WWII US Army M-1 Bayonet -
The M1 Bayonet was designed to be used with the .30 caliber U.S. Rifle M1. The blade is 10 inches (25.4 cm) long, and the handle is 4 inches (10.1 cm) long.
Before 1943, the M1 Garand and all variants of the U.S. Rifle Model 1903 were using the M1905 bayonet and later M1942 bayonets.
In 1943, the U.S. Army decided a shorter bayonet would be better, so as many of the M1905/1942s as possible were recalled, had their blades cut down to 10 inches, and were reissued. These shortened bayonets, along with the newly made 10-inch bayonets, are called M1 bayonets. They functioned well in the European theater, where in the rare bayonet-actions of the time, they were matched up against the 9 3/4 inch long blade of the German
S84/98 III bayonet fitted on the
Karabiner 98k . However, in the Pacific theater, the much longer
Japanese bayonets on the already very long
.Arisaka rifle caused many American troops to retain the long M1905 bayonet.
The item featured here is a US army M-1 bayonet. As used in the later years of the war.
This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII US edge weapons. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined
points that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII knife or sword worth?".
A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the edge weapons
is reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth
of US militaria in the collector's market is illustrated.
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This US edge weapon is currently being
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because
the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with
the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this edge weapon.
Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of
the collectible.
If you have an interest is seeing other WWII edge weapons, you can do so by
going to our
WWII US Edge Weapons
identification guide. Where we cover Army, Navy, Army Air Force and other organizations.
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