M1 Helmet Restoration Part 1

Описание: [email protected]

The M1 helmet is a combat helmet that was used by the U.S. military from World War II until 1985, when it was succeeded by the PASGT helmet. The M1 helmet has become an icon of the US military, with its design inspiring other militaries around the world.

Over 22 million U.S. M1 steel helmets were manufactured through September 1945. Production was done by McCord Radiator and Manufacturing Company and Schlueter Manufacturing Company; the former developed a method to create an almost eighteen-centimetre deep bowl in a single pressing, which was an engineering milestone at the time. In 1944, the stainless steel helmet rim with a seam at the front was replaced by a manganese steel rim with a rear seam. Further M1 helmets were manufactured for the Korean War.

Production continued during the Cold War era with periodic improvements; in 1955 a grommet in the front of the liner was deleted, in 1964 the liner construction was changed to laminated nylon and a new chinstrap design was introduced in 1975. The final contract for US M1 helmets was placed in 1976.[16] The M1 was phased out of US service during the 1980s in favour of the PASGT helmet, which offered increased ergonomics and ballistic protection.

Following World War II, the M1 helmet was widely adopted or copied by numerous other countries and its distinctive shape was adopted as the NATO standard. Post-war analysis of wartime casualty figures by the US Army Operations Research Office found that 54 percent of hits to the M1 helmet failed to penetrate, and estimated that 70,000 men had been saved from death or injury by wearing it.