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M1 Helmet - WW2 or Vietnam?


EricB
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Hello,

 

For my first post I'd like to ask for some help confirming my new purchase is a US WW2 helmet.

 

My new purchase is on the left. It has a heat stamp(460A) in the front, WW2 liner(westinghouse) and chin strap with the seam at the back.

 

On the right is a Vietnam war helmet, with a heat stamp at the back(2355) and a liner(westinghouse) dated 1968.

 

My worry comes from the size of the helmet. I was reading that the WW2 helmets have a slightly bigger dome but these two helmets are exactly the same size.

 

Thank you for your help.

 

 

 

 

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Burning Hazard

Eric,

 

Your helmet on the left is WWII manufactured and likely a Schlueter made. Left helmet has cork texture whereas Vietnam helmets have sand, the left helmet has sewn chinstraps onto the bails whereas Vietnam helmets have black clips.

I noticed Schlueter shells have a slightly lower bowl depth and owned some that a WWII liner wouldn't fit inside well.

 

Also, new collectors please please please don't uncover the heat stamping by chemicals or sanding!!! it doesn't make the helmet any more valuable.

 

Pat

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Welcome aboard!

 

There may be a stamped "S" inside your WW2 helmet which would identify it as a Schlueter. 

 

Keep in mind that WW2 helmet shells were reworked and repainted to remain in service through the early 1990s. Last weekend, I bought a helmet with swivel bales and clamped on straps and a sand/silica finish. With its woodland camo cover, it looks very much like a 1970s M1, but the front seam and low lot number of 28A mean it was originally made in 1941. And yes, the right helmet '2355' is Vietnam production. I highly recommend the book "Post-World War 2 M1 helmets" by Mark Reynosa available on Amazon. 

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Thank you for your clarifications. It is indeed a Schlueter, there's what appear to be an S below the heat stamp, very hard to see tho.

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Welcome. But sanding creates a cringe moment here. Members can date your shells without sanding the heat stamps. That is unnecessary damage that reduces value. 

Dave

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12 hours ago, dmar836 said:

Welcome. But sanding creates a cringe moment here. Members can date your shells without sanding the heat stamps. That is unnecessary damage that reduces value. 

Dave

 

I have seen this trend toward heavy scrubbing or even like this one,  sanding of the lot stamp. I am guessing guys do this to make it easier to read?! However, it is destructive and if someone was trying to sell me a legit WWII lid and I saw this on the inside, I wouldn't even want it.

 

What is worse, the dating chart that everyone jumps on as the end all, is actually only a ballpark idea on the dates and the lot numbers. It was based on a sampling of several 100 helmets. This is a rather small sampling of helmets by comparison to actual production numbers.  Even the authors of the chart concede that it is only an estimate. So, this sanding of lot stamps is more painful knowing that it so unnecessary. 

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huntssurplus

Agreed about the sanding point. I think part of it is like what Bugme said with it being the heat stamp chart being too religiously followed by helmet collectors as the end all be all when it comes to dating helmet shells. I think it's just better to go off of front seam, rear seam, fixed loop, swivel loop, stainless rim, manganese rim. Does the month and year really matter all that much if it is a WW2 manufactured helmet? The sanding is just useless destruction. 

 

Hunt

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On 8/27/2020 at 12:09 AM, dmar836 said:

Welcome. But sanding creates a cringe moment here. Members can date your shells without sanding the heat stamps. That is unnecessary damage that reduces value. 

Dave

 

16 hours ago, huntssurplus said:

Agreed about the sanding point. I think part of it is like what Bugme said with it being the heat stamp chart being too religiously followed by helmet collectors as the end all be all when it comes to dating helmet shells. I think it's just better to go off of front seam, rear seam, fixed loop, swivel loop, stainless rim, manganese rim. Does the month and year really matter all that much if it is a WW2 manufactured helmet? The sanding is just useless destruction. 

 

Hunt

 

 

Helmet was purchased as is, didn't think it was an issue tho. 

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