This is a FINE condition example of a US Model 1905 Bayonet Refurbished for WWII Service. The original variation of the Model 1905 bayonet was adopted in 1905 for use with the Model 1903 Springfield rifle, replacing the ramrod bayonet that was originally incorporated into the Model 1903 rifle design. During the production and service life of these bayonets, they also became the standard bayonet for use with the US Model M1 Garand battle rifle. 

Three primary variants of the bayonet were produced between 1906 and 1922, when the initial production of the bayonet ceased. In 1942 production of the Model 1905 Bayonet resumed for World War II. Although many collectors refer to these World War II production bayonets as the Model 1942, the reality is they are Model 1905 Type IV Bayonets and for all practical purposes were simply contractor made Model 1905 bayonets with plastic, rather than wooden, grip scales and Parkerized instead of left bright or blued. All the bayonets in the initial production run of Model 1905s were manufactured at either the Springfield Armory or at the Rock Island Arsenal. All of the first production Model 1905 bayonets were produced with 16” spear point blades, and all of the bayonets produced between 1906 and 1922 had rough-hewn walnut grip panels. 

The earliest version of M1905 bayonet, the “Type I”, was produced with a blued hilt and crossguard, and a bright blade, with only about 3/16” of an inch of blue on the blade at the ricasso. These bayonets were produced from 1906 to 1917, and records indicate that about 950,000 of the Type I bayonets were produced. The second production variation (Type II) was manufactured from 1917-1918, with some 150,000 units being produced at the two national arsenal manufactories. These bayonets were fully blued with no part of the blade left bright. The third variant of the M1905 bayonet (Type III) went into production in 1918 and continued to be produced through 1922. These bayonets were identical to the first two types but were fully Parkerized instead of blued. Some 525,000 of the Type III bayonets were produced during that four-year period. In the years between the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II, thousands of the M1905 bayonets were refurbished at the national armories and most of these were Parkerized as part of that process, making the original Type I bright blade and Type II blued blade bayonets quite scarce. With the coming of World War II, even more of these older bayonets were modified to the current standard of Parkerizing and starting in 1943 many were shortened to the M1905E1 standard with a 10” blade, often called simply the M1 “cut down” bayonets. 

The Type IV M1905 bayonet went into production in 1942 and is often referred to as the M1942 bayonet by collectors. These bayonets retained the original 16” blade length of the original production M1905 patterns and the Parkerized finish of the Type III bayonets. However, this last iteration of the M1905 had plastic grip panels and a new composite scabbard, designated the M3 scabbard, replacing the earlier wood and leather scabbard patterns that were used with the first three variants of the M1905 bayonet. None of the M1905 Type IV (1942) bayonets were produced by the National Armories, instead all of the production was handled by six contractors. These companies were American Fork & Hoe (AFH), Oneida Limited (OL), Pal Blade & Tool (PAL), Union Fork & Hoe (UFH), Utica Cutlery (UC) and Wilde Drop Forge & Tool (WT). Five of the six manufactures produced the M1905 Type IV (M1942) from April of 1942 through May of 1943, with a total production of about 1.5 million units. Wilde Drop Forge & Tool, however, stopped producing the bayonets in February of 1943 and never started production again. Total production numbers for each of the manufacturers varies based upon the source referenced. The most accurate and in-depth production analysis appears to have been completed by fellow SABC (Society of American Bayonet Collectors) and ASAC (American Society of Arms Collectors) member Frank Trzaska. Frank gives the following production figures for the M-1905 Type IV bayonet in his “Bayonet Points #22” as follows:

Union Fork & Hoe - 385,000 (26%)

American Fork & Hoe - 350,000 (23%)

Pal Blade & Tool - 250,000 (17%)

Oneida, LTD - 235,000 (16%)

Utica Cutlery - 225,000 (15%)

Wilde Drop Forge & Tool - 60,000 (4%)

The two largest producers (Union Fork & Hoe and American Fork & Hoe) produced about half of the total production of 16” long M1905/42 bayonets during World War II, with the four remaining companies producing the other half. The smaller makers were simply not set up to produce the bayonets on the same scale as the two huge toolmakers. Wilde Drop Forge & Tool, in particular, had trouble meeting production expectations, as they were a small hand tool manufacturer and had simply never produced items on such a mass scale. 

