Advice: Best US one-man vintage Army stove?

I could use a bit of advice regarding old/Vintage US Army 1-man stoves since they are starting to be interesting for me.
I can find quite a lot different models from several makers:
Rogers
Coleman
AGM

Questions:
Are there one or two models which are considered very good (size/
reliability/spares/heat)?

Are there models which I should avoid?
Thank you in advance for any guidance here.

Cheers

 

The Coleman 520, 530 seem to be pretty popular, have not seen any out of the ordinary issues with them. AGM had stress cracks in civilian lanterns and stoves, don't think that carried over to military stoves, but not sure. I have a 530 and a British Hurlock, cool kero stove. Cant offer any more info, Vietnam era stoves seem popular altjough they dont do much for me. I sold a nice Coleman 520 a few years ago as well as my first 530, some reason picked up another 530, but it belonged to a late member here whose widow asked Doc Mark to help dispose of his collection.
Duane

 

The M1941 & M1942 (also known as the Coleman 520 and the mountain troups type stove) are pretty straightforward and easy to use. When only using "clean" fuel (like Aspen or panel wipe) they are dependable, long lasting as well. The 530 is not a military stove, but it is as good as the mil spec ones. Only drawback, it does not have stabilizing feet, but it looks ooh soooo shiny! The post war M1950 is, again, a very good stove. Simmering with most is a problem, it is recommended to carry a simmer plate (eg; cut out the top or bottom of any can with the approx. correct diameter).
So, I don't think one should avoid any of these!

Best regards,

Wim

 

Coleman 520 was the first of the US military stoves, there were a lot of different variants, full canister, half canister, three or four legs, with or without preheat cup, watch out for the ones made by AGM, stress cracks are all but expected! Make sure you get the spares tube, could be missing, likewise with the funnel. Parts are available through OldColemanParts.com. Pump leathers are Coleman-style, easy to get.

The M1942 mountain stove can be elusive, there aren't as many made, IIRC, those are made with stainless steel, not cheap to make, but it shows in the performance, these run great! Check to make sure the wrench is there for servicing, and the spares are inside the pump plunger. Parts are a direct match with the M1950 stove, easy to get replacements. There were two manufacturers, Coleman and P-W, and two variants for shutoff valve, early with the horizontal wheel, and later production with a standard shutoff knob.

Last is the M1950 stove, a rugged piece of work, and common as lefse! There were a lot of places making them, Coleman made the best of them, after that everyone will differ on who made the worst of them! parts are available with no problem, and they should have a full set of spares inside the pump plunger, and at least one spare generator clipped to one of the pot support uprights. Watch your NRV for failure, same applies to the M1942 above, the pump doubles as the fount cap, and the NRV is right on the end, real quick to replace if needed! Only drawback is it has two settings, "ON" and "OFF"! A simmer plate works very well with these, and these stoves can be found NIB to date, and at a reasonable price as well.

And lastly, the Coleman 530, which was never issued for military use, patterned after the 520, without the best features, no legs, no preheat cup, and nickel plated. Half of the canister had a clip to accept a handle for cooking, these are usually present, and available on eBay, same on the simmer plate, as a rule, those are missing. The stove can be throttled without it, but it's still nice to have. They were only made for two years in the US, and in Canada for a year or two after that.

Problem is, they were all good, if you want a knockabout stove, a M1950 fits the bill, IMO

Murph

 

@Harder D. Soerensen
I really like the 1942 MOD, every time I use it it brings a smile to my face! That feeling you get when you use something that was bleeding edge technology once but that is now almost obsolete.
Unfortunately I have very limited experience with US military stoves, so this is the one I have.
/Lars

 

I've conducted scientific field tests with all of them...okay...maybe not very scientific...lol...but they do all pretty much work the same. Based on looks alone I'd go for the M1942. Has the looks of a supermodel compared to the other ones. If you can afford the supermodel why mess with the clunky looking ones? Of course you know what I mean.

 

@MrAlexxx , same reason I knew a lot of soldiers young and old alike would swear by the ugliest gum made - The Sten MK II !
When spit and polish, bluing and walnut didn't get the job done in the mud of the hedgerows in France or the sand and desert of the Saraha, that butt-ugly Sten just refused to quit, saving many a Tommie's arse in the process!

Murph

 

Harder,
I like all comments above. Your interest is "... old/Vintage US Army 1-man stoves" with an "s", good.
If you're sure Army is your interest, maybe try to resist shiny object / the 530 a nickel civilian version.
I wanted to post FYI, re the rarest of all of the above, a Nickel 1941 520 (aka Ernie Pyle) is the holy grail that will never happen for most stovies. There are a couple links to 520 details in that post. Coleman company's historic WW2 role of their model 520 aka 1941/42 M1941s is legendary. You may want a 520, the Coleman model number and says Coleman on the tank. It is also referred to as an M1941, the army's name for it, ... and not all M1941s are Coleman (ie there are plenty AGMs).

Like others I too like & recommend M1942 MOD and mountain cook set (made by Coleman, PW or Alladin) but may take a while to obtain one.

