grabbed a rear seam helmet cheap

[Franz1944]

That a steal buy no matter Vietnam or WWII.
After WWII some were refinished with a sand texture. WWII texture is Cork.

Anyway Tamp front seam swivel bale are before rear seams. Rear seam was introduced in 1944. So your front seam is before that. Front seam , Fixed bale, if i remember correctly, came in early part of 43. but little after that they made swivels. swivels is later form of the front seam.
I personally like front seams more then rear seams, because they are more likely to have saw combat.

Fun little tip, if you don't no if you m1 helmet is post war or not, get post war liner and put it in the helmet. If it post WWII helmet the liner will stay in when you turn it over. But if it is a WWII Helmet and you put in that post WWII liner and when you tip it over the liner will fall out. (WWII liner will stay in)

Why? WWII helmets and liners are little bigger, then post WWII US helmets and liners. Gravity will make liner fall out of the WWII US helmet.

-Franz

[tampalam]

Thanks for the help guys. I have a couple others laying around in heaps of old clothes and books that I will look at again when I am at my Los Angeles home. I learn something every time I visit this forum.

[crazy horse]

Thanks for the help guys. I have a couple others laying around in heaps of old clothes and books that I will look at again when I am at my Los Angeles home. I learn something every time I visit this forum.

thats why I like it here, because I learn new things all the time. now I can't wait to get my British helmet, want to check out the markings.