Dating the M1 Steel Helmet
By Scott Robinson
1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1951 | 1960 | 1961 | 1972 | 1973 | 1988 | ||
Bales | Fixed | July | Sept | |||||||||
Swivel/Flexible | Oct | End | ||||||||||
Rim Butt | Front | July | Oct | |||||||||
Rear | Nov | |||||||||||
Rim Material | Stainless Steel | July | ||||||||||
Non-Stainless | ||||||||||||
Paint Texture | Cork | July | Aug | |||||||||
Sand/Silica all post war | Start | |||||||||||
Paint Color | Dark Green | July | Aug | |||||||||
Light Green OD 319 | Start | Stop | ||||||||||
Chin Strap | Sewn on bale w/ bar tack | July | Aug | |||||||||
OD steel clip to bale | Start | Stop | ||||||||||
Black steel clip to bale | Start | Stop | End | |||||||||
Angled steel clip to bale | Start | End | ||||||||||
Chinstrap | Khaki | July | Phase Out | |||||||||
OD7 Color | Nov | |||||||||||
(R) Chinstrap | Brass Buckle | July | Dec | |||||||||
Steel Buckle/Black | Jan | Dec | ||||||||||
Steel Buckle/OD w/ Rolled Edge | July | |||||||||||
Chin Strap Release Buckle (T1) | July | |||||||||||
(R) Chinstrap | End Clip w/Round Corners | July | Aug | |||||||||
End Clip w/Square Corners | Start | Stop | ||||||||||
Chin Cup No End Clip | Start | End | ||||||||||
(L) Chinstrap | 2 Prong Solid Hook | July | Aug |