Misfit 45 Posted August 16, 2015 Share #1 Posted August 16, 2015 Hi Folks, I found a beautiful 1920 dated bayonet at the Reno gun show. It seems to be in near mint condition. To me, it does not appear to have been re-parkerized, but, the "two tone " area at the ricasso (found on 1919-1921 bayonets) is not as pronounced as most I have seen, so it makes me wonder. The grips are perfect. It came in a USN Mk 1 scabbard. Here's my question, when these bayonets came from the manufacturer, did they come boxed with a scabbard, or separate? Was a scabbard simply pulled from stock? Is the 1910 canvas scabbard the most likely one issued, or could it have been issued with either the leather or canvas scabbard? Thanks for your input. Marv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayonetman Posted August 16, 2015 Share #2 Posted August 16, 2015 It appears original to me. Sometimes the color difference is not pronounced, it really depended on how much polishing was done as the color difference was somewhat due to the direction the polishing was done (across on the ricasso, lengthwise on the blade). Scabbards were originally packaged separately from the bayonets, and were issued with the bayonet when needed. Rock Island continued to convert the Model 1905 scabbards into the Modified configuration into the early 1920s so it is possible that either scabbard could have been issued with it. Although data is not particularly clear on the subject, it APPEARS that the Model 1910 scabbard was issued to the Regular Army and the 1905 Modified was often sent out to the National Guard. Most units preferred to use only one or the other for the sake of a uniform appearance, so at least to some degree what scabbard was in use would depend on the particular unit. A few Regular units felt that the leather body of the 1905 Modified offered a more "spit and polish" appearance and used them for their Honor Guards and the like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misfit 45 Posted August 16, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted August 16, 2015 Thanks for the good news about the finish appearing original. It looks so good, almost too good, if you know what I mean. The scabbard information is, once again, something I did not know. Thanks again. Marv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted August 16, 2015 Share #4 Posted August 16, 2015 That is a fine bayonet. Beautiful. Ronnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now