Spanish M42/79 "Modelo Z" Helmet

[fischer]

Hi Guys,

Flea market find with the price too good to leave on the table.

I believe this one has been retrofitted with new paint and liner at some point but looking for other opinions.

Cheers!

Best Regards, fischer

[Greg Pickersgill]

As you probably know, the original M42 was in service from the late 1940s onward, with a three-pad leather liner and two-part leather chinstrap. Many - most? - of these were refurbished in the late70s/1980s as the M42/79, which you have. So yes, highly likely to be an original 1940s shell repainted and relined. It's not entirely clear to me whether new production runs of the basic shell were ever made, but given that there were a lot of these helmets around it may not have been necessary. I've not seen enough to be able to tell from things like rivets etc (though I have seen variations, but probably because of using what's available rather than the official requirement).

Unfortunately you're missing two parts of the chinstrap rig - a notably complex and seemingly rather fragile setup. Actually the whole liner system seens absurdly over-complex to me. See here - ESPAÑOL Z 42

About twenty years ago there were lots of these M42/79 about, but they seem to have become rather uncommon in the last ten years - gone from a rather derided 'common' piece to something that would now be hard to find. The originals with leather fittings were always much rarer. This also happened to a number of other helmets including the now really hard to get Greek postwar refurbished British Mk2 types. A salutory lesson in what might be easy to get and cheap now won't always be.

[Jack59]

Nice historical helmet representing a past era & it's recovery from it.

[Eschborn]

Hello,
For me, there was indeed a production of these helmets from 1979 with the modernization of the inner cap and the chinstrap and this to avoid long and costly studies for a new model.
This helmet, which externally does not differ in any way from the 42, was used until the end of the 1980s and was replaced by a composite material helmet meeting NATO standards.
As has been said, many 42 helmets were used and retrofitted, but it is impossible to tell them apart, except perhaps by the vent hole which is more prominent on early 42 models, such as those of the M35 German.

[juanjo67]

Hello, the fact that they have flat rivets indicates a later production, since the first Z 42-79 retain the rounded brass rivets. Later the ventilation hole was completely flat. All the best. The page they recommend is very good. All the best.