Ammo pouches in Winnipeg

Mike Timoshyk · #1 09-01-10, 02:03

This is very interesting. Here in Windsor the utility pouches were available. I picked up couple to add to my too many. Do I have a problem? LOL. Now lets take this a little further....how did Princess Auto come across enough pouches to supply their stores across the country...well 2 provinces anyway. ZL&T 1940
It makes one wonder what else is still out there somewhere. After a million plus that would have been ordered as well as all the other parts of Pattern 37 equipment.

cheers

Mike Timoshyk (Frak) of the Ford boys in Windsor

Bob Carriere · #2 09-01-10, 03:52

.... all the pouches are gone....last five were in excellent conditions and now in the barn.....

50 cal. ammo boxes in Ottawa at 12.99 are in very good to excellent conditions......

Nice surplus Winter mitts at 12.99..... but even the large size was very tight fitting and I do not have big hands...... would be too combersome to wear around the barn where you have to take them off and on while working....

They have some large US water container insulated pouches... in sand color... I beleive they would hold a SPecter water can.... $49.99... to much just to keep a 24 pack cold......

Boob

derk derin · #3 09-01-10, 08:20

To all who bought the pouches at Princess auto,your going to have to spend some more money to complete the set as they are the Bren utility pouches which there are front and back pouches with a yoke that connects the two together.The pouches are all rears and hold 3 mags in each pouch.The fronts have the waist strap sewn on the lower back side.The yokes are no problem as there are literally thousands of them in an old warehouse here in Winnipeg I can pickup for anyone who needs them if they are going to complete a set.Happy Hunting.

guyvapeur · #4 09-01-10, 14:54

I was born in Winnipeg.... and I saw Princess Auto start up with mostly military surplus tires, hydraulics, vehicle parts and fields full of unopened crates. I can remember when Panet road was the main road to Dugald road where my grandfather lived. I remember the new **Lagimodiere Blvd.** being built which now skirted the rear of Princess Auto. A railroad overpass would give you a vantage view of the yard. My dad would point out an old army truck and state that he was sure he had driven it during the war.
Yet today when I go to Winnipeg, Princess Auto is one of my main tourist attractions. The Winnipeg store is the hub of their operation and I have seen unique military items that do not make it out to the other stores.

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #5 09-01-10, 16:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Timoshyk

It makes one wonder what else is still out there somewhere. After a million plus that would have been ordered as well as all the other parts of Pattern 37 equipment.

Myke,

There are still warehouses full of the stuff out there. I used to deal with an old surplus store downtown (that doesn't exist anymore), and they told me they periodically got in crates of new P37 gear from time-to-time. They wouldn't tell me from whom, though. I bought tons of stuff from them, all NOS and all early-dated. Believe me, I'd LOVE to find the source, but it would take someone in government with the right connections. So far no dice. Places like Princess Auto buy it by the pound, not by the unit, everything you can think of.

G.

SteveF · #6 09-01-10, 18:27

They have these pouches in Edmonton as well but like most people here I already have more than I can use. There was a surplus dealer in Calgary that had thousands of them for $2 a piece. They also had thousands of unissued P'51 straps and pouches. When I went to Calgary last year the warehouse was closed and I wonder where all of the webbing went. Perhaps PA got the P'37 pouches from there...?

Jordan Baker · #7 10-01-10, 03:00

The store in Hamilton also had them. Not a lot but a decent bunch. All of them seemed to be MS&U 1943 marked.

I have a supply of the top yoke strap for these puches in a variety of makers marks and dates. $2.00 per strap + postage if interested. Just send me a PM with what you looking for in markings and I'll take a look.

jeepingpw · #8 10-01-10, 20:23

Princess Auto in Kelowna also has them, but just the REARS.
Anyone know where to get the fronts?

Any more pics of how these were worn?

Pics of P37 webbing?

derk derin · #9 10-01-10, 20:28

Here's a blast from the past.I came across this catalog yesterday and found these items listed;

Wouldn't it be nice to show up and buy a complete engine for the Bren gun carrier and drop it in for $199.50.There is a complete power pack for the Sherman and who wouldn't take a couple No.4 Mk 1 Lee-Enfields to fill our rifle clips in our vehicles for $12.95ea! The good old days.
Derk.

derk derin · #10 11-01-10, 01:22

They were worn as shown here;

jeepingpw · #11 12-01-10, 03:55

Ok, so Princess Auto has a bunch of "REARS"

I remembered seeing some at a local store so I went back today & they have about 20 "FRONTS"

I can buy them for $3.00 each plus PST & GST.
A bubble wrap shipping bag is about $5.00 plus taxes.
Shipping would be extra.

If anyone is needing "FRONT" pouches, I can get them.
I am not trying to make anything , just don't want it costing me anything.

On a side note, my dad used to buy parts for my grandfathers 1943 GPW at the local Princess Auto store.

rob love · #12 07-02-10, 10:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveF

They have these pouches in Edmonton as well but like most people here I already have more than I can use. There was a surplus dealer in Calgary that had thousands of them for $2 a piece. They also had thousands of unissued P'51 straps and pouches. When I went to Calgary last year the warehouse was closed and I wonder where all of the webbing went. Perhaps PA got the P'37 pouches from there...?

I'm not sure 100%, but I think you are partially correct on the source for these. The son of the princess auto prez was getting into the hobby, and trying his hand at some of the surplus game. He brought up a few pallets or so of what he thought were regular bren pouches from the US. As soon as I saw them, I put 2 and 2 together and told him that he had found rears. There were thousands of the fronts in Calgary, to which nobody could ever find a source for rear pouches. So when we were in Calgary for the Easter gun show, he bought quite a number of the front pouches and the shoulder straps from the warehouse in Calgary.

I have not heard of his milsurp business going anywhere in the last couple years, so it may be that princess auto assumed his wares and have been selling them as regular inventory. I would expect to see the shoulder straps eventually as well.

Shame that warehouse in Calgary has closed. I only found out about in in the last few years and always managed to find a truck load of treasure every time I was through there. Especially hardware. They had all the old time screws and nuts in steel finish and charged by the pound for them. More than a few of them have been finding their way onto my carrier project.