elh1311 Posted August 13, 2020 Share #1 Posted August 13, 2020 Hey all, New member here. I recently acquired a couple of M1 helmets which, on closer inspection, brought some questions to mind. Because of that, I did a web search and found the incredibly informative M2 helmet thread on here from a few years ago. Because of what I was seeing, I decided to become a member and take full advantage of the knowledge on this site. As for the helmets, one is a fixed bail with a heat stamp of 235B. Good condition, heavy layer of 80's CARC paint and VIetnam-era chinstraps. Nothing remarkable about it otherwise, none of the original paint left and so I had it resurfaced and repainted to WWII specs. I like it and it's a nice little mantle piece. The other helmet is what brought me here. A swivel bail M1 with a heat stamp of 123A. Really good shape, same 80's CARC paint but much thinner than the other. There are indications that it still has the original paint underneath it. While looking at the bales, I noticed that they were easily set about 1/8 of an inch below the edge of the rim. So low in fact that a liner cannot properly sit into the helmet. Odd really. As I was sharing pictures with the man who did up the fixed bail helmet, I noticed the weld marks where the previous bail feet were at. Additionally, the area of the rim that centers on the bail a dimple mark, on each side. To top it off, inside the helmet itself and in the area above the right side bail, a second "heat stamp" (for lack of a better term) can be seen. Not stamped actually but a raised weld-style mark. That stamp number is 135A with a large separation of between the "135" and the "A". I've attached some pictures to better conceptualize what I'm talking about. I've sent that helmet off to the same restorer and he's keen to pull off the current bales and see if he can identify the original bail weld marks. Depending on what he finds will determine what the next step is. My hopes aren't terribly high (my luck isn't even this good, which says volumes) and my original plan was to make this helmet into a Korean War-era paratrooper helmet that I can jump with my round canopy team. Curious to see what everyone thinks of the pics. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmar836 Posted August 13, 2020 Share #2 Posted August 13, 2020 Welcome to the forum. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elh1311 Posted August 13, 2020 Author Share #3 Posted August 13, 2020 5 minutes ago, dmar836 said: Welcome to the forum. Dave Thank you Dave. I'm a little hesitant to reply because my account states that I'm limited in how many posts that I can make in a day. Not sure if that's a glitch or not. Either way, thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmar836 Posted August 13, 2020 Share #4 Posted August 13, 2020 It'll open up after a bit of activity. Good luck! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted August 14, 2020 Share #5 Posted August 14, 2020 Welcome aboard! I had a shell with replaced swivel bales that had a dimple also, seems like the comment was that it was probably just a fixed bail originally. https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/243394-was-this-shell-i-found-originally-a-m2/&tab=comments#comment-1943747 There's a discussion on here about the lot number range that M2s fall into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elh1311 Posted August 14, 2020 Author Share #6 Posted August 14, 2020 16 minutes ago, MattS said: Welcome aboard! I had a shell with replaced swivel bales that had a dimple also, seems like the comment was that it was probably just a fixed bail originally. https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/243394-was-this-shell-i-found-originally-a-m2/&tab=comments#comment-1943747 There's a discussion on here about the lot number range that M2s fall into. That's what i figured. I have a lid that is 235A, outside of the known M2 range (100 to 223 according to the M2 thread here) and it has the dimples as well. That was has the M1 fixed bales. What stirred my interest with this lid is if you look closely at the second or third picture I attached, you can see the original bail feet weld marks. The original weld marks in the picture are about a 1/4 of an inch or so wider than the swivel bales and 1/8 of an inch lower than the factory swivel bales. I'm positive that this helmet was a fix bail prior to being a swivel bail, just what type is up for discussion. I'm certainly not hoping against with this. I was just curious to see what kind opinions the forum members have. I appreciate the reply, thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elh1311 Posted August 14, 2020 Author Share #7 Posted August 14, 2020 24 minutes ago, MattS said: Welcome aboard! I had a shell with replaced swivel bales that had a dimple also, seems like the comment was that it was probably just a fixed bail originally. https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/243394-was-this-shell-i-found-originally-a-m2/&tab=comments#comment-1943747 There's a discussion on here about the lot number range that M2s fall into. Have you seen a second heat stamp applied like the one in the picture? Maybe it's a unit marking, not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted August 14, 2020 Share #8 Posted August 14, 2020 2 hours ago, elh1311 said: Have you seen a second heat stamp applied like the one in the picture? Maybe it's a unit marking, not sure. No, can't say I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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