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This article is about the Finnish respirator. For the Norwegian respirator, see M/30 (Norway).



The M/30 was the first Finnish made gas mask and it was intended for military use. The Estonian E-III is its close copy.

Overview[]

The facepiece itself is made of moulded orange rubber which is covered by drab-colored stockinet material. The glasses are in metal assemblies. The 40mm DIN thread is on the chin fixed to the mask with rubber cement and wire. The intake leads to two moulded in Tissot-tubes. The exhale valve is inside the mask and the exhaled air leaves the mask on the backside, this was due to the cold weather in Finland, this way the exhale valve can't freeze in easily. The 5-point harness connects to the mask via metal buckles where the harness can be adjusted. It was meade in 3 sizes, 3 being the smallest and 1 being the largest.

Filter[]

The M/30 filter was too heavy and ineffective so it was first changed to the M/34 then later to the M/41 filter.

Bag and kit[]

The bag is a relatively big hip carried canvas bag compared to other gas mask carriers from the era. It has two big sections inside for the mask and filter and it has 3 smaller pockets for accessories.

The kit contained:

  • M/30 facepiece
  • M/30, M/34 or M/41 filter
  • hose
  • anti-fogging soap
  • decontamination kit

External information[]

The mask is very similar to the British Mk III General Service Respirator and From which an improved mask was produced that was better suited to Finnish conditions. Attention was paid, for example, to the functionality of the valves in freezing temperatures. The moulded rubber style, filter, stockinette on it and the harness system all support the idea that the M/30 have been copied from the above-mentioned masks.

There were 220000 pieces in service by 1939.

Photos[]

References[]