M42 ef 64

[wizardman]

Hi everyone, firstly i want to say, im not a Helmet guy, so if i have made any mistakes in my description i apologize..I have had this since the late 1970s and never really put much thought into it, but lately ive been thinking about trying to strip it back to the original colour, as the overpaint is probably the worst ive seen lol..It looks as if at some stage someone has had a decal on it (incorrect position) but that would pre date me...One of my questions is, is this a German issue Helmet or would this have been a Finnish contract and does the batch number have any significance...I know DougB is always saying that with SS Helmets the batch number means nothing..Is that the same for Heer?

[Adrian Stevenson]

Shell is original, but all the paint, inside and out is postwar.

Standard German contract M42.

Cheers, Ade.

[MAP]

Batch numbers are a tool, but not definative. So...in this case I don't think it would help all that much but you could look and see if at least "points" in a general direction.

[M38]

Before you write this one off completely........what is the color of the paint up in the dome inside? At first glance this looks a bit like one of the (formerly so called) Czech reworks but those seldom have used liners or paint on the liner band and chinstrap. It almost looks like this one was wartime painted tan on the inside rim up to the liner band - probably outside as well - and then got a coat of post war paint on top of that outside. Perhaps there is still tan camo paint under the ugly gray paint on the outside.

Cheers,
Terry

[Adrian Stevenson]

I thought it was a "Czech" one too Terry.

[wizardman]

Thank you everyone..I have no idea about Helmets, so im trying to gain as much as i can..here are some internal views

[No1canuck]

I dont think thats a Czech rework as they were painted tan inside and out as far as I recall.

Steve

[Neil Hever]

Maybe test a section of the outside and see what is underneath? NH

[slados28]

Could be a slightly rusty Norwegian post-war reissue that has had yet another layer of paint applied some time later, perhaps to make it more "German ww2" looking? Reenactor or overeager collector? Who knows...
I don't think liners were always taken out when repainted before reissued either and there's Norwegian reissues out there with liners and straps never having been dyed red, like on this one. All of the paint looks post-war to me, so perhaps it doesn't matter much either way---

Also, as noted before, I don't see the point in relying on lot numbers too much --- it wouldn't tell you much of real substance anyway.

[kradman]

I would have said Norwegian post-war reissue also myself and painted the later green by a Reenactor