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M1C Helmet


FN43
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Hello all, 

 

What is your opinion on the chinstraps of this M1C helmet? Original ? 

The brass parts seem original to me but I don't have enough experience with M1C helmets to judge the chinstraps. 

 

Thanks for your help 

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The heat stamp looks like 77B which means this helmet was actually produced early on as an FB/FS. The factory M1C helmets were produced late 1944, early 1945 and have a heat stamp north of 900, typically in the 1000 range. 

 

That information, together with the fact that OD3 paratrooper chinstraps should have nickel male snaps instead of brass (they were using OD7 material for the chinstraps by late 1944 anyway) leads me to believe that the chinstraps are reproductions. That and they're fuzzy with a long J-hook. 

 

So I think what you have here is an early FS/FB, converted to SB at some point, that someone added repro chinstraps to in effort to make it look like a WWII M1C, which I don't think it is. 

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46 minutes ago, elh1311 said:

The heat stamp looks like 77B which means this helmet was actually produced early on as an FB/FS. The factory M1C helmets were produced late 1944, early 1945 and have a heat stamp north of 900, typically in the 1000 range. 

 

That information, together with the fact that OD3 paratrooper chinstraps should have nickel male snaps instead of brass (they were using OD7 material for the chinstraps by late 1944 anyway) leads me to believe that the chinstraps are reproductions. That and they're fuzzy with a long J-hook. 

 

So I think what you have here is an early FS/FB, converted to SB at some point, that someone added repro chinstraps to in effort to make it look like a WWII M1C, which I don't think it is. 

 

Hello, 

 

Thanks for your reply, 

 

I realize that I made a mistake in the description, it is not an M1C but an FB/FS M1, the heat stamp seems to be consistent (I read 77B too). 

 

But at first glance I agree with your opinion about the chinstrap. 

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Correction on my part, it is still a FS/FB helmet. These helmets were used by airborne units during the war but with standard chinstraps. FS/FB did not come from the factory with paratrooper chinstraps like this one. So yes, this an original FS/FB helmet but it looks like someone added repro paratrooper chinstraps.

 

I think there are a few examples where paratrooper chinstraps were taken off an M2 helmet and field/rigger sewn onto a standard M1 but this is very few and far between. 

 

What make is the liner? It looks like a mid-war Westinghouse. 

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On 11/5/2022 at 12:05 AM, elh1311 said:

Correction on my part, it is still a FS/FB helmet. These helmets were used by airborne units during the war but with standard chinstraps. FS/FB did not come from the factory with paratrooper chinstraps like this one. So yes, this an original FS/FB helmet but it looks like someone added repro paratrooper chinstraps.

 

I think there are a few examples where paratrooper chinstraps were taken off an M2 helmet and field/rigger sewn onto a standard M1 but this is very few and far between. 

 

What make is the liner? It looks like a mid-war Westinghouse. 

 

I agree with you that FS/FB did not come from the factory with paratrooper chinstraps like this one but are you sure that the chinstraps shown are repro ? 

 

You are right about the liner, imo it is a good mid war liner, here are some more pictures. 

 

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I’m pretty sure those chinstraps are original. The later coated brass chinstrap snap looks really good. Repro ones tend to have a high gloss black finish. Even originals have some “fuzz” occasionally. Repros tend to be ridiculously fuzzy. I have heard of airborne helmets from shortly prior to the M1-C arriving that were fixed bail with airborne straps.

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I think more pictures of the straps would be helpful. I wouldn't discount them just yet

 

Pieter Oosterman's book has an example of a modified fixed bail with brass male snaps on page 215.

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airborneguy44

The straps on this shell are not original (in my opinion). Though the few known FS/FB airborne helmets do have brass snaps like this one, the material of the straps is identical to all reproduction straps I’ve seen. It has the fuzzy appearance which is common with repros, and the hand stitching looks like it was done recently vs 80+ years ago. Part of me believes this might be a Brooks Bush creation he was so infamously known for from the 1980’s. 

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