Dating m1 helmet

How do I identify an M-1 helmet?

This can be done by examining the number (pictured to the right) found in the inner front of any US M-1 McCord manufactured helmet shell. McCord manufactured the majority of M-1 helmet shells (making 20,000,000 helmets) and they did not place any other identification marks.

Which countries have adopted the M1A helmet?

Paraguay: Adopted the M1 after signing the Rio Treaty. Peru: Formerly used M1 helmets supplied by the US. Some obtained from Israel and West Germany. Philippines: Formerly used M1 helmet in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Some reserve stocks for training of the recruits.

When did the M1 helmet come out?

The TS-3 was given official approval on June 6, 1941 and was designated Helmet, Steel, M1. Full scale production commenced almost immediately. Over 22 million U.S. M1 steel helmets were manufactured through September 1945.

How do you date a McCord helmet?

A heat stamp of 305B on a McCord manufactured helmet. A heat stamp of 50A with an S beneath it on a Schlueter manufactured helmet. Heat stamps can be used to roughly determine the production date of M1 helmets. The book Helmets of the ETO includes a chart to date McCord manufactured helmets, however the information is copyrighted.

What is an M1 helmet?

The M1 helmet is a combat helmet that was used by the United States military from World War II until 1985, when it was succeeded by the PASGT helmet. For over forty years, the M1 was standard issue for the U.S. military.

How do you identify a M35 Helmet?

Later production helmets had the stampings on the rear of the flange. There will also be another set of stampings on the rear flange which designates the lot number. M35 helmets will have a rolled edge as depicted in Fig. 1. The air vents were designed by pressing a grommet together in the the hole to form an air vent.

How can you tell if a helmet is a WWII helmet?

In the early 1950s, a fine sand aggregate was applied to new and refurbished older M1 helmet shells. If the exterior of the helmet feels like fine sand it is not a WWII helmet. This is where some of the confusion lies. It was very common for WWII produced shells to be repainted after WWII to post-war specifications.

Did they make M1 helmets in the Korean War?

Further M1 helmets were manufactured for the Korean War. Production continued during the Cold War era with periodic improvements; in 1955 a grommet in the front of the liner was deleted, in 1964 the liner construction was changed to laminated nylon and a new chinstrap design was introduced in 1975.

How do you date a Schlueter helmet?

A heat stamp of 50A with an S beneath it on a Schlueter manufactured helmet. Heat stamps can be used to roughly determine the production date of M1 helmets. The book Helmets of the ETO includes a chart to date McCord manufactured helmets, however the information is copyrighted.

How do I identify an M-1 helmet?

This can be done by examining the number (pictured to the right) found in the inner front of any US M-1 McCord manufactured helmet shell. McCord manufactured the majority of M-1 helmet shells (making 20,000,000 helmets) and they did not place any other identification marks.

What is the difference between a McCord and Schlueter M1 helmet?

Most wartime M1s have a seam that meets at the front, however the seam was moved to the rear in November 1944 and remained there for decades of later M1 helmet production. McCord helmets exhibit oval-shaped welds at the seam, whereas Schlueters are circular.

How can I tell what year my helmet is?

An alpha/numerical stamp is located on the lower inside front of the helmet where the helmet flares out to the rim. The stamp can be hard to see but can identify maker and approximate year of manufacture.