Are Korean War M-1 helmet shells identical to World War 2 shells?

Answer 1

No they are not. The best way to tell if the shell is WWII or post-war is the band that runs around the bottome of the helmet. There should be a split in the band, and the location of the split is what determines when the helmet was made. The helmets made prior to November of 1944 have the split in the front of the helmet, while those made prior to that had the split in the rear. In addition, the very early M-1 helmets had fixed bales that were welded to the shell, as opposed to the later variety that had the bales that would swing freely. Some late WWII helmets with swivel bales also had rear seams. However, early wartime helmets with front seam and fixed bales were slightly higher in profile. There was a distinguished S shape to the visor as it meets the dome (at least that's how I see it). Some early Cartoons exagerate the bulbousness of the M1 which isn't far off the truth. Korean War helmets used slighly better steel but were much the same except they had rear seams. Go to: http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/ww2/dating_m1.htm for history and dating helmets. Lower profile helmets 1961 onwards (Vietnam period) This means that a helmet made late in WW2 could be the same as one used in the Korean War. However, most collectors who want to be sure that they have a WW2 helmet will only shop for those with the front seam and the fixed bales.