WWII M-1 Steel Helmet w/ ORIGINAL Chin Strap Shell Only #2

Is there a more iconic piece of U.S. military gear, particularly headgear, than the M-1 Steel Pot?

This is a WWII M-1 steel helmet shell. This shell is a front seam, swivel bale variant. It has a "McCord" heat stamp. The OD chin strap is original to the helmet and it is in very good condition! The helmet was repainted at some point.

WWII helmets with original, serviceable webbing are extremely rare!

This listing is for the helmet only.

Although it is recognized that roughly 2 million steel helmet shells were produced for the American fighting man in WWII, these helmets are getting harder and harder to find. Helmets with their original webbing are extremely scarce as the cotton canvas chin straps and the HBT helmet liner webbing tended to dry rot in storage, if they weren't completely worn and torn in service. Refurbished helmets with period correct hardware and webbing can run upwards to $500. This is your first step in getting that original WWII helmet put together!

Replacing the WWI Brodie (or Kelly) Helmet in the early years of WWII, the M-1 served as the G.I.'s most versatile piece of protective headgear for over 40 years. Aside from providing basic protection against fragments, it could be used for cooking, cleaning, shaving and even as a toilet in desperate situations.

The helmet's profile defined generations of young fighting men. It harkens back to the long lost days of America's citizen soldiers, when drafted American boys were viewed as liberators and a force for freedom. The M-1 Steel Helmet also set the standard for a multitude of friendly nations who used American helmets or produced their own copies. Its replacement in the 1980's by the more protective, but much heavier and far more uncomfortable M-1 Kevlar helmet heralded the end of an era.

Once sold in stacks at surplus stores for a handful of dollars apiece, M-1 helmets are becoming incredibly scarce. This is a true GI helmet; not an aftermarket copy with a plastic liner.