M40 R577 Double aluminum liner

[Giants77]

Hey guys so I always like learning more about helmets and I know when we had a discussion about my SS Helmet and the aluminum liner and no helmets have really surfaced that I have known about with that type of liner band. I finally found a helmet with the R lot number with a Double band aluminum liner not a SS but Luftwaffe I just thought it was interesting and the seller notes it’s a 1940 dated liner and mines a 1938 dated liner so not exact but I just thought it was interesting to find a helmet with a aluminum liner with a similar lot number. Not trying to kick up a old argument but just wanted to share this.
(I’m not interested in buying the helmet just wanted to share the helmet)

[Schwerpunkt]

Well if you want to really discuss it you would need to see more of the helmet , inside pins , outside paint. Now it looks someone put the band over it to hide the rivets.
We know Q used alu reinforced bands up to 1943 , one company produced them up to 1943 , cannot recall the name right now.

[Giants77]

Very true, interesting I remember that being said that Quist used the Aluminum liner band very late into the war. Do we know why that is? Because a single steel liner band seems way easier and faster to make then a double band aluminum one.? Maybe aluminum was easier to come by and cheaper.??

[PaddyD00]

Was it Werner Zahn made the the Alu Reinforced Liner Until 1943? I think it may have been as they are in SE KMs and it rings a bell. I’ll have to get the books out.
Z

••••Confirmed WZ was the maker of the later liners

[PotatoDigger]

Yup, as already said W.Z. made the reinforced alu liners up until 1943 but they also made steel ones starting like the other makers in 1940.
The main reason to switch to galvanised steel was that all possible aluminium was used to build aircraft by 1940.
but of course it was also cheaper and faster to make because no reinforcing bands were necessary.
The only difference between an early and a mid to late war alu liner is the chinstrap bales as they were then made of bent metal wire instead of a square aluminium casting.
Sometimes still made of aluminium but sometimes also made of steel (like the example in the first post)
Here's a relic condition 1943 band I have.
Luis

[PaddyD00]

What helmet was that in Luis?
Z

[PotatoDigger]

What helmet was that in Luis?
Z

No idea, got it off ebay some time ago, probably in an M40 or M42.
I have indeed seen some ND Q M40s with those liners which makes sense, since the 2 Q M40s I have/had also had liners made by W.Z. in them (albeit 1944 dated steel ones) so that factory probably sent a bunch of their liners to the Q factory throughout the years.
Luis