RJ Stampings m1

[Graham9]

I have a list of RJ Stampings Heat numbers but no year of manufacturing, can anybody help or point me in the right direction.
Cheers Graham

[Tank Destroyer]

Looking for the same thing, not sure if it even exists.

Marty

[Graham9]

All I know is only manufactured up until 1977 and they made about 1.8 million helmets.

[Tank Destroyer]

My only RJS not sure if this Vietnam era or post war, that’s why I would like to see a production sheet.

Marty

[Jimir]

Dont know if this is any help.
RJ Stampings were awarded 5 contracts dated:
2/4/70. (D/M/Y)
1/10/71
31/1/73
4/10/73
Sept 76

So the range of numbers I have are:
404,501,502,503,504,507,531,541,601,602,603,608,60 9,622,623,626,629,632,635,692,693,701,723,734.

Is your list of numbers similar?

Maybe we can work out a rough chart to date the helmets. 404 or lower could be considered early 70’s while 734 or later circa 76.

[Graham9]

If you took the 5 contract dates and divide between the 24 heat stamps you could get a rough idea. It could help if you looking for Vietnam era helmet

[Jimir]

Yeah sounds like a plan, do you know if there are any numbers lower than 404?

[Tank Destroyer]

Dont know if this is any help.
RJ Stampings were awarded 5 contracts dated:
2/4/70. (D/M/Y)
1/10/71
31/1/73
4/10/73
Sept 76

So the range of numbers I have are:
404,501,502,503,504,507,531,541,601,602,603,608,60 9,622,623,626,629,632,635,692,693,701,723,734.

Is your list of numbers similar?

Maybe we can work out a rough chart to date the helmets. 404 or lower could be considered early 70’s while 734 or later circa 76.

Help me to understand this chart, my RJS helmet is 4 digits 4692. The range of numbers you have are 3 digits.

Marty

[Jimir]

Yes good point, forgot about the four digit RJ Stampings. I believe, but may be wrong so please correct me folks, that the four digit ones were the first lot of helmets produced by this company and then, for some reason, they went to a three digit system.

I’ve never seen a four digit in the flesh but looking at photographs they always appear to look older and have more signs of use than the three digit shells.

Can anyone confirm this?

[Jimir]

Just to confuse things here’s information I manage to find on another forum. The guy concerned had a number of boxes of brand new RJ Stamping produced helmets with the number range I quoted earlier, 404-734. The contract date was 1981.

“ I have 2 boxes of US M-1 helmets. The boxes, which had never been opened, contained 4 stacks of 5 helmets in NOS / unissued condition. The helmets were in their original packing material - a waffle pad was sandwiched between each helmet and several sheets of paper padding were on top of each stack. The boxes are stamped with the correct NSN, 8470-00-255-8579 and the Defense Logistics Agency contract number, DLA 100-81-C-3489 indicates that they were manufactured under a US government defense contract in fiscal year 1981. The box also has a stamp that reads "/82". This is the date that the box was shipped from the contractor. The year "82" has been lined out and replaced with s a handwritten month and date of "3/83" indicating that the boxes were shipped from the contractor to the Defense Logistics Agency in March 1983. I cut the original tape that sealed the boxes, removed the helmets and documented the heat stamp number on each of these helmets. All 40 of these unissued helmets, right out of their unopened boxes, were stamped with one of the 3 digit numbers listed in my previous message. The last corporation to receive a government contract for the US M-1 helmet was R.J. Stampings.”