Cold War Crap
Finnish M/62 Gas Mask Kit
Manufacturer: Rikkihappo Oy, Helsinki, Finland
Model: Suojanaamarin M/62 (Finnish) Skyddsmasken M/62 (Swedish)
Country: Finland and Sweden
Year of manufacture: 1969
Production run: 1962 - ?
Fitting: 40mm NATO
Price: £17-£18 I paid: £1.20 + £3.40 postage
Vendor:
Condition: New/unissued
Shipped from: UK
After a short break in my gas mask buying I return with a rather curious Finnish creation the M/62.
A cheaply made civilian mask made in Finland but also found in sweden.
This particular gas mask kit is one of the more rarer finds on ebay. One particular UK seller was selling these for around £17- £18. The one that i got my hands on cost me less than a fiver but came with a caviat. it was missing a head harness buckle.
No problem, i have a small buckle here already so its easily fixed. A bargain then!
I had high expectations and i wasnt going to be disappointed.
First Impressions
The M/62 gas mask kit was originally issued in a large carboard box. Inside is a rubber face piece which attaches at the back via an adjustable harness.
Also inside the box is a 40mm filter sealed in a plastic bag, a lens cleaning cloth, a comprehensive instruction manual and a clear thick resealable plastic carrier to keep a contaminated mask in presumably?
The Mask
This mask consists of a thin rubber face piece. circular GP-5 style eye pieces and 40mm NATO style inhale valve on the snout. The straps which hold it to your head are elasticated it would appear and often a secure fitting when you pop it on. the eye pieces on this mask are made from a thin perspex type plastic rather than glass and look like they could scratch really easily.
There is no exhale valve on this mask. Instead, exhaled air passes out of the mask via the sides. Similar to the WWII British civilian mask in that respect. A simple system which worked (sort of)
The mask was first designed in 1962 )I think) but im not sure when they replaced this mask. details are thin on the ground.
Judging by the overall quality I would say these civilian masks were produced by a government who were on a bit of a tight budget.
I dont want to sound too harsh but this design of mask is pretty terrible.
It doesnt really sit well on your face. it sort of hangs low around the eyes. Add the filter and move around a bit and the mask becomes a little heavy and pulls down a bit. It all feells a little crap. might a problem if you are surrounded by gas and it drops down because of the filter.
There is very little going on inside this mask. Just the bare basics it would appear. No Tissot tubes to take away the condensation, no exhale valve nothing. Just the intake section and two eye plastic eye pieces.
The Filter
This filter actually looks decent. Its got a 40mm standard NATO screw fitting making it compatible with many other gas masks. it looks to be made to a good standard.
The quality of the paint on this filter canister is quite good although Battleship grey isnt a colour i normally gravitate to, its certainly a change from the forest green the soviets used to splash on. As this filter came to me still sealed in a plastic bag (i regret opening it now) it is in pretty much brand new condition after all these years.
The filter was made in 1969 if the date stamp is to believed. Presuming this filter follows the same dating designation as the mask then this filter was designed and used from 1961 (M/61)
!! Does this Filter contain Asbestos? !!
Very little is known about this filter at this time. Assume there is a layer of asbestos filtration is the best advice.As the filter is years out of date replace it with a modern one if the mask is intended for use.
14th of May 1969
This filter is pretty old and even though it was sealed up in a bag, small bits of paint were peeling off on one side.
The instruction booklet is written in both Finnish and Swedish. It looks to be very concise and in depth (although I dont know either language!).
See what I mean about it not sitting right on the face!
Another interesting gas mask for the collection it would seem. yeah its a cheaply made monstrosity but one that I didnt have. Definately one for display only, you couldnt really use this to fend off tear gas or anything - preppers forget it!
Rating: 👍👍👍👍 4 out of 5
For under 20 these gas mask kits are great value for the collector. A complete unopened unissued kit from the late 60s, you cant go wrong.
Not the usual GP5 type mask you see on every ebay list and seemingly getting rarer and rarer these days so worth grabbing one or two now.