Why is the helmet liner pin like this? any ideas?

[m2013d04]

I noticed the back pin on this helmet looks way different than most other ones, my only ideas are that part of the pin broke off although it seems too rounded/smooth for that or it was a field repair done by a soldier, opinions?

[reneblacky]

Can't tell looks like a photo of ground mud! is there a tree growing there?

[TheGoon]

The head of the pin broke off and started to back out of the hole and it looks like the pin shank just got bent over.

[Danmark]

Pins are made in THREE pieces - the 'U' shaped pin ( prior to being bent ) a flat round base with 2 slots in it ( similar to the other washer that slides on the pin legs before they are bent over ) and a shallow domed head. This is swaged in place during manufacture and in a rusted helmet such as yours, it has fallen off exposing the inner "workings".

[Kateri]

Here's two photos of a relic M42 I received a couple of years ago.
The liner band was intact but the pins were in a poor state.
One was missing completely but you can see the other two here.

[Watchdog]

I agree with what the others have said here that this is an example of the cosmetic "head" or shell of the pin being lost to corrosion etc. It's not that unusual.

However, just a bit of advice for future reference, you would have had this answer immediately if you had posted pictures that put the item in context ie showing the whole helmet so that it didn't look like "mud" or part of a tree.
Without context the brain is initially confused by what the eye is seeing and defaults to the most similar image it "has on file" and at first identifies it as mud or tree bark for instance

Regards

Mark

[MAP]

I agree with what the others have said here that this is an example of the cosmetic "head" or shell of the pin being lost to corrosion etc. It's not that unusual.

However, just a bit of advice for future reference, you would have had this answer immediately if you had posted pictures that put the item in context ie showing the whole helmet so that it didn't look like "mud" or part of a tree.
Without context the brain is initially confused by what the eye is seeing and defaults to the most similar image it "has on file" and at first identifies it as mud or tree bark for instance

Regards

Mark

Agree. Please always post photos of the whole helmet.

Take a look here

Posting and Conduct Rules - Steel Helmet Forum

Also I will move this thread to the Relics section of the forum where it belongs.

[m2013d04]

Gotcha, will do next time! Thanks for the help!