EXC++ ORIG 1943 US WW2 FIXED BAIL M1 HELMET SHELL, MCCORD, ORIG KHAKI STRAPS

Description

This is a 100% original, very nice 1943 U.S. Army / U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) M1 steel helmet shell (shell only, no liner), with original khaki straps. It is in excellent++ condition, with great paint and texture.  The helmet has fixed bails and the rim seam is at the front. The "heat of steel" number is 641B, placing its production in 1943. The rim of the helmet shell is stainless steel.  There is no "S" stamped inside, so this shell was made by the McCord Radiator Company of Detroit, Michigan. Straps have flat, blackened steel hardware, typical of 1943 wartime conservation measures when brass was in short supply and steel was often substituted. Paint is the factory original paint with cork texture. Straps are OD No. 3 -- "khaki" -- sewn to the swivel bails with khaki-green thread. ********** This helmet shell was issued and used, but is in superb condition. I would say at least excellent-plus, perhaps near mint. Cork texture is sharp and distinct. The straps are clean and crisp, solidly stitched, no tears, hardware has no corrosion, only some slight loss of finish from being snapped together a few times. There are no dents, just a few dings to the rim. The shell is completely solid, no stress cracks or other structural problems.  The rim is tight and solid, and a bit interesting in that during the factory paint job a little bit of texture made its way to the underside of the rim (don't see that very often).  Inside of the shell is mostly clean, with a few light stains, and some scattered white flecks. There are some light scratches and wear associated with putting an M1 helmet liner in and out of the shell. There are a few small areas of soiling on the interior and exterior of the shell, the straps show some very light soiling, but they are not washed or faded, there is one small smudge near the top of the long strap. The exterior of the helmet has very minor scratches, scrapes, and a few areas where paint was abraded away. Paint is about 98% or more present.  Please see photos, this is an outstanding and completely original US M1 helmet shell from 1943. *************** This steel helmet shell is exactly correct for a D-Day impression, M1 shells were worn by infantry, glider troops, and paratroopers (many D-Day jumpers did not have the M2 D-bail helmet, they wore this type of M1 helmet as a substitute -- M1s are clearly visible in several photos taken of paratroopers on June 5-6, 1944). A fixed bail helmet such as this would have been worn by US GI's throughout the ETO in 1944-45. Also appropriate for USMC or US Army, US Navy use in the Pacific Theater from '43 on.   ********* Guaranteed 100% original WWII 1943 manufacture, this is NOT a reproduction, re-creation, or fake, it is an authentic U.S. M1 World War II M1 steel helmet shell. Nothing added or altered, it is as it came from the McCord Radiator factory, with some very slight wear. Would be appropriate for just about any time period and theater of US WWII involvement from mid-WWII on.  Correct for Pacific Island campaigns, Guadalcanal, Iceland, Aleutians, North Africa, Sicily, D-Day invasion, ETO winter-spring of 1944-45, Battle of the Bulge, Rhineland campaign.   *
*********** I can ship worldwide. Free shipping to a US address. Non-US buyers pay exact postage costs only (
parcel is 12 by 12  by 10 inches and weighs 3 pounds, 10 ounces)