M1905 cut down

[camillus]

AT the beging of WWII the M1905 bayonet was cut down to I think 10 Inches and the M1 bayonet was produced, does a cut down M1 bayonet have as much value as one that was produced 10 Inches long

[1563621]

Both about the same value, 65-110 depending on cond.

[byf41]

From my experience most guys prefer the non-cut version in most cases so I would have to say they command a premium . JMO

[thorin6]

I've been buying and selling M1 Bayonets at shows for the past several years. Most folks buying one to match up to their M1 Garand don't seem to care much between the cutdown and the non-cutdown. The military didn't either as they are both designated the same. As for collectors, as long as the cutdown is factory, as determined by the markings on the blade and tang, the primary differentiation seems to be condition and whether they are looking for a particular manufacturer. Some collectors may only want non-cutdowns, but by and large I just haven't seen much difference in actual prices actually paid because both collectors and non-collectors are buying them.

[camillus]

how can you tell between a factory cut down and somebody else s cut down

[bayonetman]

how can you tell between a factory cut down and somebody else s cut down

Most (but not all) of the M1905 bayonets cut to the 10 inch M1 length were marked as to the company doing the cutdown work. AFH marked their work on the upper tang between the grips, and in a few cases so did UFH. OL, UC and most UFH marked their work on the right ricasso. Pal marked theirs on the right ricasso also as PAL MOD (for Pal Modified).

 

In the photo, note the OL mark on the ricasso showing that Oneida Ltd did the shortening work.

 

[hirsca]

I think that the easiest way is to see if the fuller or "blood grove" extends all the way to the tip---as shown in the previous post. Thanks, Al.

[Misfit 45]

Whether the cut-down or non-cut down M1 bayonet is more collectible is a matter of personal preference. I think there are less non-cut downs than cut downs. (excluding foreign production), However, not enough to command a much higher price. Some collectors do not like to see re-arsenaled bayonets, those which have gone through refurbish and repair. The cut-downs, by definition had to be re-parkerized in order to complete the process. So, some collectors may prefer an original M1 that has it's original finish, sometimes hard to tell. Some collectors like to collect cut-downs with the same manufacturer doing the cutting. That is, an OL (Oneida Limited) that has been cut down by Oneida Limited will have two marks, the original stamp and a secondary OL mark showing the company doing the cut down. I like to have the two styles of cut downs along with a non cut-down simply to show the difference. You obviously need to collect a lot more M1 bayonets.

Marv

[camillus]

Hi, thanks for the information, yea I need to collect more I haven't got one yet still lookin for an M4 I can afford thanks Mike