Sovietarmystuff.com

That's nothing yet, I had to wait three months for a North Korean medal to arrive from China.. (and that was in a envelope, omg)

I would love to get one of the Korean K-1 (?) gasmasks. I hear they're really fantastic.

Sorta looks like a rip off of the Canadian C-4 mixed with elements of the AVON S-10.

Despite my GP-7 still not arriving, I've placed another order for a GP-5 and a GP-6. Let's hope these ones don't get lost too!

Were you able to work out anything with Vlad on the GP-7? Here at Soviet Army Stuff there is hardly ever an unsatisfied customer with service, the ones that are usually do not give us a chance to fix the problem though :-)

I rarely see GP-5 and GP-6 getting lost in postage, there might have been some discrimination with a more 'military' looking gas mask as to why the GP-7 had some issues.

If you would like, I have also written reviews on those two gas masks to give you some insight on those masks if you get the chance and would like to read up on them.

I also have done research with the GP-5 that may prove interesting, not only that but I have also featured detailed reviews on the GP-4, PBF, and SChMS gas mask among other things.

I havn't issued anything official yet as to the fate of the wayward GP-7. I'll wait for the 20-day-after-shipping mark before I declare it lost. Who knows. It may end up on my door tomorrow, but it's doubtful.

I'm only really getting the GP-5 to "complete the collection", as practically everyone has a GP-5. It's like, the stock standard gasmask I am interested in its safety though. An american site that I visited (which was overpriced and highly biased) said that GP-5s are absolutely useless, and will not provide any protection beyond tear gas.

While I'm prepared to accept that, perhaps the GP-5 won't protect against extremely new, tiny biological weapons, I doubt it'll function too much different than a more modern mask, especially if equipped with a more modern filter.

What do you think?

I've been to those sites as well, when I asked where they got their information, they simply said; 'It's obvious, the mask is over 40 years old.' I don't buy that one bit, the GP-5 was used extensively beyond the Cold War and was even used with scientists in the Chernobyl NPP when they were doing observations and recordings, and those guys still lived after their work was done, how long is difficult to tell as radiation is the bigger problem to humans rather than radioactive dust is. There is even photographs in a previous discussion that proves it, though I can't remember where it is posted nor who posted it...

But I think many people in the US misunderstand a gas mask... They think that once they put it on they are protected against radiation, which is incorrect, the mask is only designed to protect against radioactive dust that is harmful to the lungs and is highly deadly to a human if ingested in any way. The latex and later designed Butyl Rubber that the GP-7 uses, is only designed to prevent low levels of radiation from interning the body, Beta and Gamma are impossible to prevent absorption from unless you use one of those new Radiation suits some company in the US designed that blocks even low levels of Gamma radiation from entering the body. But with the protection we are provided, the best defense is the LC-1 Chemical suit (any will do, but the LC-1's material is more resilient than the breathable USGI issued MOPP suits) and it's complete seal, a decent condition gas mask, and some potassium iodide if you feel like you can handle your thyroids being blocked to prevent the absorption of radiation at the cost of some possible side effects.

As for the filters, I think these Russian ones that we get from Vlad are as modern as they come before buying the new manufactured US 40mm filters that don't work with the European 60mm :\

All in all I'd just like to say lets just hope we never have to field test these items like the former owners did, but if we do have to, at least we have what we have right?

You'd be surprised how many filters actually fit. Soviet is 40mm. English is 40mm. Russian is 40mm. US is 40mm. NATO is 40mm.

Only Canadian and Finnish (and some rare Swedish) filters are 60mm, and you can buy a little plastic adaptor that makes them fit 40mm threading anyway.

I read a lot of your reviews, and the only issue I found was that you said the soviet filter you got was 60mm, which was probably a typo or mistake. Soviet filters are 40mm.

Edit-

Found it. In your PMG review:

"The filter is attached to the left side and uses 60mm thread like all other Russian masks, only this position allows shoulder mounted weapons to be used more efficiently and allows the filter to be less of a burden to the users. The filter also came with a dust cover and is mainly used for preserving the integrity of the filter, but can also be used to protect it in combat as long as you properly dislodge the cork while it is in use."

Ah right you are, I did make a mistake with the review, for some reason the two sizes and their country origin get me confused. When I first started purchasing gas masks there were too many sellers out there with the same invalid information that I sometimes accidentally share about the 60mm filter.

The Finnish mask, also the most common besides the Israeli masks, uses that 60mm filter and it just bugs the hell out of me when it's all I can come across anymore.

I guess in my exasperation it cross references into topics that it generally does not correlate to unfortunately, my apologies.

It's alright! Easy mistake to make. I'm surpsised no one else picked up on it for so long, though. I've been waiting for an opportunity to point it out for weeks, because I didn't want to sound like an asshole

This also means that, should you want to start experimenting with filters, you can go and buy some newer ones.

I've always thought that the older, nearly spherical OD-colored NATO filter would look very good on a GP-5.