Quote:
Originally Posted by seekah
alright good, I wasnt sure, because its very new, and thus not surplus. I wasnt sure if that would be a problem, Just better never get stolen, doubt my house insurance would cover such misplaced items
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It probably would, it's not illegal. Chalk it up as "Collector Item, Militaria."
It's fairly new, but as I mentioned, armor is considered to have a 5 year lifespan therefor you will find surplused 2001 and prior items. You also find newer ones in woodland because they're being replaced by ACU and CB (usually covers without the armor); the logistics and costs associated with reclaiming the old (woodland/3color) part, moving it, and warehousing it, when the item only has maybe 1 year of shelf life left in it, and the pattern is being phased out (so it'll never get re-issued)... only to be surplused later... that outweighs the actual cost of the item. So people just get to keep it, and it ends up on eBay.
That being said, there's virtually no good/legit reason why an ACU or CB one would get surplused. There are, however, replacement covers out there (made by SDS and Propper, and another company makes some too), so not all CB or ACU covers are stolen. Replacement covers are only available for the vest, throat protector and groin protector (usualy sold as a set); the yoke/collar must be replaced entirely.
So a 2004 part with blacked out serial numbers, for example, is a good indicator it isnt "legit surplus."