Heer M17 Reissue Helmet

Product Description: This Heer M17 Reissue Helmet is a great example. These later war reworks are really not easy to find, especially in this fine condition. This helmet has a lot of history- made for WWI, updated for WWII and then reworked again for reissue later in the war. The shell itself is an M16 type. The maker stamps in the skirt are covered up by the layers of paint, but the slight rippling in the steel skirt suggest this may be an early production example. The shell is covered with a typical textured dark Feldgrau WWII paint, which is almost completely intact, with only very light wear and age patination, and a few white paint specks. A few small chips in this paint reveal an earlier, lighter green layer underneath. The outline of a Heer decal is present; this may be a shadow from an overpainted decal. The interior of this helmet retains a great original WWII liner. It’s a steel banded type, typical of these later issues. There is some paint on the chinstrap bales which is a neat feature, you can see that this helmet received its final coat of reissue paint after this liner was installed. The liner is stamped size 56; the helmet shell size is 64. The liner on this one appears virtually worn. This Heer M17 reissue helmet has a great look and is in outstanding condition.

Historical Description: When the German Army first marched into war in 1914, it went to the front lines wearing the traditional “Picklehaube” helmets. The war soon developed to necessitate the need for an improved headgear to protect the wearer. The German Army developed the M16 helmet in 1915 and began issuing it in mass quantity to its fighting troops in 1916. The M16 underwent changes to bring about the next model, the M18. Both the M16 and M18 saw use by the German Army during WW1, as well as the interwar years by the Reichswehr and Freikorps. In 1931, a new liner system was developed. The M16 and M18 helmets were in mass supply right up to the time the Nazi Party took control of the German government. During Adolf Hitler’s rearming of the German military in the early 1930’s, the M16 and M18 helmets saw extensive refitting with the newer liner system, fresh paint, and the addition of a centralized decal system for the newly formed Wehrmacht’s respective branches. Decals were generally placed on each side of the helmet, one side being the branch and the other the national colors shield or party shield. In 1935, the M35 helmet was introduced. This new design was lighter and more streamlined than the older style helmets and is what the world now recognizes as the iconic helmet of the German Military. M35 helmets can most easily be identified from the separate rivet ventholes and rolled edges. With the outbreak of war, some changes were made to bring in a new model, the M40. The changes made to this new model was the use of a more matte field grey finish and the vent holes were now integral to the helmets shell. In 1940, the national colors decals and party shields were ordered to be removed. It should be noted that many M35 helmets were brought up to date by repainting them with the matte field grey finish and/or other modifications if necessary. These refitted helmets are what collectors now term “reissue helmets”. The next model helmet to evolve was the M42. The model M42 has the same features of the M40 with the exception of the edges of the helmet not being rolled and remain flared. This was to speed up production and lower cost as the war dragged on and the German economy began changing to a total war economy. In 1943 all decals were ordered to be removed from combat helmets.

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