Soviet SSh40, brown liner, LMZ 1944, any issues?

[Michelwijnand]

So I picked up this helmet quite cheaply, and was wondering 2 things, what the meaning is of the white bar at the front and the bit at the back,
and if there's any issues with it that would make it postwar. I've checked most of the details like liner material and color, chinstrap ring attachment etc,
and can't find anything really wrong with it, but still there might be something I've overlooked or don't know about, any input would be appreciated.

Also, this is my first post here on the forum, some might already know me from other forums or pages, but if there's any place where new members should go
to introduce themselves (as on some other websites) I missed it and apologize for that.

[James C]

Hello Michel and a warm welcome to the forum Nice Ssh 40 there are some really knowledgable members on here that will help answer all your questions

[Greg Pickersgill]

I am generally struggling with these Russian helmets myself, so the only thing I can offer you is that the brown pads are not common and are usually black, and that there ought to be a year date (last two digits only) in that rectangular ink-stamp at the rear of the helmet. Reading something like "'Cyrillic letters' - 44", the letters being the factory from which it came.

I have a fascination with brown-pads in ssh40 because I keep looking for Romanian M40 which are essentially identical to the Russian ssh40, but *always* have brown pads.

[Michelwijnand]

Thanks for the welcome and the info, guys!

The stamp is seen in the 6th photo, it's the late type LMZ stamp, followed by 44.
I remember seeing another helmet with brown pads like this on either this forum or another, from the same year and factory,
but I'm looking for a bit of confirmation about what it is, as WW2 Russian is not my strong point

[Greg Pickersgill]

I thought it might be a '44' on the stamnp, but I couldn't make it out easily. Well, assuming that the stamp is genuine then there's your confirmation, it is a 1944 production ssh40. But date-stamps can be and have been faked, so if it is seriously important that it is validated at genuine WW2-era production then you need to get someone with serious knowledge to take a look at al the other stamps to check they are are appropriate for that time.

Interesting addenda to Clawson's RUSSIAN HELMETS book here - Russian Helmets, by Clawson, rare civil defense

[Michelwijnand]

Yeah I thought as much about date stamps validity. This one doesn't look tampered with, but people are quite good with that business.
I thought if others would see something definately wrong with the helmet, then I'd know it was not wartime, but I'm now considering it wartime until proven otherwise.

And for if anyone knows something about the other stamps, the star-in-circle acceptance stamp is numbered 78, and the pressed lot-number 1-3312 if I'm seeing it correctly.

I also have a 49 dated helmet from the same factory, with a quite rare green chinstrap, and the shape of the edge is a little different at some places, this one is closer to
other earlier helmets it seems.

[James C]

I only have one decent period painted wartime shell my other's are mostly repainted 48's i like the fact your example has brown pads ,I'm not familiar with that type colouration but i like it ,here is my example

[Gunny Hartmann]

Interesting that the rear liner pad is a different material!....

[Michelwijnand]

Yeah, real funny guys at this factory, my 49 dated one from the same place even has 3 different pad patterns.
I'm still searching for the other brownpadded helmet I saw, and on which forum. When I find it again I'll post the link here

[James C]

Just remembered that our good forum friend Nick has recently posted up an example SSH 40 pick up