Is Your Helmet a Bad Egg?
During its development, the M-1 helmet experienced a multitude of defects and performance issues ranging from the quality of steel to production practices. Getting the helmet "right" Army Ordnance broke a few eggs along the way.
"What's the heat lot number in that helmet?"
Recently, a high level of importance & significance has been placed on the little fine line alpha numeric code stamped inside the brim of the M-1 helmet. Maybe it is the sheer number of helmets I've had pass through my hands, but I don't place a great amount of importance on these codes. Nevertheless, I began to notice the trend in the helmet community of cataloging these numbers and using them to date a helmet, discredit a helmet or to enhance profit in auction descriptions...
What's in your closet?
In 1943, while attempting to diagnose the age cracking phenomenon, helmet fabricators began the practice of setting helmets aside for future inspection.
