If you’re holding a GP-5, then you know production stopped in 1990. The rest is activated charcoal, which is only a hazard if the filter is already broken or degrading. According to a confirmed lab report from the Netherlands, the GP-5 and GP-7 filters contain 7.5% white asbestos. The material has a high chance of being degraded, making it a liability.ĭon’t trust the original 40mm filter. The mask has lost its use and even though a seller may say it’s unused it still has the potential to break because of fragility/age. Here are six reasons why specifically the GP-5 and GP-7 should be avoided: Any gas masks in surplus today will not be as effective as one designed with modern day technology. The GP-5, GP-7 or any surplus gas mask is great as a collector’s item, but as a reliable means of protection … they are found to be incredibly lacking. Are the GP-5 and GP-7 a Health Hazard or Safety Net? The set comes in a cloth bag with the mask, a filter canister, a plastic or metal canteen, ballistic outsert lenses and anti-fog stickers. The gas mask also included a rubber five-point harness, and a rubber flap around the inside that would help create a better seal. And the biggest difference was the added drinking tube which wrapped around the voice diaphragm and attached to an exhale valve. It had a rounded lens and 40mm filter similar to the GP-5. The upgraded version, the GP-7, came in as a civilian-issued version of the PMK-1 and was preceded by the GP-5m. The bag has two pockets that would contain bandages and a decontamination kit. The case for that filter is made of lead and everything issued with the mask is placed inside a khaki fabric bag with two straps (one around the waist and another over the shoulder). The bottom is made of metal and inside is a 40mm filter inlet. Lastly, we have the air that passes through the inhale valve which is then passed into the mask through Tissot tubes which are located beneath the lenses. The GP-5 taught modern gas mask creators what should be added by default to today’s products that MIRA Safety sells. It makes sense that if this was sold cheaply on the market, it wouldn’t have an anti-fogging mechanism (which in modern masks, such as the MIRA Safety CM-6M, is a given to include). And adding insult to injury, the lenses that are crimped into the rubber are small and easily fog up. As effective as that may seem, it’s very uncomfortable for the wearer.
SURPLUS GAS MASK SKIN
The latex rubber adheres to the skin and creates a seal, preventing contaminants from inhalation. The GP-5 is a helmet-type gas mask with white/black rubber that stretches over the head. To this day, if you really wanted a GP-5, you could potentially go to the site of the Chernobyl disaster and you’d likely find several in the debris, scattered amidst the disaster zones. Since most Soviet Union civilians were expected to have a GP-5 gas mask (including the children but with a longer hose), they were cheaper than most, simple to produce and easy to obtain. The Dicey Design of the GP-5 and GP-7Īs mentioned, the GP-5 was specifically designed to counter a possible nuclear war with the U.S.
SURPLUS GAS MASK UPGRADE
After the GP-5m (the upgrade which came after the GP-5), the Soviet Union then began production on the GP-7 gas mask which was distributed in 1988. It was used as a way of preventing the inhalation of toxic and radioactive substances, including bacterial agents.Īs stated, the GP-5 would cease production in 1990, and so if you find one today, it’s likely it will NOT be as effective against nuclear disaster or a respiratory hazard. All civilians were advised that these gas masks would last up to 24 hours. What mattered then was that it was (1) super cheap and (2) super simple to manufacture. When COVID-19 hit the U.S., people fled to many alternative means of safety, and I mean VERY alternative means, as you can see below: So, before you click “buy” on that Israeli gas mask you saw on eBay, let’s look at your other options… TABLE OF CONTENTSĪre the GP-5 and GP-7 a Health Hazard or a Safety Net? Of course, it’s at your own discretion to buy these products, but in this article we discuss the origin of these surplus gas masks, why they’re such a concern, the reason they’ve become so popular and why the more modern alternatives are not only safer, but guaranteed to be safer. These masks are likely to be outdated, unreliable and unsafe. (Image source: Courtesy of JustOneSuitcase)Īs mentioned in our Definitive Gas Mask Buyer’s Guide, there are several types of surplus gas masks still on the market today that are best avoided.
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