What war/year does my m1 helmet from ?

**GIZMO8Z** · 08-29-2012, 04:26 AM

By new, I think Russ means that the net could have been unissued and never saw the light of day outside of a supply crate until very recently.

Chances are your helmet started life as an original WWII example... but now it's essentially a good helmet to use for reenacting or as a movie prop. Because you've added the repro parts, I think most would agree that it's real collector value has been lost.

**MySonsDad** · 08-29-2012, 05:40 AM

by GIZMO8Z

By new, I think Russ means that the net could have been unissued and never saw the light of day outside of a supply crate until very recently.

Chances are your helmet started life as an original WWII example... but now it's essentially a good helmet to use for reenacting or as a movie prop. Because you've added the repro parts, I think most would agree that it's real collector value has been lost.

As Giz states, NEW as in un-issued, never used. The heat stamp looks good for WWII McCord assiming the alph digit is at the end of the heat stamp numbers. not the begining The only thing that makes me question the shell is because of the fitmet of the liner. A WWII shell and liner should fit well together in a manner that you won't even see the liner when the helmet is set on a flat surface. of couse, the netting might be keeping the liner from fitting in the shell well although mine seems to fit OK. And please keep in mind, if your desire is to have a "combat vet" helmet then there is absolutly no way of knowing for sure unless the helmet is named or has service number written inside that can be traced. Not all WWII produced helmets saw duty especially the late issued ones. If you;re looking for a combat vet shell to refurb they are easy enough to find on eBay for $15-20 w/o chin strap.

Russ

**NickD** · 08-29-2012, 07:32 AM

by Dominick Consolazio

The net is not new, It was one of a kind where i bought.nthey did havev any in stock it was just a one deal item, it also smells really bad, it was just one that survived the war in really good shape and I replaced the chin straps because when I got the helmet one was missing & half of the other one was there (they were sewn on) and yes the paint was refirbished because the original paint was really bad. I'm pretty sure the shell was ww2, I mean they made 22 million in ww2 and produced another million postwar, so whats the chance of it not being a ww2 helmet?? Does anyone know how many rearseam were produced in ww2 (estimate) ?

well that was a waist of time you could have said in your original post that you had re-furbished it !!!

if the heat stamp is 952 the shell would date about July 1944.

**moaning minnie** · 08-29-2012, 09:09 AM

Now im really confused.com.i was under the impression when this thread was first started that you wanted genuine opinions regarding this particular late war helmet that you've just purchased.now your stating that you yourself added the paint+chinstraps.if you just wanted to know weather the shell was ww2 vintage,you could have just told us the heat stamp!!!!!!and wait for it,that stamp would be a front seamed lid,as nicks already said around july 44 and as we all know rear seams did'nt start until nov44!!!!so apart from maybe the net or liner(without pics supplied)that doesn't leave much that can be classed as ww2 vintage im afraid.regards minnie.

**MySonsDad** · 08-29-2012, 01:22 PM

I am getting a sense that there is some reluctance to show the liner as well.....

**Dominick Consolazio** · 08-29-2012, 02:03 PM

I was doing some research, is it true that post war shells have a little bit of a diffrent shape than a war time pots or is the shap exactly identical to ww2 ?

**MySonsDad** · 08-29-2012, 02:44 PM

The shapes are slighly different and the height is different, WWII/Korean lids refered to as High Dome and the later produced Low Dome. It's not hard to tell the two apart with a good photo, no net, no liner etc, just a good solid profile photo.

This really is not all as complicated as it is turning out to be. As Dave has pointed out several time, the Heat Stamp alone will pretty much tell the story. The number you gave is likely a war time heat stamp number but you never concluded where the alph digit was, to the left or right of the heat stamp. Low Dome helmets also have 3 diget heat stamp numbers but were preceded (at least in most cases) by the letter "M", I am assuming for McCord, or the letter "I", I am assuming for Ingersoll.

Sewn on chin straps are definitive to WWII helmets however, learing that you put this on throws everthing off again as you never stated what kind of chin strap it had on originally. So, lack of good photos, re-paint, repo chin strap, no definitive heat stamp number all add up to "Who KNows?"......it really should not this hard and I think I'm done. Russ

**Dominick Consolazio** · 08-29-2012, 02:54 PM

by MySonsDad

Is the characture and "M" or an "I" ?

Yes, 22 million made but just as likely not to be a WWII period helmet as it is. Tons of helmets want to scrap and as many were sold off to other countries.

Need good profile photo with no net and shell removed. Also inside of liner would be really nice.

Here's a pic without the netting
http://i1161.photobucket.com/albums/...7/a1d6bb27.jpg