The eye-lens retainer rings can also be found painted either gray or black. Other hardware such as the M8 valve or head harness tabs had variations as well, resulting in slight differences such as color or style. Modifications to the nose cup such as cutting it from the top middle also altered the sizing, and could make it more compatible to whoever it was issued to if they needed such a modification to comfortably wear the service mask. Thus, face pieces found to be larger than it should will have an L stamped next to the U on the forehead representing the size "Large Universal" whereas for universal facepieces that were smaller than normal were stamped with an S next to the U on the forehead representing the size "Small Universal". At some point it was realized that the slight differences in face pieces and manufacturing specifications resulted in some Universally sized masks to run either a little larger or a little smaller. There are also technically 2 other sizes associated with the Universal size. The variation in facepiece molds made it possible for the Universal size to fit just about anyone, but the M3 Lightweight service mask was also made in size super small and size large and will have either "SS" or "L" in place of the usual "U" for universal. The M3 was manufactured by several companies such as Dryden Rubber Company, Firestone, Acushnet Processing Company, Goodyear, General, and BF Goodrich, which resulted in a variety of different shaped and styled moldings of face blanks and rubber mixtures. This resulted in the stop gap mask, the M4-10A1-6 Army Lightweight Service Mask, to begin mass production by late 44 and early 45, and slowly replaced Neoprene M3's in the European Theatre through to the end of the war.Īn M3-10A1-6 gas mask in black neoprene rubber. This made the face piece impossible to form a gas tight seal, so before donning the mask the soldier had to hold the facepiece against the body to warm it up in order to properly don the mask. Neoprene had a tendency to harden or "cold set" under freezing temperatures. By the winter of 1944 in the European Theatre of Operations, the problems of neoprene became apparent. Despite butyl showing the most promise, last minute changes resulted in Neoprene being chosen for mask procurement instead, so by the fall of 1943, all M3 lightweight service masks were being produced out of Neoprene exclusively. Initial procurements of the M3 face piece were molded from class b grey natural rubber, but as a result of the military's dwindling rubber supplies caused by the loss of the pacific islands to the Japanese, a synthetic rubber program began in the spring of 1943 and ending later that year with butyl actually being the most promising synthetic rubber for future procurements. By August of that year, the M3 replaced all older service masks on the production lines. It wasn't until May of 1943 when the M3 Lightweight Service Mask had worked out most of its problems and saw full-scale production by its major manufacturers. Firestone developed a machine that vulcanized the nose cup to the facepiece automatically, which further sped up production. Another issue of the M3 facepiece was the installation of the nose cup within the mask which had to be carefully vulcanized in place. The M4 Army Lightweight Service Mask still didn't see any major production until late 44, however. As a stopgap, while the M3's production kinks were being worked out, the M4 lightweight service mask was finalized in late 42 where they took stocks of M2A2 facepieces and converted them into Lightweight service masks configurations by giving it an oronasal cup, an 457 mm (18-inch) hose, and an M10 canister. Early production of the M3 saw problems with the canister assembly, the crimping of the eye-rings to the facepiece, and problems producing the M6 carrier which was the main bottleneck of the lightweight service mask. The requirement for the M3 Lightweight Service mask was established as early as January of 1942 but wasn't finalized or standardized until later that year. The M3 Lightweight service mask had a shorter 457 mm (18-inch) long M3 hose, addition of an oronasal cup to reduce lens fogging, the lighter weight M10 or M10A1 canister, a smaller M6 carrier, and the facepiece itself had the head harness tab position changed to be farther back on the facepiece which negated the need for a rifle skid. The M2 series service mask had a longer 686 mm (27-inch) hose, no oronasal cup, used the MIXA1 canister, used the MIVA1 Carrier, and had a rifle skid on the lower head harness of the facepiece which was positioned mid-cheek of the facepiece. The United States M3 Lightweight Service Mask was a needed upgrade for the US military after it was found that the weight and bulk of the older M2 series service masks were unsatisfactory.
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