Good question, the got liners but not WWII era I think maybe Korea. The only seam I could find was on the rim around the edge and it's on the front of both. As for swivel bale sorry I'm a noob with uniform equip. Firearms are my thing I was going to use them for quading
but now they look good Sitting in the man cave
Understandable. I collect US militaria and current have 18 WW2 steel pots 16 of them with liners. Plus another 11 liners of every manufacturer that made them in WW2.
Difference between swivel and fixed bale...the bale is what the chinstraps are attached to. The fixed is a fairly small rectangular loop attached just below the edge of the helmet, and the swivel bale is a bit larger and will swivel outwards.
Both being front seam make them early to mid WW2. The fixed bale was used till around 1943 then the swivel bale was attached. The front seam was used until Nov. 1944 then a rear seam was standardized and used through to Vietnam. Your swivel bale front seam is a very good item as that variation was made for little over a year. Is there a marking inside the helmet at the visor? Usually there will be a number with a letter...like 564A.
If there is a large "S" stamped near that then the helmet was made by Schlueter Manufacturing Co., they produced 2 Million pots. If not then the pot was made by McCord Radiator & Manufacturing Co. which produced 20 Million pots by VJ day.
The helmet liner is another world to itself. WW2 liners were made by 10 companies in a fiber construction, low pressure fiberglass, and high pressure fiberglass. Value of these alone can range from $50 to $900 depending on maker and construction. The most common liner is the high pressure liner made by Westinghouse (23 Million), Firestone (7.5 Million), Inland (1.9 Million), and the following producing between 2 to 4 million liners, Mine Safety Appliances, Capac, Seaman Paper Products and International Molded Plastics. The low pressure liners were made by St. Clair and Hood Rubber Co. combined about 1.5 Million. Hawley and General Fiber made the fiber liner with a total of 3.9 million...these are incredibly valuable liners and very hard to find in good condition.
BTW, Korean war era liners would have a dark green web suspension...WW2 era would have a light Olive Drab color suspension, and early war variants would have an off white rayon suspension, with snap in sweatband etc.
Most guys feel that US WW2 steel pots are not that big of a deal, but they are very collectible and valuable in good condition and with a good liner.
Sorry for the novel on this.
Cheers
