With this Duke custom I wanted to keep the bandolier look of the original, but I wanted it to actually serve a purpose. That is why I chose the Recondo V1 chest, the molded straps for the shoulder holster were pretty good. I removed the sculpted holster that was on the chest and I replaced it with a 21st Cntury Toys M-1911A1 pistol in the holster. It was also nice that the Airborne wings are there and on the correct side. I chose the Cranckcase arms because they originally had gloves. I later decided to replace them with swivel wrists and Star Wars Scout Trooper hands. I chose the Recondo V1 middle piece because no one in the military tucks in their BDU shirts anymore unless it is for a specific mission. You will notice that all my customs with BDU shirts will have a middle piece that shows that the shirt is not tucked in. I added a couple of pouches for the Ruger AC-556F magazines, a first aid pouch, a flashlight so he can read maps, a canteen and a butt-pack for the maps or other stuff. I chose the plain legs of Airtight V1 because of the pouches, he did not need anything on his legs because he already had a sidearm and a knife. I modified the Gung Ho V1 boots and removed the molded knife and replaced it with a BBi knife and sheath. The colors scheme was simple to pick. OD Green for the fatigues, to make them simple and date them from the Vietnam era, the black leather because that is what the military wore for boots for the most part. I also went with a brown under-shirt for that reason as well.
Duke without gear.
Duke with gear.
Duke Comparison.
