M2 Helmet Lot Number

[frankie]

Admin Notice: This thread has been updated 9/5/17. If you don't want to wade through 6 pages of: Is it real or is it fake, go to post #131

I recently purchased an M2 helmet at an estate sale and it has 660 stamped on the inside front. I guess it could be 990? What does it mean?

[jkash23686]

Both are way too high.

[sgtdorango]

any photos you can share?.....mike

[frankie]

The number would be 099 if upside down, not 990. I have pics but they need to be cropped and resized and I don't know enough about the windows photo editor to use that.

[jkash23686]

Frankie try to use this:

http://ben-major.com/tools/usmf-resize.php

[frankie]

Well, I tried the pic resizer thingy, but can't see that it changed the size of the pics any. All are about 1 meg in size

[frankie]

I hope this works, could not post all pics

[frankie]

More pics

[Costa]

an i take a guess?? it looks good but, let us see what the real pros say.

[BILL THE PATCH]

I have only a couple of helmets, but I read, and read everything on the forum about helmets, i think it looks good. I hope it is for you, man what a find. Keeping my fingers gets crossed for you.

 

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

 

 

[jkash23686]

the shape and size feet dont look right to me. Also the number is way out of the range.

[Bugme]

Current Data that has been gathered on D-Loops show the range for lot number stamp to be 100 to 235. The way the number is stamped on the brim put's the lot number at 660 which is far out of any known production range.

[Burning Hazard]

Hmmm, a confusing helmet indeed.

 

- Lot number is out of range but the shell does have the "dimples" next to the bail on the rim, stamping error?

 

- The feet don't look right either as they are too long but this could be due to them being bent.

 

- D-bails appear to be manganese unlike the stainless steel repros.

 

- OD3 chinstrap looks original.

 

I'm leaning toward original but I'm not enough of an expert to make a final call.

 

Pat

[Burning Hazard]

For reference, here's what common fakes look like:

 

 

[jkash23686]

For reference, here's what common fakes look like:

 

 

The OPs bales are EXACTLY like the ones in the fake ref on the bottom. The only difference is that they were compressed a little more when welded on.

[Justin]

Could it be stamped upside down? 099?

[B24AT6]

I agree with Jamie, it's definitely the same type of repro bail.

 

Justin,

 

I don't recall seeing a two digit stamp prefaced with a 0 before.

[jkash23686]

two sets of real feat

[jkash23686]

Also heres a known legit M2 up on ebay that the bails wern't quite as compressed as the two examples I just posted and closer to the pressure applied to the OPs. If you look at the bail to the right, very little squishing but its almost square not nearly as elongated as the OPs bail.

[sgtdorango]

Its all in the feet

[BILL THE PATCH]

I see the differences now,

 

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

 

 

[frankie]

Re the M2 pics I posted, the helmet came from an estate sale. The military items at the sale were described as having been sent home by a man who was a 1LT in a PIR of the 17th ABN who was KIA later in 1945 (this is well documented). The man was an only son, was married with a daughter only. There were no other family members in the military. I have his name, photo in dress uniform, and a photo of his grave site. Those military items had been in the family for over 70 years. Frank

[Ronny67]

not good

[Burning Hazard]

Frankie, a good lesson I learned from the forum guys is "buy the helmet, not the story"; people can say all sorts of stories but in the end it comes down to the authenticity of the helmet itself.

 

Pat

[Justin]

I wonder where this fake originated from? It's one of the better ones I've seen, the straps still look ok to me?