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Stainless Steel vs Manganese?


GoldenCross
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GoldenCross

I've been wondering how one tells if the rim on an M1 is stainless steel or manganese. Any thoughts?

 

Thanks!

 

G.C.

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Stainless steel shows bright, shiny silver where the paint is chipped. Manganese is a much duller grey.

 

Sabrejet

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Basically the stainless rim is very shiny and the paint tends to not adhere to it well, there will be chipping and you can see the stainless steel...the stainless will not rust...the manganese is the same steel that the helmet is made of, it will rust and holds paint well ....the top one is stainless and the bottom is manganese....mike

post-350-1309107083.jpg

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GoldenCross
Stainless steel shows bright, shiny silver where the paint is chipped. Manganese is a much duller grey.

 

Sabrejet

 

 

Thanks for the help Sabrejet!

 

G.C.

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GoldenCross
Basically the stainless rim is very shiny and the paint tends to not adhere to it well, there will be chipping and you can see the stainless steel...the stainless will not rust...the manganese is the same steel that the helmet is made of, it will rust and holds paint well ....the top one is stainless and the bottom is manganese....mike

post-350-1309107083.jpg

 

 

Perfect! Thanks Mike!

 

One more thing if you don't mind, which came first? Did they make a definitive switch between materials? I thought I read somewhere that they switched from ss to mang. to reduce the "shine". Is that correct?

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craig_pickrall

Here are some old photos I took comparing the various material combos. In the first photo the stainless steel rim and stainless steel loop are shown on the left. The manganese steel rim and carbon steel loop are shown on the right. The manganese rim and stainless steel loop are shown on the top.

 

The second photo is a closer comparison of two of the previous helmets.

 

One way to test is a magnet. Stainless steel is not magnetic.

 

post-5-1309274275.jpg

 

post-5-1309274284.jpg

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One way to test is a magnet. Stainless steel is not magnetic.

 

Hi Craig,

 

Pedant Mode On (sorry, I'm a materials scientist) :rolleyes:

 

Stainless rims on M1's may not be magnetic, but other stainless steels are.

 

The stainless on M1's contains high Chromium and Nickel content making an Austenitic structure. The Nickel modifies the metal mix crystal structure to make it non magnetic.

 

Many other common Stainless Steel blends use Chromium/Carbon, resulting in a Ferritic/Martensitic structure, which is magnetic.

 

Pedant Mode Off

 

Best Regards,

 

Prof

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Hi Craig,

 

Pedant Mode On (sorry, I'm a materials scientist) :rolleyes:

 

Stainless rims on M1's may not be magnetic, but other stainless steels are.

 

The stainless on M1's contains high Chromium and Nickel content making an Austenitic structure. The Nickel modifies the metal mix crystal structure to make it non magnetic.

 

Many other common Stainless Steel blends use Chromium/Carbon, resulting in a Ferritic/Martensitic structure, which is magnetic.

 

Pedant Mode Off

 

Best Regards,

 

Prof

 

Wasn,nt one of the reasons (apart from the sun and moon reflection problems with the stainless steel rims when the paint wore away) that it was felt that the stainless steel rim might trigger magnetic mines, when a soldier would be kneeling over one in probing or removing one ? I might be confuseing some recollation's here but i thought i might ask

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craig_pickrall

I don't recall the mine story but the helmet did interfere with compass readings.

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I don't recall the mine story but the helmet did interfere with compass readings.

 

Thank's.Thats the one, i knew it was something in that vein, i do remember now .Even though the steel pot's where made of non magnitic rims and where apparantly maganese we where still taught to remove our steel pots when shooting an azimuth or taking a reading .

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The shell is made of Hadfield manganese. This is also Austenistic. I have put a magnet on the shell and rim of my helmets, and the magnet will not adhere. I haven't tried to use a compass near the helmet.

KeithL

 

Hi Craig,

 

Pedant Mode On (sorry, I'm a materials scientist) :rolleyes:

 

Stainless rims on M1's may not be magnetic, but other stainless steels are.

 

The stainless on M1's contains high Chromium and Nickel content making an Austenitic structure. The Nickel modifies the metal mix crystal structure to make it non magnetic.

 

Many other common Stainless Steel blends use Chromium/Carbon, resulting in a Ferritic/Martensitic structure, which is magnetic.

 

Pedant Mode Off

 

Best Regards,

 

Prof

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  • 9 years later...

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