Ddr east german nva steel m56

[real steel]

If it still in the basement today David, I'm sure it would have a hell of a patina

I called earlier...no sign of it.

[Rakkasan187]

Andy,

I don't think you can go wrong if you were to pick this one up....Hope you can add it to your collection...

Smitty

[Composite]

Looks like an OK lid...late pattern liner. There are several models, defined by rivet type, location and liner style....as long as it’s relatively cheap you can’t go wrong...but if the seller’s wanting loads of dosh I’d hold back...my first one cost me £50 (when the wall was up) and the second cost me less than £3......with the wall down.......

[battle gear]

it has a nice used look , it's probably been in storage since the wall came down

a cool piece of cold war history, I would buy it

[reneblacky]

Try to find one like this (right) they hold their worth

[HARRY THE MOLE]

The one's with the early pattern liners - as in the helmet in the right of the picture, are starting to climb in price now.

[Watchdog]

The one's with the early pattern liners - as in the helmet in the right of the picture, are starting to climb in price now.

I didn't see this thread when posted so I'm a bit late responding and can have no impact on whether you bought it (did you?) but for the benefit of anyone else looking for info;

As Steve and Rene both point out unless you are a variant collector the one to have is the true M56 with the early all leather liner attached with rivets through the shell.

The latest type referred to in some sources as M56/66 has the plastic cradled liner with rivets welded to the inside of the shell and therefore a smooth exterior.

The one you show here is an early M56 shell with the late liner which was a transitional measure utilising the older shell with the newer liner before the new shells were manufactured. It would not have been possible to modify the old shells as the cutting and re-finishing of the rivets would compromise the ballistic integrity of the steel and would not be cost effective in any case.

Nothing wrong with a transitional type if you are a variant collector but don't forget that a late liner could have been dropped into an old shell yesterday. A small point but from a collectors point of view you get the idea. As stated above this helmet should have nothing like the price tag of the pure M56 but possibly a bit more (not much) than the late smooth shell simply because of the original M56 shell which should be date and size marked.
I hope this is helpful.

Regards

Mark

[Gunny Hartmann]

I too missed this thread and as said above the lid in the OP is an early shell with late model liner. I don't want to sound pedantic towards AndyM35 but these lids had no similarities to the M42 apart from the flared edge, the M56 was developed from a test helmet designed late WW2 known as the B/II, the Germans were after a lid with better ballistic protection than the M40/42. The test helmets did offer greater protection but Hitler forbade full scale production because they were "not representative of the German soldier".
Apparently the Soviets encountered some troops from the Döblitz infantry school wearing the test helmets in spring 1945.

[Watchdog]

I don't want to sound pedantic

Heaven forend from such an assumption

Yep, dead right, no M42 DNA here! Uncle Addi was pretty big on aesthetics though and he knew a bit about design too (apparently his designs were the epitome of sophistication and monumental dignity, not overbearing, grandiose or tasteless just bigger and better!)

Ahh! The B/II wouldn't that be a find? Does anybody know of one surviving in captivity?

Regards

Mark

[Gunny Hartmann]

"Ahh! The B/II wouldn't that be a find? Does anybody know of one surviving in captivity?"

As far as i know a museum in Dresden has an example.