Morlok Posted June 24, 2014 Share #1 Posted June 24, 2014 I am not sure if this has come up before, but what is the earliest heat stamps that other forum members have come across? I recently picked up a FB helmet with early cast buckle & after cleaning the grime & surface rust away, it has a number of 17B. I got my jewelers loupe & checked from every angle for about an hour & I am 100% certain that 17B is correct. That would make it the earliest lid I have ever come across. I looked very carefully, as the surface rust was a concern. But the rust was very fine & the original paint is visible on the surface when seen through the loupe. The 17B is clearly seen & the area around it is the factory finish with no trace of wear or erosion. Would this be considered a hard to find early helmet? Or is it not as uncommon as I thought? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burning Hazard Posted June 24, 2014 Share #2 Posted June 24, 2014 Think the earliest I seen was 29B. Although you have to be careful with heat stamps as I have come across several pots with poorly stamped numbers that may look early but are actually missing a number or even a letter. Curious what the other guys got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etienne Posted June 24, 2014 Share #3 Posted June 24, 2014 I am not sure if this has come up before, but what is the earliest heat stamps that other forum members have come across? I recently picked up a FB helmet with early cast buckle & after cleaning the grime & surface rust away, it has a number of 17B. I got my jewelers loupe & checked from every angle for about an hour & I am 100% certain that 17B is correct. That would make it the earliest lid I have ever come across. I looked very carefully, as the surface rust was a concern. But the rust was very fine & the original paint is visible on the surface when seen through the loupe. The 17B is clearly seen & the area around it is the factory finish with no trace of wear or erosion. Would this be considered a hard to find early helmet? Or is it not as uncommon as I thought? Thanks! Hello, as there is M1917A1 stamped with numbers as high as 22 to 26, I'd say that a heat lot number 17B on a M1 shell is very unlikely. There's probably one number that is too lightly stamped and covered with paint, rust or simply not visible ... it can be before the 17B, or between the 7 and the B if you have a space between them. Some photos could help E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king802 Posted June 24, 2014 Share #4 Posted June 24, 2014 From what we have seen on the forum a common feature of all the very earliest shells are the M1917a1 chinstraps and the early rounded bales. All these helmets are two digit numbers. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B24AT6 Posted June 24, 2014 Share #5 Posted June 24, 2014 The lowest McCord number I have seen is a M1917A1 in my collection that is heat lot 1A. But I'm not sure what the absolute lowest number M1 out there is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morlok Posted June 24, 2014 Author Share #6 Posted June 24, 2014 I tried to take a picture of the number, but my camera is a bit older & won't capture the small details. However, I took the helmet out in the sunlight today & there it is, plain as day. 17B. No traces of lightly stamped numbers, nothing painted over, nothing worn, rusted or removed. In natural light, using a loupe, it is clearly stamped 17B & the area on both sides is clearly unmarked. However, If a number was left out before the 1, or after the 7, by mistake, I could understand how this lid ended up with such a low number. I picked up the helmet last week from another forum member. Here are 2 of the photos from the sale post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38Driver Posted June 24, 2014 Share #7 Posted June 24, 2014 Any chance it's a Schlueter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMC-RECON0321 Posted June 25, 2014 Share #8 Posted June 25, 2014 The buckle on the chinstrap looks like a "raised bar" Brass buckle and not a M1917A1 "Cast buckle" (in the picture anyway). The raised bar came out after the cast buckles, which would be a higher heat stamp #. Troy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMC-RECON0321 Posted June 25, 2014 Share #9 Posted June 25, 2014 Here is an example of an early cast buckle And here is the Raised bar buckle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCheese Posted June 25, 2014 Share #10 Posted June 25, 2014 I don't think heat lots 'reset' between M1917A1 production and M1 production, so I'd imagine the earliest could be 26A or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burning Hazard Posted June 25, 2014 Share #11 Posted June 25, 2014 Makes you wonder if McCord had several lot rejects of the M1 in their very first helmet runs, and heat stamps like 26A or 29B are the true "first production" that actually made it to the field. Maybe heat stamps lots 1-26 did exist but got scrapped due to flaws as McCord had issues with the steel they used (hence lots of stress cracks on early shells). hmmmm.