Soviet Steel Helmet, yes?

**Mogadeet** · 03-15-2022, 04:49 AM

I ran into this helmet at a consignment shop. It had apparently been used for Paintball (it had an elastic band holding a face sheet) which was easily removed since it wasn't actually attached. My guess is that it was made in 1948 (based on the marking at the rear of the helmet, which looks like 1948), and might have been manufactured by an Eastern Bloc country rather than in the Soviet Union itself, but that's just idle speculation based on what the liner looks like. I don't believe the colors on the outside are original, but it has not been repainted on the inside.
The inside has two spots marked by painted-on (stenciled) markings/symbols, and the number 1-4273 embossed on the inside rear.
I bought this for $5.00. The lady had no idea what it was, and was glad to get rid of it.
Can anyone tell me anything based on my poorly-made photos?

Notice the "1948" below the P-1 stenciled.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 03-15-2022 04:49 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Marcel Banziger** · 03-15-2022, 05:47 AM

Looks like an original LMZ (Soviet Union) 1948 made helmet. Too bad about the new outer paint. These 1948 dated helmets are quite rare as well.

**reneblacky** · 03-15-2022, 08:02 AM

There might be more to the camo paint but I can't pin point it! (not expert here at all)

**Woolgar** · 03-15-2022, 08:54 AM

A truly nice find for $5

Nick

**Mogadeet** · 03-15-2022, 05:38 PM

It was a real steal. The lady running the shop thought it was just a peace of junk, and I did absolutely nothing to disabuse her of that notion.

**Mogadeet** · 03-16-2022, 04:39 AM

Thank you, everyone, who answered this.

**christek** · 03-18-2022, 10:30 AM

"It was a real steal. The lady running the shop thought it was just a peace of junk, and I did absolutely nothing to disabuse her of that notion"

I am not sure how I feel about that comment... If you had any ideas, maybe be a bit more honest with the lady. This is not our hobby....

**BlackCat1982** · 03-18-2022, 11:43 AM

The red brown paint reminds me of camo used at BATUS exercises in the past. A bargain for $5.

**Mogadeet** · 03-18-2022, 09:20 PM

Christek, I did mention to her that is was a Russian helmet, and that it surprised me to see it, but she looked on it as being a piece of junk. I made no effort to convince her that it wasn't a piece of junk. Note from my question that I had no idea it possessed any real value, but any enthusiasm on my part would have simply induced her to raise her price to a point where I would have walked out empty handed.
So, I did not delude her, or lie to her, or tell her it was something that it wasn't. I just made no effort to get her to see that a Soviet helmet was not junk.
Now where, in all that, do you see an issue? Was I supposed to talk her out of selling it to me? I'm not sure that self-defeating behavior is something that enhances the hobby.