BudK Russian WWII M52 Steel Helmet

This helmet is not from WWII. Mine is dated 1956, which places it 11 years after the end of WWII. It isn't even the soviet WWII style. However it is the lowest price steel pot helmet on the internet and it has that cool Soviet look that you see on the propaganda posters. Definitely was used, but where?In addition, just the designation of "M-52" in the title gives it away as the model 1952 helmet as opposed to the model 1934 helmet. They are basically the same other than that the REAL WWII version is thicker but made of cheap steel, and the post-WWII M-52 is made of much stronger, lighter, and thinner high carbon steel with an enamel paint. Also, the M-52 was designed to be a bit larger to accomidate ushankas often worn during the winter months in Russia.These M-52's were exported to all com-block countries as well as small bits in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. I have even seen photo's of Al-Quaida insurgents wearing these helmets, most likely picked up from the Russian invasion of Afghanastan in the 1970's. These are still being used by some of the poorer nation's of the world, and remote and underfunded locations in Eastern Europe.Fits my head fine and I have a "big" 7 3/4" size head. Will adjust in or out with the pull string easily from very small 6" to about 8.25".NEW UPDATE: Has been tested against .22 long rifle at 100 yards and survived with just a slight dent. Please do not try this while wearing the helmet, as the shrapnel created from the exploding bullet will hurt you and endanger those around you. Soviet metal qualities also vary widely, and yours may not be as tough as mine. You also risk putting a hole through the helmet any closer or with higher caliber rounds. Any rifle round larger than .22lr, or pistol round more powerful than .32 S+W, will go right through. These were never designed to stop bullets, just rocks, shrapnel, and the occasional buttstock of an M1 Garand (at the time it was designed during the start of the Cold War). I tried it so you don't have to.I do recommend buying it, just know it isn't from WWII.Always glad to answer any questions you have about this or other helmets. I'm an expert in the field.

As expected with any used product, you know it will have been worn. It will have suffered the effects of genuine combat and honestly it surprises me how few people actually consider how lucky it is to have a genuine relic from a previous war still functional and available to the public.Pros: This helmet is sturdy, as it is real steel and real leather. It may be worn leather and a touch-of-a-bit rusty but get yourself some steel wool and a sewing kit and you can fix any problem with it. I hit one of these helmets with a hammer and it didn't even dent, in fact it was ringing. A sign of good steel being used.Cons: Realistically, it a used product and you can have it be in ANY condition. My first helmet had a full chinstrap and a clean leather liner. My second one was falling apart with pieces of wool that helped construct the leather liner was old and dessicated. I ran it through a series of hot water washes and eventually snipped the side bands that tied under the mouth off.That's the risk when you buy old equipment. You can either strike rich or get a fix'er-upper but for the most part it's a good investment.

There are some question on whether or not is a Russian WWII M52 Helmet. Some say it's cold war. Some say it's a Czechoslovakian Helmet. Form what I can see and have looked in to it's a Cold War Czechoslovakian M52 Helmet. Not Russian, not WWII, but that doesn't mean it isn't cool. It's unbelievably awesome!!! It's a REAL steel pot Helmet.1 thing to keep in mind! This is a "Surplus" Helmet. So that Picture is so off, it's not even funny. These Helmets Were Worn By Soldiers. They'er used, but that's not a bad thing. Mine had scratches all over the helmet and marks. The leather was in bad shape too, but I expected that. All of the straps still work. All of the inner are there, and adjustable. It's looks nice. I wish I could find more Surplus Helmet.For $20 I love it. Worth it.One thing to note, 1 Size fit all. It's adjustable, but if you have a big head like me you might be able to get your head in. I was able to squeeze my head in. Any bigger and it would be able to fit!

As others have mentioned, this is actually a Czechoslovakian M52 helmet that can be manufactured anywhere from 1952-1960s. (Mine is stamped 1957). However, it is still an authentic Eastern European helmet, and the fact that it's not actually Russian does not detract from it at all, as the two are identical and i've even seen pictures of some Russian Army units wearing these helmets in today's times (for the units that are under-funded). In addition to mine being stamped 1957, it also has a crossed swords logo near the year and some sort of an arrow or triangle symbol that I can't make out.Overall, I recommend this helmet highly!!! Get it if you're interested in the military and want something authentic that you can actually use.

I bought this for my son, it's clean and genuine because his head is too big for the cheap plastics costume helmets. My only problem is that but there were just two loose straps and no buckle to secure them. The picture shows a chin strap buckle, so it should really come with one! We will make it work though. I did not contact the seller, this is just for play/halloween.UPDATE 9/27/2013: The seller was kind enough to send me a replacement with a buckle; it's a bit tighter than the first helmet (my son has a big head) but at least it stays on now.

The leather strap that is shown in the picture is NOT the one you will get. The one that actually comes with the helmet is thin green canvas material and really digs into your as its too small (the head portion fits perfect). I guess it would work if you are buying it for a collection. But I bought it to go with my Bug-Out supplies, and I was hoping to get a cheap used helmet that might actually deflect a bullet. What I got instead was something that I cant possibly wear when the time comes. This product is simply a shelf piece.If you are buying this as