The PBF (Russian: Противогаз Без коробочный Фильтрующий - "Gas mask without box filter") is a gas mask kit, manufactured in the Soviet Union. The mask itself is the ShMB.
Mask
It was intended to be a lightweight gas mask that did not have a heavy metal canister filter or tube. Instead, the PBF uses two smaller EO-19 'cheek' filters mounted on each side of the mask, similarly to the US M17.
Like many other Soviet gas masks, the PBF was made in both grey and black versions.
The PBF's voice emitter and exhale valve are located behind a plastic cover at the front of the mask.
Like some other Soviet Cold-War-era masks, the PBF's lenses are designed to be used by soldiers that must look down optical devices, as the lenses are not angled.
A notable feature of the PBF is the fact that it has indentations meant to fit over the wearer's ears. The material in this area is also thinner, to aid in hearing.
According to some sources, the filters of the PBF are meant to last as long as 24 hours, depending on the level of air contamination.
PBF kit
- ShMB facepiece
- Carrier, with pocket for anti-fog inserts and filters
- EO-19 filters
- 56.5mm diameter anti-fog inserts
- Spare ShMB voice membranes
- IPP-8 Decontamination kit
- KPZO Anti fog pencil (optional)
Trivia
- According to some sources, the PBF was called the 'gorilla', 'monkey' and 'hamster' mask by Soviet troops.
- The PBF is still used by police forces in some former Soviet countries, due to its light weight.
- The mask is sometimes erroneously referred to as the "EO-19", which stems from the designation of the filters designed for this mask.
Appearances in popular culture
- In the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series of video games, one of the available items ingame is a version of the PBF that uses external 40mm filters instead of internal "cheek" filters.
- The PBF gas mask has also been seen worn by 'flamethrower troops' in Metal Gear Solid 3 'Snake Eater'. A flaw exists with the date the game takes place however. The game is set in 1964, however the PBF gas mask was not in use until the late 1970s and into the 1980s.
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