Postwar M1 for discussion

[Watchdog]

Good afternoon gents,

I don't know what it is about the M1 that makes it such an icon but I can't seem to avoid the bloody things!

I only really wanted one example of a WWII type to pad out or balance my collection in general terms but now I have six plus one of those painted and badged liners that I found so amusing when I saw my US colleagues wearing them

Anyway, this one has now landed in my toybox and I wonder what members think of it. I think it had quite a long service life, probably right up to the introduction of the first kevlar "Fritz" helmet.

It is a swivel bale low dome shell with an airborne liner of the Korea / early Vietnam period and a thick silica sand finish on the shell. When it arrived the liner webbing was wrongly fitted and messed up and it had a modified chin strap that seemed to be a cut down airborne type reduced to standard infantry configuration. Not something I would have expected from a collector and the way it was done suggested to me that it had been done by the wearer rather than someone just trying to change the configuration. So, I added an airborne chinstrap, nape strap and chin cup for the liner but did nothing else other than correctly fit the webbing.

I would welcome any opinions from members and would ask if anyone can give me a timeframe for this kind of silica finish?

Regards

Mark

[battle gear]

the rough textured finish looks more like a post Vietnam depot refinish? possibly a cork type finish? silca finish is usually a smaller finer sandpaper like texture

my guess is probably around 1973 - 1983

[Watchdog]

the rough textured finish looks more like a post Vietnam depot refinish? possibly a cork type finish? silca finish is usually a smaller finer sandpaper like texture

my guess is probably around 1973 - 1983

Thanks for the reply.
As I say I think this lid had a long service life and a re-finish in service was in my mind. However, it is definately not cork and is certainly silica or something very similar. If a hard surface is applied against it with pressure, the back of a knife handle etc, the cyrstals can be crushed leaving a white residue which doesn't happen with cork. Other characterisics such as feel to touch and hardness belie cork and suggest silica. It does seem rather too thick to have been sprayed with anything other than very robust equipment though.

Can anyone,maybe someone with service experience of these describe for me what the Vietnam period finish was like? I would be very interested if any member can give me a RAL colour code or equivalent as I might need to source some paint here.

Regards

Mark

[ruddersrangers44]

Hmmm the sand camo/texture debate will continue long after our time,I too have heard the post Nam era supply/service depot theory but why is anyone's guess.the Mitchell/woodland cover was standard from 1962 right through to the mid 80's when the M1 was phased out so what was the point unless it was a low cost alternative to silca/sand.the biggest question is to weather this type of texturing is differant to that of the heavy sand coating featured on "SGT ROCK" Camo Helmet thread to which I added my version,regarding the shell can the heat treatment number be seen?the liner is a type 2 last production run contracted in 1983/86 by SPECIALITY PLASTIC PRODUCTS...............

[Watchdog]

Thanks Jake, no the heat stamp cannot be read without removing paint which I prefer not to do of course. Whether the coating is actually silica sand I think is very hard to say but it is certainly mineral and given that silica sand is actually mostly quartz, one of the most common minerals on earth I can't think of a cheaper alternative with the same characteristics. For instance salt looks a bit like it but is very soluble and much softer (extreme example but you get the idea).

As for whether helmets were re-finished in this way I can say from personal knowledge that US troops in europe during the '80s had M1s with a finish like this as well as smooth lurking beneath the cloth covers.

Perhaps someone can give me a brief run down on post war liners here. I have a couple that differ in that this one has the webbing attached in the same way as WWII / Korea types whilst others have detachable or clip-in webbing. One of these I have at least is dated 7 Sept 73 but if this type was still being produced in the '80s were both types issued during the same period?

This M1 thing is starting to infect me I think!

BTW I am still trying to identify a colour code for post war M1 (RAL etc) anyone have any ideas?

Regards

Mark

[Watchdog]

BTW I am still trying to identify a colour code for post war M1 (RAL etc) anyone have any ideas?

Regards

Mark

My "digging around" suggests Olive Green 107 which seems to equate to HEX #556b2f or RAL6025. Anybody have a better idea?

Mark

[ruddersrangers44]

Hi Mark the correct Army code colour is Olive Drab no.319 for postwar shells produced between 1951-1967,from 1968 the colour changed to Munsell 10Y 3/3.Detachable webbed liners only appied to Infantry from 27 OCT 1972 onwards.All type 2 liners (Airborne) remained as permanent fixed webbing cradles.Westinghouse/Capac/Marmac/Pat-Ric/Firestone/Consolidated Molded Plastics/Stemaco/Speciality Plastic Products,these are all postwar contractors of the M1 Helmet/Combat liner...............

[Watchdog]

Thanks Jake, that makes things much clearer for me and is one more "nugget" stored away!

Regards

Mark