Help identifying an M-1

Hey guys. I recently picked up my first militaria purchase - an old M-1 helmet, complete and in near mint condition. I'm interested in learning more about it and perhaps dating it to a specific year (if that's possible). Are there any good websites that demonstrate the various things to look for with photos? I've seen some nice charts(like this one: Dating the M1 Steel Helmet) but I'm not familiar with all of the terminology and I haven't been able to figure any of it out.

I could always take some pictures myself for you guys if you can tell me what things I should be taking pictures of.

On another note, there's also a name on the inside of the liner - but it's very faint and difficult to read. The seller didn't even mention it so I assume he missed it (it wouldn't be a hard thing to miss as I didn't catch it at first either).

Any help would be great.

-Nathan

 

On the inside of the steel pot (the brow section) are there any markings or symbols, and is it front or rear seamed?

 

From what I can make out inside the steel pot, I can see an "8" and a "0" (there may or may not be a number before that - if there is, it's been mostly rubbed away), and below that there is an "S"...

Also, inside the liner, at the very top, there is a small "S" inside a circle.

How do I tell the difference? Anyone have a side-by-side comparison between a front seam and a rear seam?

-Nathan

 

Around the rim of the steel pot is a piece of stainless steel 'beading'. The ends of this beading should either meet at the back of the helmet or at the front.

A front seamed helmet

 

Okay, I gotcha. Mine would be a front seam helmet then.

 

It sounds like you have a nice WW2 era helmet. The letter 'S' would indicate that it was manufactured by Schlueter Manufacturing of St. Louis in Missouri.

The company began producing the M1 helmet in January 1943, so that indicates your helmet was produced sometime in the latter part of WW2.

The numbers 8 and 0 are heat temperature marks. These were used to track the helmets during production in case a defect arose.

Schlueters made around 2.000.000 helmets in total.

Any chance you can post a picture of the helmet?

 

Quite useful John , I'm learning here, my M1 has the ends meeting at the front. It has some markings on the front inside but hard to read. However the liner has a shield with three circles inside it and there is a sword behind the shield.

 

here are a few pictures.

 

Skipper, that is a very nice swivel bale M1 you have. I haven't a clue about the painted insignia on the liner. My dad has an M1 with remnants of decals on the sides of the liner, which again, I can't identify?

I'll post some pictures of the decals in the coming days.