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborne53 Posted June 25, 2014 Share #12 Posted June 25, 2014 hello M1 first lot is 25 last lot 1917a1 is 24 olivier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king802 Posted June 25, 2014 Share #13 Posted June 25, 2014 That would seem logical. So can we assume that lot 25 run from 25A through to 25Z before moving onto 26A. I wonder how many helmets were in each lot ? Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morlok Posted June 25, 2014 Author Share #14 Posted June 25, 2014 I'll try to get a picture of the buckle within a day or 2. (my weekend is now over...back to work!) I compared it to the picture above & to my 2 1917A1 helmets. It is a raised bar buckle, but the bar that the strap loops around is raised as well & the ends of that bar sit on top of the buckle?! Not like the other (100%) 2 digit FB shells I have. I'll try to post a side-by-side profile shot of the helmet with a known 2 digit McCord. Perhaps it could be a Schlueter, without the S stamped in it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinb Posted December 16, 2014 Share #15 Posted December 16, 2014 All this talk about heat lot numbers finally made me go look at my helmets. Here's a surprise. 21 A. Front seam, fixed bail, cast brass buckle. OD #3 straps. Oh, and that's genuine WW2 US Navy foot powder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant G. Posted March 11, 2015 Share #16 Posted March 11, 2015 I thought I'd add this to the list before it sells. This 28A 3 is the earliest one I've ever owned. https://www.facebook.com/Circa1941/photos/a.252598338167887.58184.252582294836158/806093809485001/?type=1&theater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdk0911 Posted March 12, 2015 Share #17 Posted March 12, 2015 how about this one - I don't own it but it just sold on Ebay about a week ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonesy1275 Posted March 12, 2015 Share #18 Posted March 12, 2015 I'm pleased to see how this heatstamp has been done as I recently bought an M1 with a heatstamp of what appeared to be 28 A. It's so feint and I did wonder if there should be another digit inbetween the 28 and A. This proves otherwise which I'm happy about. All this talk about heat lot numbers finally made me go look at my helmets. Here's a surprise. 21 A. Front seam, fixed bail, cast brass buckle. OD #3 straps. Oh, and that's genuine WW2 US Navy foot powder. MVC-126S.JPG MVC-128S.JPG MVC-127S.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonBoy09 Posted July 13, 2015 Share #19 Posted July 13, 2015 I am curious what is the highest heat stamp that a world war two helmet could have? I am guessing it is around 1300 ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Camouflage Pattern I Posted July 13, 2015 Share #20 Posted July 13, 2015 I've always heard 1300 is the end of WWII production. Also, I've got an M1 marked 0, nothing else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant G. Posted July 13, 2015 Share #21 Posted July 13, 2015 Around the 1300 for McCord and 558A is the highest I have seen on a Schlueter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant G. Posted December 5, 2015 Share #22 Posted December 5, 2015 Here's another early McCord that has since sold: 29A 2 http://www.wwiihelmetsbycirca1941.com/#!product-page/c1iym/0e6cf3a7-5fb9-fa86-63e9-e90af9c8440c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
644td Posted December 5, 2015 Share #23 Posted December 5, 2015 I have trouble posting pictures here. But I just bought over the weekend Schlueter fixed bail with a heat stamp of 11a. The helmet is posted on warrelics forum under 2nd Lt. Named fixed bail Schlueter helmet. If someone need to post the picture here for "the record" please feel free too. Marty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant G. Posted December 5, 2015 Share #24 Posted December 5, 2015 I have trouble posting pictures here. But I just bought over the weekend Schlueter fixed bail with a heat stamp of 11a. The helmet is posted on warrelics forum under 2nd Lt. Named fixed bail Schlueter helmet. If someone need to post the picture here for "the record" please feel free too. Marty Hey Marty, I just took a look at your Schlueter and the heat stamp actually has a faint number missing between the second 1 and the A; notice the gap: 11_A. Schlueters do not have an empty space between the numbers and the letter. http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/us-m1-steel-helmet-forum/2nd-lt-named-fixed-bail-schlueter-helmet-600021/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
644td Posted December 5, 2015 Share #25 Posted December 5, 2015 I went back to look at the number and also chalked it. I still only the 11a the number must be very faint. Can you look again for to confirm? Can you post the picture for me? Marty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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