Military Gas Mask vs Civilian Gas Mask: MIRA Safety Review

MIRA Safety is known for making high quality, rugged, and very reliable gas masks to protect you against CBRN agents. The MIRA Safety CM-6M Tactical Gas Mask is perfect for military members, law enforcement personnel, and everyday citizens who require CBRN protection. The MIRA Safety CM-6M Tactical Gas Mask is the best tactical gas mask on the market, and almost identical to my military issued gas mask that I’ve used for years.

During my time in the military, we would conduct CBRN training every couple of years. The agents we learned about that could be used against us are no joke. That’s why I believe that not only military personnel, but everyday citizens should have the ability to protect themselves against CBRN attacks. With advancement in technology, the West is no longer out of reach from our foes.

Chemical agents used to cause irritation will try to make entry into your mouth, nose, and eyes. That is why having a full-face CBRN gas mask is of most importance when protecting yourself against CBRN agents. Taking a step further and having a full bunny-suit would be a good idea as well. In the military we would practice getting suited up in our full HAZMAT outfit within a certain amount of time.

Features

20 Year Shelf Life
Bromobutyl Rubber (CBRN protection)
Large Visor for wide-angle view
Fits up to two 40mm NATO filter cartridges
Includes hydration system & canteen
Helmet compatible
Meets EN 136:1996 class III requirements
EN 168 impact protection compliant

Cost

At the time of this article, the MIRA Safety CM-6M Tactical Gas Mask costs $544. Keep an eye out for sales though, as MIRA Safety has them fairly often.

Check MIRA Safety for the latest pricing.

You’ll need to purchase a filter as well, which vary in price depending on the level of protection you need. I also recommend spending a few dollars on the PROFILM Visor protectors for the CM-6M.

First Impression

I was very pleased when I first opened the box to the MIRA Safety CM-6M Gas Mask. It looked and felt just like my standard issued Military Gas Mask, which has performed well every time I’ve used it.

The MIRA Safety CM-6M Gas Mask included a water canteen, which was identical to the military issued water canteen. I chuckled to myself because the canteen in the military was probably used by 20 other people before I got it! But now I have a brand-new canteen that will work with both the MIRA Safety Gas Mask and my military gas mask. The MIRA Safety water canteen does feel a bit lighter in comparison, but other than that there’s no difference.

One thing to make note of is that the MIRA Safety CM-6M Gas Mask does NOT include a filter cartridge, so you’ll have to purchase one of those separately on MIRA Safety’s website. They’re fairly inexpensive though. I’m given one when I conduct CBRN training, so I didn’t require one from MIRA Safety. Which brings me to my next point!

The MIRA Safety CM-6M Gas Mask is compliant with 40mm NATO filter cartridges. Because of this, I can use this mask oppose to the standard military issued mask. One of the reasons I would prefer using the MIRA Safety Mask over my military mask (other than the fact that a bunch of dudes had their face in my military gas mask) is the full face visor on the MIRA Safety Gas Mask and not the dual-circle eye lenses on my military mask.

CBRN Protection

Having a gas mask doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t protect you against CBRN threats. What are CBRN threats you ask?

CBRN stands for Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear. Wearing a CBRN gas mask with a canister is meant to protect you from these threats. Depending on the severity of the threat, you may need to also wear protective clothing that is rated for CBRN threats. But for threats that can only cause internal damage by inhalation, a CBRN mask will be what you need.

You might be thinking to yourself that CBRN threats aren’t that serious and unlikely to be a reality. Sure, the odds of a CBRN attack happening near you may be slim-to-none. But spending a few hundred dollars on a piece of equipment that is guaranteed to protect you from those threats is a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.

Head Panel and Straps

One of the differences I have noticed with the MIRA Safety CM-6M Gas Mask is the back head-panel material. On my military gas mask, as you can see above, it has a softer material with more stretch. The MIRA Safety CM-6M Gas Mask head panel has a more rigid material.

Although my military gas mask head panel is softer and more comfortable, the MIRA Safety head panel is far more durable in my opinion and still offers a good amount of comfort.

I will note that the straps on the MIRA Safety CM-6M Gas Mask were very tough and difficult to pull at first but after a few times of using the mask they were easier to pull. My military gas mask straps are incredibly easy to pull and tighten, but it’s also much older.

I do like how the MIRA Safety Gas Mask has these rubber tabs overtop of the strap hardware, where my military gas mask has these exposed.

One thing that MIRA Safety could change with the back panel, and it’s a relatively easy fix, is to add a pull tab on the bottom of the mesh panel, similar to how my military gas mask is.

