Original U.S. WWII 2nd Infantry Division Painted Military Police 1942 M1 McCord Front Seam Fixed Bale Helmet with MSA Liner
In stock
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Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an excellent example of a scarce M1 helmet, featuring a beautifully hand-painted 2nd Infantry Division “Indian Head” insignia on the front, applied over a white-painted “MP,” with a white band encircling the helmet.
The paint has been examined under UV light and shows no fluorescence, supporting a pre-1946 application.
The shell is a WWII Front-Seam Fixed Bale M1 Helmet made by McCord Radiator, with an MSA liner. The U.S. WWII M-1 helmet was only produced from 1941 to 1945. The first production batch resulted with over 323,510 M-1 helmets before the start of the American involvement in the war. This helmet is heat lot stamped with 249B indicating approximate manufacture of July to September 1942.
The Ordnance Department selected McCord Radiator and Manufacturing Company of Detroit Michigan to produce the steel M1 helmet bodies. These bodies were made from a single piece of Hadfield Manganese steel that was produced by the Carnegie-Illinois & Sharon Steel Corporations. Each completed raw M-1 helmet shell weighed 2.25 lbs each.
This M1 shell has correct early war fixed chinstrap loops, called "bales," and a stainless steel rim with a front seam. These rims were both rust resistant and had "non-magnetic qualities" that reduced the chance of error readings when placed around certain sensitive equipment (such as a compass). In November 1944 the specification was changed to have the rim seam in the rear of the helmet.
This helmet is a fine example and still retains all of its original WWII parts, and the shell has all original "corked" grain paint, showing moderate use, with no evidence of a repaint. There is the usual wear on the stainless steel rim with minor deformities. It has the correct early war khaki Chin strap with a cast brass buckle in heavily worn condition.
Manufactured in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this “high pressure” manufactured M-1 helmet liner is identified by an embossed MSA in the crown. Mine Safety Appliance started M-1 helmet liner delivery to the US Army in September 1942. They produced approximately between 2,000,000 – 4,000,000 M-1 helmet liners and discontinued production around August 17, 1945 when the war ended.
This true almost excellent condition US WWII M-1 helmet liner be identified through the frontal eyelet hole. Other correct WW2 features include cotton herringbone twill (HBT) cloth suspension dated 1943. This HBT suspension is held tightly within the M-1 helmet liner by rivets and a series of triangular "A" washers. The three upper suspension bands are joined together with a shoestring. This way the wearer could adjust the fit. The liner is in good shape with some cracks along the edges. The sweatband is retained with heavy cracking and the leather chinstrap is also retained, stretched over the front brim.
The paint on the helmet is of the period and has aged very well. This is an outstanding 2nd Division Military Police helmet, ready for further research and display.
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