Original Item: Vintage US Military M17 Protective Field Mask Gas Mask Bag. Offered in solid but used condition. All pouches are from the 1960's and 1970’s with most ink stamps legible. Complete with strap for wearing on hip or over shoulder. Color, style, and condition vary.

Outside marked:

Measures Approximately 10" x 10" x 4"

History of the M17 Gas Mask-

The M17 Protective Mask is a series of gas masks that were designed and produced in 1959 (as a replacement of the M-9 gas mask) to provide protection from all types of known chemical and biological agents present. The M-17 was issued to troops in the Vietnam war, and was standard issue for the U.S Army until it was replaced by the M-40 in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The mask has different components including a filter, a face piece and outserts. Filter elements in the face piece prevent harmful agents from entering the mask. The M17 series includes three types of masks, the M17, M17A1 and M17A2. An experimental transparent-silicone model was designed in 1966, but was turned down. Many countries have copied the M-17 design. Notable copies include the Bulgarian PDE-1, the Polish Mp-4 and the Czech OM10 or M10M.

These protective masks have inbuilt systems that facilitate communication, a tube for drinking water (A1 & A2), and a pair of outserts to protect eye lenses and an air pathway that reduced fogging. The mask is packed in a carrier that also contains other items like a nerve agent antidote kit (NAAK), a convulsive antidote for nerve agents (CANA) and an M-258 decontamination kit. It also contains a waterproof bag to protect filter elements from water damage. Other components attached are mask hoods to protect the head and neck area, a winterization kit to prevent frost accumulation during cold weather conditions and optical inserts for soldiers with vision defects. The A1 had a mask-to-mask resuscitation feature that was found to expose personnel to chemical agents. This forced the services to withdraw it from issue and replace it with the A2 without the feature.

The mask offers protection from chemical and biological warfare agents, but does not function properly in places where oxygen content is low.[citation needed] The mask is not meant to be used for firefighting and does not provide protection from radiation, however the filters will stop irradiated particles from entering the respiratory system of the wearer. It is recommended that users continue wearing it until the biological or chemical agent is identified and verified cleared from the area using standardized unmasking procedures.

The M-17 series protective masks were phased out in the 1990s, replaced by the M40 Field Protective Mask.