Need help to ID these Steel Helmets

[IrishComrade762]

I bought these 2 Steel helmets at a military show a few months ago. However I have been unable to find out exactly what helmets they are and I was hoping someone on this site could help me...

HELMET 1












HELMET 2














While I'm not 100% sure what helmets they are I think Helmet 1 might be a Soviet-style Czech Surplus Helmet from the 50's or 60's and I think that Helmet 2 is a WW2 Italian M33 Reproduction Helmet...any help you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

[IrishComrade762]

PS: Apologies for the sideways pictures I didn't know how to rotate them

[bigmacglenn]

The helmet that looks similar to the Italian M33 is actually Bulgarian...
Can't help much with the other one...Russian/EasternBloc for sure...
cheers, Glenn

[relicz]

The other looks like a Czech or something very similar.

[cammobunker]

Helmet #1 is a Polish Wz-50 (is not Czech-Czech has adjustable liner at the rear, while Polish helmets seem to be one size) while No 2 is Bulgarian 51/72.
Pretty good eye there Irish; The Bulgarian 51/72 is an almost direct copy of the Italian 933.

[Greg Pickersgill]

Cammobunker is quite correct, but I would like to add that the shells of the Polish/Czech/Hungarian versions of the Russian ssh40 are not direct slavish copies, but have some significant variations from the original and from each other. And of course the liners and chinstraps are different also. And, as an afterthought, the Bulgar M51 series have some noticable variations depending on when and where they were made. All interesting stuff, more going on there than seen at first glance.

[James C]

hello irish comrade and welcome in ,you have picked up two nice post war helmets as stated already one polish model 50 ,judging by the condition and liner unissued ,if you look in the crown you should see a year of manufacture stamp also look closely around the liner fingers for any dates too ,and a bulgarian m51/72 now for the confusing part ,your bulgarian m51 is indeed classed as an m51/72 but is a 1970's refurbed earlier shell version ,the latter shell has different contours ,here's a referance picture to explain my ramblings cheers james