TSR Woodland body armor

[Collectinsteve]

Here is an interesting and unusual piece on US eBay (try the second link if the first one doesn't load):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283111874663?ul_noapp=true

https://www.ebay.de/itm/283111874663?ul_noapp=true

As can be plainly seen, this is a brand new cover made by STURM's earlier name (TSR). Frag insert is included, though there's no pictures of it so it could be legit.

It is almost certainly commercial (or foreign contract), not Bundeswehr experimental. What strikes me as unusual about this is I can't think of seeing any other TSR/STURM body armor covers before.

Has anybody seen this before?

Steve

[uscob]

As it say's it's only the cover, I doubt that Sturm also produced the Protective Layers.
He allway's tries to get BW Contracts and produces Stuff for them, I remember eating Utensils you can find from time to time In Lots.
TSR is the pre-Miltec Brand.
But funny to see the Village Name twice as the R stands for Rottenburg.

[Gordon Craig]

Steve,

Never seen one of these before. However, the NSN is good.

http://www.nsn-now.com/Indexing/View...=8470123090289

Regards,

Gordon

[uscob]

Makes really no sense to produce German Stuff in US Camo.

[Collectinsteve]

Thanks for the follow up.

I know that US companies produce items with legitimate NSN all the time. As far as I know there is no law against it. Which is why no item with a US NSN is to be trusted unless it also has a US government contract number. Faking the latter is a crime. I think the Bundeswehr has similar practices, yes? If so, then the NSN means nothing in terms of official use.

Also, if this eBay item came with inserts (and it appears it does not) I assumed they would be legitimate surplus inserts. Much the way Sturm made fake BGS parkas shells with real surplus BGS liners.

Steve

[Nightwish]

If I remember correct that time, these pieces have been used at the balkan. Because the Bundeswehr had too little of body armor, it was an immediate-need ("Sofortbedarf") buying.

So it did not came in the usual camo. I Think they wear some Bristol armor vests too on the Balkan.

[uscob]

But what sense does it make to make them in US Camo?
Even if ordered by "Dezentrale Beschaffung" there was enough BW Camo Fabric available.
Sure they used Bristol Armor, but these came in DPM. Had a bunch of these.

[Collectinsteve]

I found reference pictures of the same type of vest being sold by someone in 2016. In this case it has 1988 dated soft Kevlar inserts made by "LBA & Wahler". Obviously the inserts could be from a different vest.

Agreed that the Woodland camo is hard to imagine being approved of. TSR should have had a source for Flecktarn, but they probably had access to Moleskin colored fabric. I've got a body armor cover like that in my collection somewhere.

Note that the Woodland type isn't the only strange BW style vest out there. Many years ago I bought a cover in French "Lizard" camo. IIRC it was made by Mehler. It's buried somewhere so I can't check

Steve

[uscob]

Don't forget that Mehler produced for everybody who paid.
I have dozens of Covers made by Mehler for different UK Police Forces.