Hungarian M50 helmet

**Fabe** · 05-26-2016, 06:55 PM

nice one!

I have one of these - I think almost an unissued one with 'Rákosi' & size 4 ink-stamp:

**OldSteel** · 05-26-2016, 10:07 PM

Also firemen's versions are very interesting, always I remain more surprised by a lot of information that collects this post.

Thanks.

**easternwarfront** · 05-26-2016, 10:29 PM

Stunning example Fabe, congrats! Here's your helmet's twin. Can't make out the ink stamp perfectly.

**easternwarfront** · 07-23-2016, 11:36 PM

M50 with frontal red star decal in silver color, probably used by fire service as parade helmet.

**easternwarfront** · 05-25-2017, 09:49 PM

There was only one producer of M50 hungarian helmets - Budafoki Zománcedény-, Fémárú és Elektromosgyár R.T., Budafok. The steel plant was the Borsodnádasdi Lemezgyár, Borsodnádasd then the Rákosi Mátyás Vas és Fémművek, Csepel. I did not find evidence of helmet production prior 1950, the first order is dated 1950 but the mass production started in january 1951. 90.000 helmets were ordered.
Initial metric chart was:
Size I : 15%
Size II: 70 %
Size III: 15%

**battle gear** · 05-26-2017, 12:34 AM

did the Hungarians supply any of these to the North Vietnamese during the VIETNAM WAR? Ive seen Russian, Czech, East German, Polish helmets, I would guess a few of these probably made it over there as well?

**Fabe** · 05-26-2017, 02:17 AM

Now I have close to 25 of these - all of them are different...

**Greg Pickersgill** · 05-26-2017, 11:30 AM

by Fabe

Now I have close to 25 of these - all of them are different...

I've got about seventeen of them - and most of them are the same! Well, not all of them - there are differences with some, but only an Expert like you (or me?**) would know what they are

**no, not really, I am just an enthusiastic collector

**Fabe** · 05-26-2017, 01:03 PM

What I meant, that almost all of them have different shades of paint - I have 2 which has 2 layers of paint: the original factory dark green, and the top of that, a shiny brownish-green paint - see the second pic. left side: 2 bright, plastic-like paint, right side is the factory green. ( In the last 6 years, I only encountered these two with that paint combo)

**Fabe** · 05-26-2017, 01:12 PM

by battle gear

did the Hungarians supply any of these to the North Vietnamese during the VIETNAM WAR? Ive seen Russian, Czech, East German, Polish helmets, I would guess a few of these probably made it over there as well?

I don't know for sure, but I would say they did. ( There were some "missions" where they sent medical supply and personal, but not fighting men - there are some Hungarian uniforms that were designed for these missions - I think called: Vietnam tropical )