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Long time militaria collector, new US collector


Mango
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Hi guys :)

 

I recently got into collecting US militaria and wanted to join a forum that specialize in this field. For the past 20 years I have been collecting mainly German militaria but slowly my interests have moved towards Allied militaria and mainly US. I more or less collect helmets only and have a lot to learn, so please bear with me in the helmet section :rolleyes:

 

 

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BILL THE PATCH

Welcome, lots of helmet gurus here, and very helpful. I suggest going over some old threads on helmets. Great reference.

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

 

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Welcome! US M1 helmets are a whole different ballgame than the German ones. One-size-fits-all, constant upgrades and refurbishments, and they stayed in service for 50 years. Know about the rim seam, the types and date ranges of the various chinstraps, and how to date a helmet liner. My guide for dating shells, feel free to ask me for clarification on any item.

1941-1944 sewn-on OD3 (khaki) web straps (WW2), front seam, fixed loops/bales/bails
1944-1951 sewn-on OD7 (dark green) web straps (late WW2-Korea), rear seam, swivel loops/bales/bails
1951-1960 OD painted buckles attaching web straps (Korea-early Vietnam)
1960-1973 black painted buckles attaching web straps (Vietnam era)
1973-1990 angled clip-on nylon straps with snap-on chinstrap
[i use 1990 as the end date because I wore one in basic training in 1990, but only saw Kevlars after 1990]
These dates are when the styles changed, but earlier ones remained in the system. Conversely, a shell with angled clip-on straps was not used in that configuration PRIOR to 1973 even though the shell itself could have been produced during WW2 as shells were constantly repaired and repainted over the years.

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Welcome Mango - first order of business: Awesome avatar. I met Jeremy Bulloch many years ago - great guy.

 

A path is worn in the grass between the US and German collecting camps, so you should be right at home here.

 

As Bill mentions, the helmet reference section - and past topics - is a great place to start.

 

May the force be with you.

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  • 1 month later...
Backtheattack

Hello Mango, welcome to the forum! Helmets - all times, or something special? Modern Wars, WW1, WW2, Vietnam? Germany - West-Germany and DDR?

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  • 2 months later...
InfantryCollector

A path is worn in the grass between the US and German collecting camps, so you should be right at home here.

 

 

Haha, yup.

 

Welcome aboard. I was posting the same intro here about 18 months ago.

 

Best,

John D.

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