You said stoves w/an "s" so I'd suggest an M1950 too, +1 w/Murph. It may be easiest to come by (not sure about Denmark). M1950 had the longest production run by far and it was made by several makers: Coleman, Rogers, SMP, Fiesta, Wyott and Bialaddin, to name a few.
The plethora of US Army pocket stoves spans almost 50 years and can be a bit much when you first start looking into them. Good luck.
thx omc

 

Good Morning, @Harder D. Soerensen ,

I agree with the myriad recommendations for the M1942, and it's Mountain cook set. Great combination, those! IF you can find the stove, I think I have one of the Mountain cook sets, down in the Hobbit Hole. It belonged to Bajabum, and before he passed, he had called me to ask if I would help his wife to pass along his collection, which I was happy to do. I have sold quite a bit, but still have quite a bit left to offer, and I do think that he had one of the cook sets. If so, and you want to buy it, all money goes to his widow, JoAnne, and Steve's family. I'll have to figure out a price, and so far, I've been trying to get good money for JoAnne. So, I can offer a deal, but possibly not the best price in town, as it all goes to a very good cause. Food for thought.....

I would also recommend the Model 520, which I think is the best of breed for that type of stove. Possibly more difficult to find, and probably more expensive than a M1942, but WELL worth having and using, if you can find a good one. Good luck, and as always, God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

What a great forum this is indeed. Thank you all!

I asked for advice just yesterday - and I now am looking at lots of good input, for what might be my next stove (If Commander House doesn't cut my allowances before that )

I like, that I can still get spares for these stoves and their size vs performance. So far I guess the M1942 takes the lead - with 520 closing in and the M1950 just behind the two... Damn - Now I am looking at three candidates instead of one...(Great Forum ).
@Doc Mark - Should I ever get a M1942, I would like you, to make me an offer on late Bajabums cook set. I can only respect your help to her!

 

I purchased the cook kit and gave the M1942 stove to another member, At the CASG.

 

@snwcmpr
Good deed indeed

Man - I would easily give a year of your life to be at a gathering like that !
(Eventhough the Customs might wonder a bit when X-raying my luggage)

 

Ha.

 

Hi, @snwcmpr , @Harder D. Soerensen ,

Ken, I think I had two of Steve's Mountain cook sets there, and you got one of them. But, I'm pretty sure there is at least one more, down in the stacks of Baja's stuff in the HH! I'll have to dig through it, and see. Got lots on my plate, right now, work-wise, so I don't want to pull that thread just yet!! But, when time permits, I'll do some digging and see if there are more kits down there amongst Steve's goodies, which I still am planning to offer here, by the way. Harder, if there IS one, and if you want it, we'll work something out to benefit you, and also JoAnne! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

P.S. Ken, that CASG event was one of our most favorite!!! Lots of good friends there to enjoy, and also we all joined together to buy lots of Steve's goodies, helping JoAnne make a huge donation to fight Mesothelioma!! Great to see you join us, after making that surprise trip out this way!!! Harder, you should see about joining us, too, one of these years!!

 

G,,day
the M1942 wouldbe my pick of them .
i have several other models , but the 1942 wins with stability (folding feet ) and a stainless steel tank .
mine was a gift . thanks mate , i love it .

kerry

 

Never owned a 1942 model, but a friend who led mule trips in Montana had one and I used it a few times. My thoughts are:

1.) Outstanding stove, so long as you have a mule to carry it. In the modern idiom, it is quite heavy and bulky. I don't think they were ever designed as a solo stove, but for use by 2-4 people.

2.) Like practically everything of that era, they were over-engineered to work under difficult conditions.

3.) Also like everything of that era, there were enough made that there is actually a chance of finding one with minimal or no use. My friend's had ridden in pack panniers for years, and was blackened and dented. I don't think he ever fed it anything but auto gas, but it was reliable as anything I've used. They put out quite a lot of heat.

 

Wow Harder,
Canuman makes an excellent point that I totally missed on, your OP is "1-man" stove.
To his point, speaking for myself anyway, none of the pocket stoves I mentioned above would meet the 1-man criteria.
It does seem your interest is the pocket stoves anyway.

If so, sorry for drift, our US army canteen cup / cook kit would be the 1-man cooker option imo.
For the best of the 1-man cookers I don't think US Army is place to look. There is the snuskburken and many countries that somewhat copy it. That and the Swiss cookers are a couple that come to mind.
thx omc

 

@Harder D. Soerensen
I had a problem with a leaking base seam with my M-1942, resolved by a silbrazed repair, but an issue I’ve heard can afflict this type of stove.

John

 

@OMC
No worries - I might have explained my self poorly.

It is the M1950, 520, M1942 I am interested in. I didn’t consider Trangia and Esbit in this case (have them - but don’t use them).
So yes - I am sucking in all the knowledge I can from more experienced people, before going for a particular model. Have learned that this way is a both cheaper and less painful method of learning, than my usual way Of learning in my younger days

@presscall good info!
Looks like it produce quite some heat?

 

It would appear that the US Army considers four as the minimal effective force. There are meal heaters that cater to the individual, but they are limited in scope and are geared to survival or escape.

Rambo excepted, of course.

The elite forces that really needed a lean-and-mean stove would choose an off-the-shelf mountaineering model, because they usually had enough experience using one so as not to break it.