US M1 Helmet - thoughts?

[Rangergul]

Hi.

I bought this front seem M1 helmet at the weekend however it appears to have been repainted on the shell and maybe the liner. Before i go stripping it or trying to remove the later paint work can anyone shed any light to the current paint job?

It has been suggested X-Ray could be a commander's call sign?

Should I leave it as is or try to restore it?

[helmet2id]

The paint on the shell is KW period correct and I would leave it as is. The liner is a head-scratcher, but looks correct and I like it. Were these pieces always together? I doubt it. I would find an early '50's green liner for the shell and display the "x-ray" liner on its own. Just my 2 cents, Jim G.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

I doubt if X-RAY is a commanders callsign. Perhaps it was used in a field x-ray unit? That would certainly explain the red paint.

[Rangergul]

Hi Jim. I have been told the liner is a 1942 dated Firestone, and as the shell is front seam swivel bail it's late war? It also has four holes for two bars on the front?

Looking at the shell it has at least 3 layers of paint, OD, black then dark green. Seriously considering taking the dark green and black off, get back to the OD.

[Rangergul]

Did the US allow camouflage paintjobs on their helmets? Have a little poke around with a scapel it looks like there are areas of black and brown under the dark green?

[SHINDENKAI]

Hi,

Firestone liner started to produce during 1945, with black painted "A" washers.

There should be an insignia hole for the liner, little above the center stud. If not that's definetly a post Korean War liner.

Do not do anything to the helmet, leave at is.

Regards,
Taka

[Rangergul]

There are 4 little holes for insignia over the centre stud at the front, and it has what looks to have been black A washers.

[ruddersrangers44]

Hi Ranger the Liner is a 1962 Firestone p55 type,it was there first issued postwar contract,and the only contract in this particular style of liner,shame its seen better days.with regards to the shell its entirely up to you whether you leave the paint or strip and recork/paint it.........

[battle gear]

I vote to leave it as is, that looks like original Cold War era repaint, back from the days of the Nike Missile sites, Vietnam, Cuban Missile crisis

stripping the paint wont improve it , you just have a stripped shell with the history removed, the paint is probably over 50 years old

[Opex]

Hi Ranger leave it as it is. As previously mentioned the shell has the "classic" Korean War dark OG paint scheme and it is intriging that there are different colours under the gloss green, I particularly like the liner and would indeed make an excellent display piece on it's own