High, folks! This will be my second post on this forum. I'm a moderator over at www.americanmilitiamovement.com.

I'm looking into purchasing a Finnish M61 gas mask with filter and 60mm to 40mm NATO adapter for NATO filters. My question is, by a show of replies, how many of you own one or more gas masks? Knowing this will make me feel more comfortable about buying one.

I still have a M17 series as all I'm really worried about is CS gas particularly in an enclosed area.

I hear one of the SCOTT brand masks are the way to go but I honestly have no clue. I would THINK that with the right filter it would do a great job. I'[d rather trust my life to something like that than an old surplus mask.

I still don't know for sure, so don't just buy one without researching.

Avoid surplus masks for any NBC use like Poison Gas or Nuclear Contaminates or anything else that might kill you.

If you believe you may need one then get a good current military type mask.

I have a M95 Mask with good filters.

A older mask like an M17 should be good for CS Tear Gas. Although I never tried one with Tear Gas, I did use one for protection against those Gopher Gas Bombs that my friend used inside a Horse Barn to smoke out the Rats, and it did work OK and I never even smelled the Gas and more importantly I never got sick.

There is one very important thing to consider if you intend to use a Mask in a Combat situation and that is the location of the Filter and how it effects your ability to use a Rifle properly.

With the M95 the filter can be placed on either side.

Also a Mask prevents you from getting in proper position to use the sights and I found that a Red Dot on top of an AR15s carry handle mostly solved that problem.

I have 2 Israeli masks and about 6 filters in my preps

Also, if the mask goes on for any NBC use, youbetter be hauling ass out of there.

If you're using the mask for any NBC use, you better have a MOPP or better suit to put on, too.

So, is this what you have? Do you have a wife and kids for whom you've purchased these suites?

My wife and I are both retired military, my kids are active military....we all have the ones the AF trained us on: MCU-2/P (the MSA Millenium), and JLIST suits. Since I quit shaving when Uncle quits paying me, mine has a PAPR device.

Of course, I don't have to pay for the kids (at least beyond my taxes).

But if you're in a chemical warfare agent environment (anything beyond perhaps irritant gases like CS) and you don't have a suit, you might as well not bother with a mask.

Flighter,

Would just a mask work for a short term exposure while you get away from the substance? Not something I would count on, just for informational.

Depends on the substance: A very small drop of a nerve agent on your skin (or clothes) will kill you. Exposure to blistering agents will cause chemical burns on the skin, which can be quite bad (even fatal). Even a biological can enter the body through an unseen break in the skin, while wearing a mask.

Thank you for your informative answer. However, I'll have to look up those acronyms since I've never served in the military.