.

[TallGuy]

I searched for for "power of fire, acu" on Google and the first site that came up was an ebay store called AirsoftDragon, did you get it from them? I'm pretty sure the ACUs you got are knockoffs. Real issue ACUs have a National Stock Number and IR glint tape on each arm. The real ACUs are also 50/50 NYCO rip-stop, the ones you have are 100% cotton...

[Maine Finn]

They look like the real-deal to me, but the top is missing an NSN tag. The black square on each shoulder is an IR tab. It's standard on issued ACU tops.

Were you looking to get genuine issue ACUs?

[Wilco]

@TallGuy: Ah, thought so. I was just checking to see. They're still pretty boss and are great for the price.

Yep, got them from Airsoft Dragon.

[RGRBOX]

They look good. damn the Chinese work fast...

[Violence Of Action]

i thought IR materiel was in short supply, short enough that that shouldnt be real

[RGRBOX]

i thought IR materiel was in short supply, short enough that that shouldnt be real

You should know the drill VoA... it's like everything that's in short supply for the Army.. not the commercial market..

[Violence Of Action]

You should know the drill VoA... it's like everything that's in short supply for the Army.. not the commercial market..

point, damn the chinese, tho, i was pretty suprised, saw a nice vest for sale at patriot outfitters in spring lake, made in china of course, i wonder what kind of equiptment their people have, if they're exporting all this high speed gear

[Maine Finn]

You should know the drill VoA... it's like everything that's in short supply for the Army.. not the commercial market..

Heh, no kidding, Mike. There are a lot of empty shelves at Clothing and Sales, but I'll be damned if knock-offs aren't everywhere in the commerical market. We had to wait a bit for stuff to get re-stocked before we could DX anything ACU.

[RGRBOX]

Just remember fellas.. all of the Airsofters have the good kit... the Troppers are still standing in the door... waiting for the pat on the buttocks... I think a lot of units are getting local purchase money to buy equipment needed before they deply now days... because the system can't keep up...

[Violence Of Action]

Heh, no kidding, Mike. There are a lot of empty shelves at Clothing and Sales, but I'll be damned if knock-offs aren't everywhere in the commerical market. We had to wait a bit for stuff to get re-stocked before we could DX anything ACU.

your right, theyve yet to start selling any ACU field equiptment in the clothing sales store, but "Old Sarges" is. ive been looking for a ACH cover but their 30 bucks at that store, they sell the foliage green chinstraps, and helmet bands too, cant find any of that at cothing sales.

i think the empty shelves there now are because of the acu's though, i havent been ina good month but all the stuff was in boxes, as appossed to being on the shelves

[Violence Of Action]

they reimbursed people who supplemented their gear with private stuff, if you bought it in the past year, from now on everyones on their own though, so the problem still exists

[RGRBOX]

Damn VoA.. I rememer Old Sarges... and every other shop on Yadkin... I just got the ACU/ARPAT MICH Cover and Folege green chin straps from Supply Caption...

@Maine Finn, how's life a Ft. Sam?? you going to Combat Medic school??? My brother went thru there 21 years ago this year... the stories he you'd to tell me... and I went thru Benning.. my story were full of PT, Road marches, PLFs, 1-5 Jumps, and RIP.. his were ***, ***, and more ***.... I think I got the short end of the straw... damn hollywood films.. romancing the Infanty, Airborne, and Rangers...

[Maine Finn]

There are boxes of ACU tops and trousers everywhere at C&S here, but only a little bit on the shelves. Most of the readily available supplies are going to BCT sites.

It sucks, because I really need a new pair of summer boots.

Edit:


@Maine Finn, how's life a Ft. Sam?? you going to Combat Medic school??? My brother went thru there 21 years ago this year... the stories he you'd to tell me... and I went thru Benning.. my story were full of PT, Road marches, PLFs, 1-5 Jumps, and RIP.. his were ***, ***, and more ***.... I think I got the short end of the straw... damn hollywood films.. romancing the Infanty, Airborne, and Rangers...

Life's good here. It's starting get warm though. And I better not tell ya any of my stories, then... ;)

[RGRBOX]

Didn't they just deside to pay people back for what they bought?? and now they're changing it again... fvcking DOD...

[RGRBOX]

There are boxes of ACU tops and trousers everywhere at C&S here, but only a little bit on the shelves. Most of the readily available supplies are going to BCT sites.

It sucks, because I really need a new pair of summer boots.

You should go down town... I'm sure there's some Surplus Store selling them..

[Maine Finn]

You should go down town... I'm sure there's some Surplus Store selling them..

Maybe, but cab fare is a killer. And we go downtown for other things. p-)

I have to go back to C&S in a few days to check if my patches are in yet, so I might get a new pair then. I think it'd be easier just buy from a shop online, like Belleville, anyway.

[RGRBOX]

Maybe, but cab fare is a killer. And we go downtown for other things. p-)

I have to go back to C&S in a few days to check if my patches are in yet, so I might get a new pair then. I think it'd be easier just buy from a shop online, like Belleville, anyway.

Belleville would be your best bet.... and they give military discount..

[p51]

your right, theyve yet to start selling any ACU field equiptment in the clothing sales store, but "Old Sarges" is. ive been looking for a ACH cover but their 30 bucks at that store, they sell the foliage green chinstraps, and helmet bands too, cant find any of that at cothing sales.

i think the empty shelves there now are because of the acu's though, i havent been ina good month but all the stuff was in boxes, as appossed to being on the shelves

There are boxes of ACU tops and trousers everywhere at C&S here, but only a little bit on the shelves.Yeah, at clothing sale at Ft Lewis, folks dive into boxes of ACUs when they show up and attack them like piranhas! They never get to the shelves and when I was there two weeks ago, they were just marking the boxes with sharpies and letting people pick them out that way.
It’s funny how few folks know anything about how ACUs should be worn. I saw three NG officers get into a huge argument about what kind of rank you put on the patrol caps. One thought you sew on ACU subdued rank, one thought you pin on subdued, and the third thought you pin on the bright rank. I ran into a Major yesterday wearing them and I just stopped him and told him about the argument. He said all three were wrong because you’re never supposed to wear a patrol cap. Berets only!
I still have no idea what the issue trouser belt is for this uniform, and clothing sales has never sold desert boots, so my ACUs sit incomplete in the closet. I have one set with all the insignia made up (it’s nice to be near an Army post so you don’t have to mail order all that stuff) for the times I do IRR drills with units. It seems weird to me to have a uniform that doesn’t have my branch insignia on it, though. The BDUs made it easy to see which officers were with what branch, so you didn’t go to a guy/gal that had no chance of being in your unit. I was surprised to find out that everyone in the Army now wears the color US flag on the right sleeve, even REMF units that never deploy. Here are some good links on this issue:
http://www.usapa.army.mil/pdffiles/r670_1.pdf (http://javascript<b></b>:dl('http://www.usapa.army.mil/pdffiles/r670_1.pdf',1);)
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/army/a/aruniformflag.htm (http://javascript<b></b>:dl('http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/army/a/aruniformflag.htm',1);)