1943 Huffman military issued bicycle. I possibly would have considered this one a basket case until I did some research on the serial number and found that it was indeed a military issued bike plus a fairly rare one at that. Lots of parts missing, bent frame, rust pitting, one wheel rotted out just to name a few things. You can see that it was painted Air Force blue at one time, probably when the Army Air Corp became the Air Force late in the forties. There's a hint of OD peaking out on the top tubes.



Original stenciling on the OD paint reads: top tube INSPECTION bottom tube PWR. GRD. EQIP.



1 year later.




I'm still missing a few parts. Leather tool bag that goes under the seat, frame mounted tire pump, fender reflector, and the proper headlight. The headlight I have is embossed with the manufacturers name. The proper light for the military has no embossing.

A few items of interest. I also have a Huffman civilian frame from about the same period. The welds on the civilian frame are smooth and as you can see in the photos of the military frame those welds are as is. Also, the spokes for the military bike are extra heave gauge when compared to the civilian bike. Which required a different hub and wheels.