Russian GP5 Gas Mask Kit, New - Soviet Military

I love these masks as a Cold War and ComBloc collector, they look incredible. However, many of the original 40mm GOST filters used asbestos in their construction. These are generally safe to handle if the canister isnt damaged and no material it falling out. However, considering the age and the fact that these filters are at least 2 or more decades past their expiration date, they are absolutely NOT SAFE to breath through. The internal separators are rubber based and have a tendency to become brittle and crack. Breathing through the filter can very easily cause asbestosis if you get unlucky and it's degraded far enough. These filters were produced en-mass for nearly 25 years, and the asbestos was phased out towards the later production. So not ALL 40mm GOST filters contain asbestos but there is no reliable way to tell the safe ones apart from the potentially very dangerous ones, as they have no year markings. There's 3 options to remedy this. 1) You can source new production filters made with modern materials and unexpired, though they usually are sold in groups and may require overseas shipping. 2) You can find adapters online to work with other patterns of filter, though most of them require a hose and a proper air-seal can vary (avoid hobbyist 3D printed adapter pieces). 3) You can wear a respirator and gut a filter if you just want it to look the part for cosplay/larp purposes. There are plenty of video guides online showing how to open and remove the contents from these canisters. Then you just close it back up after emptying it out. Lastly, I guess you could also just use/wear it without a filter if it's for a prop or costume use. Final tip: these masks were intended for use with short-buzzed military type haircuts. They have a tendency to pull at your hair if you have any significant length to it, but a solution is simple. Just grab an old T-shirt and poke your head partway through the neck part, like Beavis & Butthead. Then tie the sleeves together behind your head to keep it tight. The gasmask will now fit tighter and is prevented from catching on any hair.