Hydration System & Canteen

Something that people may not think about while using CBRN equipment is the need to eat, drink, and use the toilet. I can tell you from personal experience that the things we do day to day without any hassle becomes far more difficult with a CBRN mask on and a full CBRN suit.

Not only do you have to remove the mask to eat food or unzip the suit to have a bowel movement, but you then have to sanitize your exposed skin as it could then be contaminated by the chemical agents in the air.

Because of all this, having the ability to drink water without removing your mask is amazing. The hydration system allows you to insert a small tube into the mask and into the lid of the canteen included with the CM-6M.

On the MIRA Safety CM-6M Mask, the hose to insert into the canteen is located on the upper right side of the face shield. On my military gas mask, the hose is located on the bottom chin.

One thing I liked about the MIRA Safety hose is that even if the hose came disconnected from the mask, it still had a covering over the insert. If the hose became disconnected from my military mask, then the insert would be completely exposed to the elements. Good design by MIRA Safety.

I’ve done many drills with my standard military gas mask, and there’s no difference at all with the MIRA Safety CM-6M Gas Mask. Well, the only difference is that my mouth is the only mouth to have used this hydration system!

The canteen included with the MIRA Safety CM-6M gas mask is identical to my military gas mask. On the twist-on cap there is a place for the insert on the mask to go into. This opening has a rubber protective covering that fits into the opening, so your water inside doesn’t get contaminated.

Full Face Visor

This is probably the biggest difference between the MIRA Safety CM-6M Gas Mask and my military gas mask! The field of view on the MIRA Safety is incredible with the full face visor.

On my military gas mask, it has these two big circles to look through, which isn’t terrible, but it does limit the amount of how much you can see, which then limits your ability to perform any sort of tasks or drills. The MIRA Safety Gas Mask on the other hand makes it feel almost like you’re not even wearing a mask. The range of view is very wide.

I would recommend buying visor protectors for the CM-6M. They’re about $50 and come with 3 PROFILM protectors. If your visor ever gets dirty or smudged, all you have to do is peel off the visor protector and apply a new one on and your visor is good as new.

I’ll make note that when shooting, you’ll likely need to have risers so you can aim through your optics. On the firearms we use in the military, the sights were already pretty high, but using civilian firearms I’ve noticed that I could aim down the sight since the optics were mounted a bit lower.

Functionality

First thing to do in order to have a properly functioning gas mask… shave your face! If you have a beard, you’re not going to get that tight seal around your face.

Donning on the MIRA Safety CM-6M Gas Mask is fairly simple. A tip is to have all the straps loose while you’re storing it. This way when you need to grab your gas mask and don it on quickly, you’re not having to loosen anything first.

What I was taught in the military was to grab the mask with your left hand on the face of the mask. Turn it face down (your palm should be up).

With your other hand, grab the bottom of the mesh backing. Then point your face down toward the ground above your mask.

As you bring the mask up to your face, pull the bottom of the mesh backing over the back of your head. Then with the mask pressed against your face, begin pulling all the tabs on the right side of the mask, and switch hands when pulling the tabs on the left side of the mask.

If you have a friend with you, definitely use the buddy system. One thing that just came to mind is when changing filters, it’s always a good idea to do each others filter changes. Having to unscrew a canister and place a new canister on while holding your breath can be stressful. And with added stress, you’re more likely to make a mistake or take longer.

Conclusion

The MIRA Safety CM-6M Tactical Gas Mask is a very reliable full face respirator to protect yourself from CBRN threats. In comparison to my military gas mask, the two are almost identical with minor differences, such as the drinking hose location, the mesh backing material and pull-tab, and the biggest difference being the CM-6M having a full visor, with the military gas mask having two eye openings.

MIRA Safety gas masks are of the highest quality and trusted by many militaries of countries such as the United States, Turkey, Ukraine, Czech Republic, South Africa, and more.

If you’re looking into obtaining a gas mask to protect yourself from CBRN threats, remember that you get what you pay for. Don’t risk saving a few dollars and buying a gas mask you’ve never heard of or on Amazon. Buy the equipment you know is going to work.

Remember, having the best equipment out there doesn’t mean anything if you don’t get out there and practice. So get the gear, open it up, wear it, use it, practice with it, and get comfortable so that when things go crazy, you’re ready.

Thanks for reading my review of the MIRA Safety CM-6M Tactical Gas Mask. I hope it’s been helpful and informative.

The views expressed in this article are the personal views of myself and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of National Defence.