Pre WWII US Army m1926 Spec 8-31B Service Coat 1st Cavalry Regt, 7th CAV BDE For Sale

For your consideration is this;
US ARMY Model 1926 Spec 8-31B Wool Service Coat 1st Cavalry Regiment (Mechanized), 7th Cavalry Brigade This is an Original patch as the embroidery on the lightning bolt is Up and Down not Left and Right.The most interesting aspect of this coat has a Bronze Tank Corps collar disc. All discs are screw backs.This coat is in great shape I just have not ironed it. I will tomorrow and replace the pictures.Historical & Design Evolution:Prior to 1926, US Army enlisted service coats featured stiff, high-standing collars. The M1926 pattern completely broke away from this by introducing a rolled collar with open notched lapels, closely resembling a civilian suit. Because this design exposed the shirt beneath, it marked the very first time the US Army required enlisted men to wear a necktie.
While the "M1926" style spanned several years, the Quartermaster Corps continually updated the specific pattern codes (the 8-31 series):• Spec 8-31 (1926): The base pattern introducing the open collar.• Spec 8-31A (1930): Tailored out of a heavy, smooth melton wool.• Spec 8-31B (Adopted March 1933): The version you noted. It changed the standard material to wool whipcord (a durable, ribbed fabric weave) or a mutton-wool serge in a mustard-tinted olive drab tone.• Spec 8-31C (1937): Switched to an OD33 wool serge material, bridging the gap toward the ubiquitous WWII dress coats.Key Identification Features of the 8-31B
If you are inspecting or trying to authenticate an original 8-31B coat, look for these specific interwar features:The Back Construction: Unlike the later WWII-era M1939 coats (Spec 8-31D) which featured a dynamic "bi-swing" pleated back, the 8-31B has a completely plain back with standard curved tailored seams.Belt Hooks: The back features two integrated brass rim hooks designed to keep the heavy leather garrison belt from sagging. (These hooks were later abandoned in 1941 to ration brass).Pockets: It features four front pockets: two pleated breast pockets and two hanging lower pockets, all secured with brass "Great Seal" buttons.The Material: True 8-31B coats from the mid-1930s (often dated around 1933–1936) are distinguished by their uniquely tight whipcord or heavy napped wool finish, which feels noticeably different from late-WWII serge cloth.Because the interwar US Army was kept exceptionally small during the Great Depression, very few of these coats were manufactured compared to WWII production runs, making authentic Spec 8-31B coats incredibly rare museum-quality pieces today.