What is the oldest article of original military equipment still in service you’ve encountered (or are aware of)?
“Article”, for the purpose of this discussion, is intended quite broadly - it might include a weapon, ammunition, vehicle, rations, vessel, article of clothing…you get the idea. “Still in service” means in current use by active or reserve military personnel. So, a restored WW2 Willys jeeps used by a vet or a collector would not count. “Original” means originally manufactured, but could include upgrades so long as some original components are in place (e.g. a B-52 manufactured originally in 1957 but with the avionics upgraded multiple times would qualify)
In addition the Big Ugly Fat, uh, Fella (B-52, aka the BUFF), there are some very old KC-135s still in use.
Canadian Rangers use surplus Lee Enfield rifles from the 1940s, because they are cheap and hold up well in the rugged conditions of the far north. Poking around on google, they may have finally been retired in the last couple of years though, not sure.
World War II military equipment like half-tracks and tanks are used by many countries. Paraguay for example still uses US Stuart tanks manufactured in WWII. North Korea, Cuba, and many other countries use Soviet T-34 tanks from WWII.
Soviet Mosin-Nagant rifles from WWII are currently being used in combat in Syria and the Ukraine. The Soviets made about a bizillion of the things. There are so many of them out there that gun collectors in the US who want a vintage WWII rifle can pick them up dirt cheap (about $200 to $500).
M114 Howitzers from WWII are still used in South Korea and the Philippines.
In terms of designs, the M2 machine gun has been in continuous service with the US since 1933, and the M1911 pistol since 1911, in some capacity. I doubt any particular machine gun or pistol dates that far back though.
I’d think that if you disregard ceremonial units and things like museum ships that are still in commission, you’d have to look at developing nations to find some really old gear that’s still in use.
In 2015, the Army removed one particular M2 machine gun that was still in service after 94 years. This particular M2 was built in 1921, and is serial number 324. The receiver had never been overhauled.
Not sure if it’s classed as military equipment, but the Lincoln Catafalque was built in 1865. It was used for the memorial for Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia last year.
The Oerlikon 20mm is a WW1 vintage design and still very widely used, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some very early versions still in use in the trouble spots of the world.
I’d have to guess it’s a fortification somewhere, maybe even a castle. Fortifications keep their military value for a lot longer than weapons and some pretty old ones were used out of necessity often enough in the 20th century. If they’re no longer occupied by the government then I’d say they didn’t count even if they could be pressed into service in dire straits, but there have to be some still-worthy old forts somewhere that are still in use as such.
Would non-fortified or obviously-no-longer-fortified buildings that were constructed for use by military personnel and are still being used as such count? Because if so then I think that’s the answer, just look around Europe and you’ll probably hit hundreds of them. Now granted some of them probably house ceremonial guards, but while I wouldn’t count their halberds etc. as military equipment, I’d count their barracks as long as other barracks qualify because ceremonial units are often composed of active veterans who have a high per-capita fighting capacity.
What about a Ship of Theseus-- Would that count as “original”?
(for those who don’t know, the Ship of Theseus was supposedly preserved through the centuries by replacing each board of it, one at a time, as it rotted away, until no single board was still original)
And does a piece of insignia count as “equipment”? I’m envisioning some sort of badge or pin or whatever that’s been passed down through the generations, with a son wearing his grandfather’s stripes or whatever once he’s earned them.
Just looking at equipment, and not buildings. Let’s limit equipment to those items NOT serving a purely ceremonial or display function.
If a particular badge or insignia is original and is still worn by its original recipient as part of their required uniform in the course of performance of duties, it should count.
Ah … then it’s easy … rocks … but I think the OP wants to know about an individual piece of equipment … like a B-52 built in 1961 still flying combat missions …
I’ll go with an ancient castle situated in an ideal position … I can see where this could still be used in a modern military conflict …
Fort Riley has a lot of buildings still in use from its cavalry days in the late 1800s. Like you said, I’m sure Europe has a few old buildings still used by the military that could potentially be hundreds of years older than anything in Kansas.
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Do we get anybody like Lieutenant Dan who has a long family history of serving in the military using their great-grandpa’s sword or pistol? I know most ribbons, medals, sew on rank, etc. will degrade, fall apart or stop being accepted as part of the uniform long before we get into the age of old buildings and ceremonial swords. But there’s probably at least a totem or two that could be considered “military equipment” that can be passed down and carried by current soldiers legitimately.
The Presidio, in Monterey, California, was built in 1770, and would probably have some old vestigial hardware that has at least quasi-military function, like a clock on a wal or a doorknob. Which would be an “old thing” , as opposed to a piece of equipment that is modeled after something long used.