By the middle of 1943 it became apparent that the 16” blade of the M1905 pattern bayonets was too long, cumbersome and unwieldy for effective use in the field. As a result, a new bayonet, (designated the M1) was adopted. The M1 bayonet was the same pattern as the Type IV M1905 with the only real change being the shortening of the blade specification from 16” to 10”. Between 1943 and 1953 nearly three million of the new 10” blade M-1 bayonets were produced by five of the six original M1905 Type IV contractors, as Wilde Drop Forge & Tool “dropped” out of production. Additionally, more than one million M1905 bayonets were shortened to 10”, the M1 standard. The end result is that today, unaltered US M1905 bayonets with 16” blades, whether of the first three types or from the 1942 era fourth production type are very scarce.

Offered here is a World War II Refurbished US Model 1905 Type III Bayonet. The bayonet retains its original 16” blade length. The bayonet was produced by the Springfield Arsenal in 1920 and would have been originally Parkerized at that time. The blade is clearly marked in three lines on the obverse ricasso:

SA

{Flaming Ordnance Bomb}

1920

The reverse ricasso is marked:

US

1128864

The bayonet is in FINE condition as refurbished. It is accompanied by an equally VERY GOOD condition World War II era US M3 pattern composite scabbard, with the usual US Ordnance Department {Flaming Bomb} marking on the throat. This is a standard Beckwith Manufacturing scabbard and is the correct pattern scabbard for this bayonet. The bayonet retains about 95%+ of its period applied Parkerized finish on the blade, with the minimal surface wear and loss that is most apparent along the high edges and contact points and at the very tip of the blade. The bayonet blade remains full length and is unaltered at 16”. The blade remains quite smooth and is free of any pitting. The blade appears to retain its original factory edge without the addition “in the field” sharpening. The crossguard and hilt retains nearly all of its refurbished Parkerized finish as well, with some scuffed loss around the muzzle ring. Even the pommel cap retains most of its dark gray black Parkerized finish. The bayonet retains its period roughhewn wood grips, which were almost certainly replaced during the refurbishment as well. The grips are in VERY FINE condition and show only the most minor handling marks, minor surface scuffs and small dings. The bayonet latching mechanism is mechanically excellent and functions exactly as it should. The bayonet is accompanied by a VERY GOOD condition, original US M3 Scabbard, produced by Beckwith Manufacturing. The M3 was a new composite scabbard, manufactured of resin impregnated cotton duck cloth painted OD green. The metal mountings, such as the throat and web belt attachment hook, were originally Parkerized. The Victory Plastics division of the Beckwith Manufacturing Company manufactured the majority of the M3 scabbards. During World War II over 3 million M3 scabbards were manufactured. Only three companies produced the scabbards, Columbia Rope (which only made 1,000), Victory Plastics (Beckwith) and Detroit Gasket. This scabbard retains about 70%+ of is O.D. Green paint, which appears to be original. The paint shows moderate loss along the high edges and contact points. The scabbard shows scattered dings and nicks from service and use. The throat, mounts, web belt hook and locking mechanism are all in perfect working order and are in about GOODcondition. The throat retains none of the original Parkerized finish and is moderately oxidized with a mottled dark and light gray appearance, scattered surface roughness and some lightly scattered minor pitting. The throat also shows some light surface rust that will likely clean off with a little oil and some 0000 steel wool. The {Flaming Bomb} around USmark remains clear and legible on the face of the throat and the Beckwith markings on the underside of the rear of the belt attachment remain visible.

Overall, this is a FINE condition example of a US Model 1905 Bayonet Refurbished for WWII Service, complete with a nice, correct WWII period scabbard. Somehow, this bayonet managed to escape being shortened to M1 10” specifications, which suggests the bayonet may have been in a combat theater where it was safe from alteration. These 16” bayonets are getting very hard to find these days, especially with any level of condition. This one is 100% complete, correct, original and unaltered since it was refurbished prior to, or in the early days of World War II. It will be a very nice addition to any serious WWII bayonet collection and great addition to the display of a high condition, early WWII production M1 Garand or M1903A3 Rifle.

SOLD