Colombian M16 Clone

updated January 4, 2025

General Information: The Colombian army used this helmet in the Leticia War which Colombia fought in 1933 with Peru. The Colombian military also used the helmet in the Civil War of 1948 to 1958.[1] I was skeptical about the claim that the helmet was used in the Leticia War because I could not find period photos of the helmet in use during this conflict and because it would have been uncomfortable to wear in a tropical environment. Recently, however, a Colombian collector sent me a photograph (see below), apparently taken during the time of the Leticia war, showing soldiers equipped with the Colombian M16. In addition, there is a monument to the Leticia War in the Parque Santander in Leticia that depicts a Colombian soldier wearing a Model 1916 clone, so the claim of wartime use of this headgear seems correct.

There is almost nothing written about this helmet in collector literature. Even the nomenclature is unclear. I have chosen to call it the “Colombian M16 Clone,” although you may see it referred to as the “Colombian M18” or other names. The website WWIIafterWWII indicates that by the 1940s the Colombian M16s were reserved for second line such as cadets from military academies.[2]

The Colombian M16s are lightweight and would offer scant ballistic protection. The original configuration for these helmets is with a Czech-style liner that is very similar to that found on the Czechoslovakian vz30. Four rivets secure the liner to the shell while two domed rivets secure the chinstrap attachment hardware. The padding on the interior of the liner is red felt, much like that found on French Model 1915s. The corrugated spacers are also like those found on French helmets of the First World War but are larger. The bales for attachment of the chinstraps are akin to those of found on Austro-Hungarian German model helmets. A distinguishing feature of these helmets is the liner rivet at the front of the helmet.

Some of the Colombian M16s were refurbished and reissued to police units. The helmets have also been used in the contemporary period for military parades. These ceremonial parade helmets are refitted with new liners and repainted. Because of the limited production and the fact that many of the Colombian M16 clones were reused and reconfigured makes the helmets of this type in their original configuration one of the rarest of the stahlhelm family.

Displayed Example: I acquired this helmet in trade with a Dutch collector friend. He, in turn, purchased it from an Argentine dealer.

This rare helmet is one of the few surviving examples of the type that appears to be in its original factory configuration with a liner that has corrugated spacers and red felt backing (not shown) to the liner. The original owner lightly carved his initials, “AM,” into the liner leather.

Collector Notes: Although these helmets are exceedingly rare, they do surface occasionally in the collector market. If you are lucky enough to find a Colombian M16, it will likely be one that has been refurbished over the years.

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* Bevkh, Vlad. “Colombian Army paratroopers, mid-1940s”. Forummg.info. November 5, 2020. https://forummg.info/viewtopic.php?t=2566&start=780 . Accessed October 14, 2024.

[1] CSRL Collectibles. “COLOMBIA & PERU WAR M 16 HELMET LETICIA WAR 1933 LIGHTWEIGHT METAL GERMAN KIND.” eBay. August 16, 2024. https://www.ebay.com/itm/192599466586?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=192599466586&targetid=4581046493380282&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=603247657&mkgroupid=1239150647972013&rlsatarget=pla-4581046493380282&abcId=9316139&merchantid=51291&msclkid=91e4f6f483d51fbe0968902ed305c148. Accessed 9/5/2024.

[2] JWH1975 (aka). “The stahlhelm in Latin America after WWII.” WWII after WWII: WWII equipment used after the war. March 7, 2016. https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/2016/03/07/the-stahlhelm-in-latin-america-after-wwii/. Accessed October 14, 2024.