Cold War Crap
Yugoslavian M-2 Gas Mask
Model: M-2
Country of Origin: Yugoslavia (now Serbia)
Year of production: 1986?
Production run: ?
Fitting: 40mm
Size: M (mala = small)
Price: £10.00 + £2.95 postage
Availability: Hard to find/ becoming rare
Shipped from: UK
All this lot for a tenner!
Ebay is a fantastic place to find surplus gas masks, much cheaper than your bricks and mortar stores for the most part and often with a wider selection of choice. Every now and then we find a one-off semi-rare treat which pops up and then disappears in the bat of an eyelid, never to be repeated anytime soon. Well here is one such treat. The much loved Yugoslav M-2 from the 1980s and 90s. The replacement to the also much loved Yugoslav MC-1 - The American M9 clone with the daft bulbous nose and 60mm side mounted filter. I did a review of the full Yugo MC-1 NBC kit a while back..... Click Here to see the review.
The M-2 features a filter finding friendly 40mm fitting, loses the stupid big nose and adds a new inner mask for better air seal and comfort.
MC-1 v M-2
Here is a little side by side comparison between the old MC-1 and the M-2 both of which were used by the Yugoslavian JNA during the cold war.
The eye pieces, exhale valve and side filter intake are essentially the same although the M-2 does away with the large diameter 60mm american style filter in favour of the standard 40mm threading.
Away goes the large bulbous nose piece of the MC-1 in favour of a more neatly sculpted nose molding.
The M-2 new nose piece copies the British Avon S6 to a certain extent.
Horrible 60mm filter be gone!
As well as a different filter on the side the newer M-2 has a thicker, reinforced rubber face piece, better harness mountings and better placed eye pieces. These little improvements makes for a much better comfortable fit.
M-2 on the left and MC-1 on the right
On the left is the M-2 with its improved inner mask, chin support with air flow and pseudo Tissot tubes running just underneath the eye pieces.
The old MC-1 by comparison is a simple basic piece of soft rubber and not alot else.
Differences between the two are like night and day in terms of fit and functionality.
As stated earlier, there is nothing wrong with the old MC-1, its a great mask in its own right. But it just doesnt stand up against the M-2
Back to the M2 review...
and now for the rest of the stuff which came with the M-2 kit.
firstly the filter.
1986 made? it certainly looks like an 86 production.
Looking remarkably like an old soviet GP-5 filter we have the M-2 filter. A 40mm threaded activated charcoal can which screws directly to the side of the mask.
There seems nothing extraordinary about it. The markings down the side dont seem to follow any known numbering/dating/manufacture system other than the numbers 02 1986 on one side. One assumes this might refer to the manufacture date? who knows.
Looks awfully like an Soviet GP-5 filter..... but its not!
!! Does this Filter contain Asbestos?!!
I highly doubt it - Most countries knocked Asbestos on the head long before 1986 with the except of China perhaps. The health risks were realised years before. Its always a safe bet to replace with a newer filter anyway.
Filter in near perfect condition
This 40mm filter is in really good condition considering it has to be at least 30 years old. There are no signs of paint chipping or flaking, no signs of any rust or moisture inside or out which can only be a good thing.
It came with the original top bung/cap and the bottom rip tab still in tact. It doesnt appear to have ever been used.
Can you modify this Mask?
I think its quite possible to modify this mask by switching the intake and exhale valves around so to avoid having a heavy filter hanging down one side of the face. I must admit Im not a big lover of the filter on the cheek type set up, it makes my head feel a little lop sided!.
Instead the filter could hang down in front of the mask like most other modern masks and filters do.
A soviet style hose could also be added to get the filter away from the face altogether. Both the inhale and exhale valves are secured by simple cable ties so a quick switch around would be relatively easy to do.
The Haversack/Carrier
To carry the mask and filter around we have the rather splendid M-2 haversack.
It appears to have been designed to be both functional and compact.
Inside are various little pockets with little elasticated straps to hold everything in place. It features a long shoulder strap which can be stowed away at the bottom of the bag when its not required. The bag itself is made from thick cotton and has been properly stitched on the edges. Once everything is in the bag it is securely fastenened by three press stud type fixings.
The Haversack provided is quite useful but it does stink a bit!
Overall in terms of carrying a gas mask about its one of the better haversacks I have come across. Much better than a lot of the soviet bags of that time. Its really compact and lightweight which I really like.
One thing I didnt like was the musty/manky smell which came with the bag. I guess this kit has been stored in a damp basement or something for the past 30 years. Despite the reek, there isnt any mould spots or fungus growing on the bag. Bonus!
Maintenance Card
Well here is something you dont see everyday... a gas mask with its own scheduled maintenance card.
I dont think any of my masks came with one of these except this M-2. Bizarre.
Yeah, you get the odd user manual in russian or polish but never a test card.
No not an instruction manual but a maintenance card
Basically this card recorded the safety tests that were scheduled for this JNA military mask.
The front page gives details of the factory where the mask was produced, the series, production and date numbers of the mask. and the JNA military serial number (similar to NATO order numbers)
One confusing entry on the front sheet is the '1986' writing in pen. You might think that this would indicate the masks true age but maybe not? Im still working on the true manufacture date as im not happy with what i have found so far.
Some fella signed this off - Cant work out when though?
More cryptic Serbian scrawlings.... it would appear that this mask was tested for safety once and once only. The date shows 2004 or 2007? The resistance test shows 17 m/us (whatever that means?) and the test engineer signed it off as passsed.
Its great to get this card with the kit. Something which can be kept with the kit and sold on one day in the future. It all adds to the authenticity.
This mask fits really well. Im mightily impressed
In my opinion the M-2 looks like the Primark version of the Avon S6. I really like the feel, the fit and the price.
I would have no hesitation in getting another if the chance ever presents itself again!
Rating: 5 out of 5 ✅✅✅✅✅
What a great fitting, comfortable mask! Oh and what a great piece for any collector. These things are pretty hard to come back by these days (in the UK at least) so unless a bargain price can be found expect to pay a few quid for one of these. I really like what those Serbians did to this mask. a much improved replacement to the MC-1 - not that there was anything wrong with that mask! Chuck a new 40mm filter on this thing and its good to go.