Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice service used example of a Korean War Era U.S. Marine Corps Issue M1 Helmet as used during the Korean War Era and into the early Vietnam Conflict. The shell is definitely a bit interesting, as it has a stainless steel rim, but a REAR seam, something we have not seen before! The helmet shell has a heat stamp 922F, the "lift and lot" number from McCord that indicates production in approximately May of 1944. Was this an experimental rear seam? The spot welds definitely look to be original and are the correct shape. It is fitted with a correct late war style chin strap, with OD Green #7 webbing and steel hardware.

The Helmet comes with a great service worn condition 1953 dated U.S. Marine Corps Reversible Camouflage Cover, which still has a stamped EGA on the front which was done during the Korean War and not WWII. One of the inner flaps still has a faint manufacturer stamp:

COVER, HELMET, CAMOUFLAGE
BLUE ANCHOR OVERALL CO., INC.
TAB - 1424 29 APRIL 1953

The helmet is complete with a late issue, Korean War Era, "High Pressure" liner and leather chinstrap, with a Seaman Paper Company logo on the crown. Manufactured in Chicago, Illinois this "high pressure" manufactured M-1 helmet liner is identified by an embossed "S" in the crown. Seaman Paper Company started 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.

The liner is in rough shape with about 80% of its exterior paint retained. The suspension system is in fair shape but the rope that held them together in the middle is gone. The sweatband and nape strap are present and in mostly solid condition. The chinstrap is missing.

A very nice example of a Korean War issue helmet USMC helmet, perfect for any collection! Ready to display!

The M1 Helmet
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. The total production of M-1 helmet shells during the war reached 22,000,000. Of these about 20,000,000 were produced by the main contractor McCord Radiator and Manufacturing Company of Detroit. Although McCord was supposed to be the single source of M-1 helmet shells, by the summer of 1942 a second company was enlisted to help the production effort. This was Schlueter Manufacturing of St. Louis, Missouri. Schlueter began production of its M-1 helmet shells in January 1943. Schlueter produced only 2,000,000 M-1 helmet shells during the war (both fixed and swivel).

The early M-1 helmet shells had a set of fixed (static) chinstrap loops called "bales" and a stainless steel rim. 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 October 1943, issues with the fixed bales breaking off resulted in a change to the "swivel bales" that this helmet has. In 1944, to deal with paint wearing off the very shiny stainless steel rim, the material was changed to manganese steel in October, and then the seam moved to the rear in November.