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The C3 gas mask is a full-face gas mask developed by the General Tire and Rubber company of Canada (GTR) in Canada. First manufactured in 1960, it was intended to replace the C2, which was a series of masks copied from each generation of the British LAG series (see the predecessor page).
The C3 comes in 3 variants, the C3-1, C3-2 and C3-3. The C3-1 and 2 seem virtually the same though the lenses are slightly different. The C3-1 uses traditional Mk III removable lenses whilst the C3-2 is practically identical to the C3-1 but seems to use metal bands to hold the parts in place whereas the C3-1 used a bronze wire, twisted and cut before being covered over with fabric tape. The C3-1 also seemed to have two types of filter. The most common C3 seen on the surplus market is the 1970s C3-1 with the M69 filter.
The C3-3 may be little more than a prototype. This mask used a faceblank without the triangle on the nose. The most notable difference with this model, however, was that it featured a dual threaded port which could accept both 60 and 40mm filters. Essentially, it had two rings inside. Examples of this can be found on Gas Mask Lexikon and Flechette Gas Masks.
The faceblank used on the C3 is known as the C-1 and serves as a hybrid of the British L1 and L3 faceblanks. For an unknown reason, this faceblank retains the L1's triangle mount at the centre of the faceblank. However, the C-1 faceblank features many of the changes introduced with the British L3 faceblank such as a more flexible and finer cut rubber and two support beams inside the faceblank as opposed to the one beam seen on the L1 and L3/C faceblank used on some of the Light Anti-Gas Respirators and the Canadian C2-1.
Another faceblank exists with an unknown name. This alternate faceblank does not feature a central triangle mount but instead has the flat nose as typical of the British L2 and L3 faceblanks. These are mostly seen on C3-3s but can be found on either 1s or 2s.
Cite needed on virtually all of this.
Baron Company Made C3 Masks
Dutch Armed forces demanded new type of mask due to their inventory of obsolete masks such as K-52.Baron company copied this masks for further military use and civil defence for Netherlands.
Differences between Canadian Variant and Dutch one is exhale valve screw and voice emitter materials Dutch version has one more screwed cup for extra protection.
Some late models of Dutch C3's had glued 40mm adapter to filter port for expand the service life of this mask.
The Dutch line of C3 masks exists of 3 versions, 1 2 and 3
Version 1 is the standard C3
Version 2 is the standard C3 modified to the Dutch version with the black voice emitter material and exhale valve protector.
Version 3 is the standard Baron C3 as explained above
References
http://www.gasmaskforum.com/anybody-knowledgable-about-the-canadian-c3-mask-t638.html
http://mygasmaskcollection.blogspot.com/2008/06/gas-mask-collection.html
