Production run and maker of British lightweight Para helmets?

[Armo1000]

The British lightweight/M76/Para (whatever you want to call them) helmets have always interested me and they are a rather nice aesthetic alternative to the Mk6 (even though they were not really intended for combat).

However, I am curious about the exact dates of production on these and also who made them? I know there are 1st and 2nd pattern versions (Smooth and rough shell) and generally see them dated late 70s-late 00s, but don't know any exact info on these interesting helmets. Also, do the paras still use them, or have they been totally phased out now for the new Virtus helmets?




(A rough Falklands era Para impression I put together for Airsoft use including a Para helmet)

Also a side note. A few years ago I managed to pick up a brand new 2nd pattern one of these in size small. I bought it for use in airsoft at the time and to the surprise of my small size 55cm head, it would not fit at all. In fact, I would be surprised if it could comfortably fit anyone apart from small children, which raised all manners of questions about the Army's sizing decisions haha.

[Greg Pickersgill]

Now there's an interesting question. And if anyone can answer it in comprehensive detail I'll be genuinely excited.

Well, OK, parts of it are comparatively simple, there were at least three distinct versions (one of them essentially trials/test so really rare) and a number of manufacturers are known. Dates are not so easily established unless they're actually on the makers label or (less easily accessed) in the mould-mark in the crown of the shell beneath the liner.

I don't have a list of makers easily to hand - they include NP (National Plastics - by far the majority), Thetford Moulded Products, Malcolm Campbell (the earliest test run), and the ones I can't recall now.

By the way - correct terminology really is HELMET PARACHUTISTS LIGHT WEIGHT for the early ones and simply HELMET PARACHUTE for the rest, usually ('round 'ere anyway) styled as HPLW in the tradition of the steel HSAT. There is *no* indication that they were every officially called M76 and that is thought of as Bad.

There are two or three pretty good threads on these helmets in this specific forum.