Rough guide to the US M-1, M-2 & M-1C shell

[MySonsDad]

I have a M1 helmet with a heat stamp 602 but no letter is it ww2 or post-ww2.
chris

Chris, heat stamp of 602 looks to be dated right around August of 1943 and would be a McCord mfr'd helmet.

[cricketchris1944]

Chris, heat stamp of 602 looks to be dated right around August of 1943 and would be a McCord mfr'd helmet.

The one I have is a rear seam that has the number 602 does that change the period.
chris

[MySonsDad]

The one I have is a rear seam that has the number 602 does that change the period.
chris

Yea Chis, that throws things off a bit as the seam was not moved to the rear until late 1944. The rim material was also changed away from Stainless Steel right about this same time. I've heard other collectors say they have/seen examples that don't fall right on the published dates, for these changes, but nothing as far as a year off, although anything is possible. Does your helmet still have the stainles rim?

Russ

[cricketchris1944]

Yea Chis, that throws things off a bit as the seam was not moved to the rear until late 1944. The rim material was also changed away from Stainless Steel right about this same time. I've heard other collectors say they have/seen examples that don't fall right on the published dates, for these changes, but nothing as far as a year off, although anything is possible. Does your helmet still have the stainles rim?

Russ

Yes it does have the stainles rim.
Why does my heat stamp does not have a letter?
chris

- - Updated - -

Yea Chis, that throws things off a bit as the seam was not moved to the rear until late 1944. The rim material was also changed away from Stainless Steel right about this same time. I've heard other collectors say they have/seen examples that don't fall right on the published dates, for these changes, but nothing as far as a year off, although anything is possible. Does your helmet still have the stainles rim?

Russ

Yes it does have the stainles rim.
Why does my heat stamp does not have a letter?
chris

[MySonsDad]

Chris, I have no idea why the heat stamp would not have a letter, not sure that they all did, one of the experts on M-1s would have to chime in on that. I do know that the McCord date chart makes no referance to the letters, only the numbers so I'm thinking that the letter identifed something of less significants. I've not even really noted if all my WWII period M-1s have letters on the heat stamp or not, something I will look at however.

Being a stainless rim, it seems possible that one could have been put on backwards (seam to the rear) by mistake I guess, I'm not sure what the process for installing these were. Had it been a non-stainless rim I'd say something was wrong with the dating of this helmet as being a year off, the non-stainless rims were probably not even near being produced yet.

Russ

[Scout]

Great thread. Interesting info. Thanks.

[cricketchris1944]

Thank you for your help Russ.
chris

[moaning minnie]

any pics on the way chris?a pointless thread without the pics to support the discussion,cheers dave.

[cricketchris1944]

Here some pictures.
chris

[aj4010]

Any chance of a nice clear pic of the spot welds where the rim is joined?

Best Regards,

Andy