B N 3

[camillus]

Hi, under the left tab on mynM8 scabbard there are stamped B _ N does any body know what this means. I found reference to it in bayonet points but I can't

figure where this one fall thanks Mike

3

[bayonetman]

It should read something like B 1/3 N or any other single digit numbers. Production started at B / N (no numbers, read it as 0) and ended at about B 2/2 N (which can be read as 22). Basically you eliminate the / mark and read the others without it. They ran in sequence, and were used for quality control of the forming dies. From the information I have, there are not the same number in each sequence due to die damage or wearout or if it was found the steel was not up to spec. - B 1/6 N may have had many more throats made than B 1/7 N for instance, just depends on wear and damage. If yours reads B /3 N it would be pretty early, say in the neighborhood of July 1943 (+ or- a month or so) and would be die set 03.

[sactroop]

Gary do you have any sense of where the (.) mark falls into the number chronology of the B-N sheaths?

[camillus]

Hi, Gary I examined the marking under magnification and the stamping are clear wtith out wear some light rust it is obvious that there was never any marks above the _ thanks for the date Mike

[sactroop]

For those who may not be familiar with what's being talked about here's some photo's;

 

 

Left; read as B 0-4 N Right; read as B 4-9 N

[thorin6]

Here's one of the earliest:

 

 

[camillus]

Hi, I finally was able to take a picture that is clear enough