para helmet (?)

Recently acquired this very nice helmet.

Former owner told me he thought it may be an early Polish made helmet supposedly used by GSG9 in their early days.  

It is also supposed to have been used as a prop in a video game called " Cold War" by a character called " Beck ".

If anyone can shed more light on this, please do..




                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                          


                                                                                                                                           

After some research, it is obvious the helmet is a well made repro commonly found on eBay.



                                                               








   

Identification of an original M56 helmet is quite complicated because of all the WW2 M38 knock offs. GSG-9 helmets present problems for collectors as well because they are similar.

For sure the paintjob is all wrong, but idiots have butchered more post-war German stuff than I can think of to dupe someone or use it for reenacting.

The tip offs are:

1. M56 liners have two rows of 4 even sized holes running left/right in the middle with two rows of 2 large holes running left/right in front and back. M38 pattern have a different pattern, GSG-9 uses a modified BW liner.

2. M56 has a crimped reinforcement around the edge, M38 and GSG-9 do not.

3. M56 uses the same recessed liner bolts as M38, GSG-9 uses flathead screws that are not recessed. Apparently some M38 have recessed flathead screw bolts on the rear, M56 never does.

4. M56 chinstrap is in BW gray leather with (usually) a colored soft side, M38 are more bluish leather and the repros don't tend to dye the softer side. They might have also used black, M56 never did. GSG-9 is gray-geen leather.

5. The construction of all three chin straps are different, but not easily explained. GSG-9 should have a chin cup, but that is sometimes removed to make it look like something it isn't.

6. M56 is a gray blue from the factor, M38 (standard) is gray green (and other colors), GSG-9 is dark green. Paint colors can often be screwed up. I have an original M56 that is painted dark green because it was used by either GSG-9 or (more likely) some state's SEK Polizei.

7. M56 generally only have a 2 digit liner stamp on the visible side of the liner, but underneath there is BW specific stamp. M38 has a rectangular stamp with liner and shell sizes (IIRC), GSG-9 has a totally different liner so not really an issue.

That's the quick rundown!

Steve