9 Attachment(s)
My new all correct Russian Ssh39 helmet
I've been looking to buy a nice WWII Russian helmet for a long time and have been reading the Soviet forums to try to educate myself but when I would see a Russian helmet on a table at a show or on line, I realized I still didn't have enough knowledge to determine whether the helmet was correct or not as I found it's mine field in trying to identify war time ones from post war ones as there are only small differences between them. I decided to look for a Ssh39 as it has a unique liner and the rivets are higher on the crown where as liner and shell pattern of the later Ssh40 was used well into the 80's and would be difficult to tell war time from post war time if the dated ink stamp was missing or unreadable. There is also the issue of fake stamps and repro linings. Plus not many Ssh39 helmets survived intact as it was common, to remove the linings in the winter so the heavy fur cap could be used and the arsenals replaced the linings but with the later pattern liner. To find one still with it's original liner intact and not beat up, and still with the dated ink stamp seemed like it would be almost an impossible task.
Well I found that there are a number of well knowledgeable collector members on those forums and I thought that if I wanted to get a correct helmet and not worry about it being correct, I should ask one those members if they could help me find a correct one. So I contacted one of them and asked if he had, or knew of anyone selling a nice correct Ssh39 helmet. He responded that he would try to help me find one. About 2-3 weeks later he contacted me and told me that my timing was right as he said he was just thinking of letting one of his go, as he said you can't own them all, so he said he had just put it up for sale on his web site and it is a real nice one..
Needless to say, I was interested and with some price negotiations, as it was not in-expensive, it became mine and it is a real beauty. And the best part is there are no worries or issues as it is 100% correct. Here it is, Ray
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