Where can you buy a US army M1 helmet?

Answer 1

The US Military (the USN, USAF, USCG, USMC, and the US Army ALL used the M1 steel helmet during WWII, Korea and Vietnam Wars) was traditionally called the "steel pot"; and in Vietnam was sometimes referred to as the "brain bucket" (for more reasons than one).

The US Military M1 helmet is actually TWO helmets: one is the steel shell, and the other is the synthetic liner...made of various materials depending upon what year it was made...fiberglass, canvas, nylon, or combination of all or some, etc. The liner, which is hard, can be worn by itself because it has the "webbing" in it (sweat band, etc.). The US version of the steel shell cannot be worn alone (some foreign nations, like in Europe, have riveted webbing into the steel shells).

For US military steel "pots", there are two generations: a WWII/Korean War version and a Vietnam version. Approximately 22 million steel pots were manufactured for WWII, which were also used in the Korean War; since Korea erupted within five years after the end of WWII, there were plenty of steel pots left over...from the 22 million made. These pots will consist of front and rear seamed helmets, fixed or swing swivel helmets, high dome and sleek domed helmets.

On or about 1967, the US military was running low on steel pots, primarily due to giving them to allied nations such as South Korea and South Vietnam, as well as re-cycling the steel for industrial use...not to mention the wars being fought...WWII, Korea and Vietnam. So, another 1 million M1 steel helmets were manufactured, primarily from re-cycled automobiles (as was shown on television news on or about 1967).

The Vietnam War (era) M1 steel helmets can be identified primarily by their ORIGINAL "OG" (Olive Green, not Olive Drab) outside paint job with a brownish/redish ORIGINAL primer underneath it. The ORIGINAL painted steel pot will be with a lowered crown, swing swivels, and a rear seam. All of the bugs were worked out of the helmet from the WWII/Korean War models, consequently, only the paint work was different...the US Army was transitioning from OD to OG (Olive Drab to Olive Green) during the Vietnam War; as well as transitioning from full colored shoulder patches, name tags, white stars for their vehicles, etc. to subdued (black) colors.

Surplus M1 steel pots can be purchased at any military surplus store or on line. Counting the Viet War, there were over 23 million made. But they are not as popular with the public as the "liners" because kids like to play with the liners; they're lighter and can be worn by themselves. The steel pot can't be worn without the liner; thus surplus stores don't like to carry them as they're low sellers. They have to buy them in large quantities, so unless there's a demand for them...those stores won't carry them.

With the rare exception of re-enactment groups and helmet collectors, probably the vast majority of steel pots go back into the re-cycling bin (scrapped).

The rarest portion of the M1 helmet will be the original cloth camoflage covers (cloth decays). Bear in mind, that the US ARMY officially never wore camoflage cloth covers as general issue until the Vietnam War. And that the ever common "woodland" camo pattern is NOT an original Vietnam War camo cover, it is POST WAR; the double sided (brown or green camo) Mitchell pattern is the original camo cover...and this will be the rarest item to obtain.

Unless you're a serious collector, any liner described above will fit any steel pot, as well as any sweat band or chin straps.

You can assembe them yourself, buying bits and pieces from various sources; as many surplus stores are beginning to sell them as assembled packages only; at hefty prices (approaching $100.00) or they are for display only (not for sale).