Offered for sale from a recent estate sale is an Original and Quite Scarce

US MODEL M1 GARAND FIGHTING KNIFE BAYONET WITH B.M. CO BAYONET SCABBARD USM8

In the book “The American Bayonet 1776 - 1964 by Albert Hardin pages 136 thru 171 discuss the period that that this original bayonet was utilized. In section 137 Bayonet M1 the following is noted:

This was the second form of bayonet to be issued with the Garand. Although it would fit the M1903 Springfield rifle, it is more aptly mated with the Garand, as the “03” was becoming an item of infrequent issue at the time. A modification to the existing M1905 bayonet was requested by the Cavalry Board late in 1942, to meet the demand for a bayonet suitable for carrying on the belt by troops riding in vehicles and on horseback. The modification actually was done on the World War II versions of the bayonet, the 1942. Sample bayonet of the desired 10-inch blade length were furnished for field trials. After acceptance the Infantry Board recommended that the existing bayonets be modified by grinding off 6 inches from the point thus reclassifying the M1905 as a Limited Standard.

In section 138 Bayonet, M4. Although the M1 carbine was approved in October, 1941 no action was taken to adapt a bayonet to the arm for two years. Headquarters Army Service Force directed that such a bayonet be developed with special emphasis on adapting the M3 trench knife for this purpose. The blade length the M4 Variation No. 1 was 6 ¾ inches long the same length as the M1 bayonet offered for sale. The next bayonet issued was the M5 with a different locking device as noted in item 139. I believe that this bayonet is an in between design and of very limited issue.I cannot find the exact issue but do note that in research the Bayonet Model 1942 was redesigned in may ways.

M8 scabbard with this bayonet has a body of cloth reinforced with olive drab plastic, identical in construction to the M3 and M7 scabbards issued with the M1942 and M1 bayonets respectively.

The M4 bayonet was introduced in 1944 for use with the M1 carbine. It was built on the M3 fighting knife. Like the M3 fighting knife it was designed for rapid production using a minimum of strategic metals and machine processes, it used a relatively narrow 6.75-inch bayonet-style spear-point blade with a sharpened 3.5-inch secondary edge as is the bayonet offered for sale. The blade was made of carbon steel, and was either blued or parkerized. This bayonet is parkerized. Production of the grooved leather handle was later simplified by forming the grip of stacked leather washers that were shaped by turning on a lathe, then polished and lacquered. The steel crossguard had a bayonet muzzle ring and the bayonet fastener is on the pommel. Later models used a black molded plastic handle as does this bayonet offered for sale. The basic design would be used for the later M5, M6 and M7 are two variations of this scabbard, both with an olive drab fiberglass body with steel throat. The early version M8 scabbard only had a belt loop and lacked the double hook that earlier bayonet scabbards had for attaching to load carrying equipment such as the M1910 Haversack. The improved M8A1 scabbard manufactured later in WW II has the M1910 bent wire hook. The scabbard throat flange is stamped \"US M8\" or \"US M8A1\" on the flat steel part along with manufacturer initials. This scabbard is Marked “U.S. M8” with the manufactures initials of B.M.Co. on the steel part of the scabbard. B.M. Co. is the Beckwith Manufacturing Co. of Dover, N.H. Some M8 scabbards were later modified by adding the M1910 hook. Later M8A1 scabbards were manufactured with a modified extended tab on the web hanger to provide more clearance for the M5 bayonet which rubbed against the wider bayonet handle. This sheath is correct for all post-war US bayonets including the M4, M5, M6, and M7. It was also used with the M3 fighting are no dates or manufactures trademarks on bayonet. The handle of the bayonet has ware as photo shows. Some ware is also present on scabbard. It is as received from estate sale. A good portion of the parkerization is present on the blade. The blade is spear point design

Numerous photos have been taken to show the condition and design of this WWII bayonet fighting knife with will accept PAYPAL. Items will be shipped Priority Mail mail usually next day after payment of Paypal, packaging and mail $ 8.95.