Can someone identify this chinstrap on my ww2 m1 helmet ??

**Dominick Consolazio** · 09-07-2012, 04:11 AM

Mine is front seam swivil bale

**GIZMO8Z** · 09-07-2012, 04:34 AM

by Dominick Consolazio

Mine is front seam swivil bale

One of the best ways to tell how much your stuff is worth, is to do a search on e-bay for what people have paid for similar items in the past.

front seam helmet shell | eBay

The value of an item, and what people are willing to pay for them can be VERY different... If you look at that link I sent you, some people bought helmet shells just like yours for as little as $14...

**Dominick Consolazio** · 09-07-2012, 02:58 PM

The thing I don't understand is the fabric part of the chin strap is ww2 but the hardware is post war. How is that possible ?? Did they just replace the hardware, if this helps on the other strap there is no hardware, so maybe they did just replace the hardware ??

**GIZMO8Z** · 09-07-2012, 03:13 PM

by Dominick Consolazio

The thing I don't understand is the fabric part of the chin strap is ww2 but the hardware is post war. How is that possible ?? Did they just replace the hardware, if this helps on the other strap there is no hardware, so maybe they did just replace the hardware ??

M1 Helmets were in service until the 1980s. I'm sure that ones that were in good shape had old, worn out parts swapped out in favor of the newest versions of hardware.

**Dominick Consolazio** · 09-07-2012, 03:34 PM

Well as long as the chinstrap is sewed and is the correct colour for ww2. it doest really matter if the hardware is post war to me. in my book It still passes for a ww2 chinstrap

**GIZMO8Z** · 09-07-2012, 03:43 PM

by Dominick Consolazio

Well as long as the chinstrap is sewed and is the correct colour for ww2. it doest really matter if the hardware is post war to me. in my book It still passes for a ww2 chinstrap

In the end, that is really what matters the most.

HOWEVER, this can really get you in trouble if you try to pass something off as WWII vintage when it is not... especially if you're trying to sell it!

**Datrus** · 09-07-2012, 03:50 PM

Don't we already have a thread on this helmet??

I'm thinking of buying this helmet on eBay, should I ?

**Dominick Consolazio** · 09-07-2012, 03:57 PM

by Datrus

Don't we already have a thread on this helmet??

I'm thinking of buying this helmet on eBay, should I ?

Yes, but on this thread I noticed the hardware on the chinstrap was different, so I just wanted to ask a few questions.

**Datrus** · 09-07-2012, 04:11 PM

I think we also covered the chinstrap in that thread. Just saying.

Quote from NickD: it has been post war repainted & by the looks of it numerous time still having sewn on chin straps mean nothing i have an M-1 that was still in use right up to the 70's its a late WW2 shell & liner repainted still with sewn on chin straps.

so no the colour is not correct for WW2 as its a post war repaint.

**Dominick Consolazio** · 09-07-2012, 04:12 PM

by GIZMO8Z

In the end, that is really what matters the most.

HOWEVER, this can really get you in trouble if you try to pass something off as WWII vintage when it is not... especially if you're trying to sell it!

I am not plannig on selling it and if I was I would say the whole chinstrap is original but the hardware, by the way I looked up this hardware and it says they started adding it to the helmets in 1945, so maybe that's why my chinstraps look ww2 but the hardware does not. We will never know for sure, but it's fun guessing what could of happened