Re: [MV] jerry cans

From: KBDewey 42GPW (dirtman42GPW@webtv.net)
Date: Tue Jan 09 2001 - 07:31:06 PST


All, wheeew, that sure got stirred up.

Well I went out and made a list of the cans I have here including water
cans as they are all similar. And after studying the comments etc here
are my findings:

On the gas cans ALL have the manufacture name or initials stamped on the
bottom. On the water cans the name is under the handle.

On the regular gas cans all have a "G" stamped on the top of each side,
one side at the bottom is stamped "US" and the other "QMC" which I
assume stands for Quarter Master Corps, the procuring agency for the
Army. And the "US" for Uncle Snuffy (sic).

Only the cam-latch lids gas cans have "U.S.M.C." stamped and only on one
side at the bottom.

The QMC was the procuring agency for the Army and as the Marines were
Navy they had their own procuring agency. This is also evident in the
millions of equipment that was ordered specifically for each branch,
from uniforms to aircraft, they all had derivatives special to their own
perceived needs. Therefore I strongly believe that "U.S.M.C." stands for
United States Marine Corp. Especially in lite of the fact that non of
the cam-latch and the regular gas cans have a manufacturer name anywhere
else but on the bottom panel. Water cans all the info is under the
handles.

Manufacturers include CONCO who near as I can tell was the only company
to produce the cam-latch gas cans as well as regular gas cans. Other
manufacturers of gas cans are: MONARCH, NESCO, M.C.C., RADIOSTEEL (and
this can has a 9-52 M.C.C. stamped diagonal in 1/2" letters on bottom).
Water cans: ARVIN NOBUTT-SPARKS IND. INC. 1942 (really!), NESCO
(several) and CAVALIER (several). These are the manufacturers I know
about and there were others, I'm sure.

The "20-5-42" on the bottom stands for 20 liters (1 liter = 1.057 liquid
quart therefore rounded out 5 gals = 20 liters), 5 gals and the last
number is the date. I do have one cam-latch can that says on the bottom
"ICC-5L", "CONCO", "20-5 1/4-44". Note the "1/4". I don't know why they
did that but it is clearly there and original. I do know that all cans
will actually hold almost 5 1/2 gals as I fill them that full all the
time. Just keep them out of the sun in a cold storage building.

This is my observation from checking on my 28 gas and water cans.

This has been fun and I want to thank everyone for jumping in. I suppose
we did get a little carried away but when you restore and/or display
your vehicles accessories its nice to know the facts otherwise history
gets distilled into myth with the telling. Thanks again, Dewey the Dirt
Man.



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