TMN M-4 Bayonet Grips

[jw517]

Hope I'm not asking this in the wrong place but here I go. I just got a TMN bayonet off EBay and the guy assured me the grips were just dirty but after washing them I see they are all scraped,or burnt,or something. They are grey/white with abrasion. I'm not the type to return it for this but maybe one of you has or knows someone who would part with a nice set. .? Please!

[Misfit 45]

I think the grips you are looking for are those that fit both the M4 and M7 bayonets. They should be fairly easy to find. Good luck.

Marv

[jw517]

Thanks Marv! I've looked on eBay and found one set that has no hardware and too much. I'll look at m7s next.

[jw517]

Just as I thought,none for sale anywhere. Have to harvest one from some other bayonet I guess. Anyone know if all plastic m4 grips will fit a TMN.?

[thorin6]

The M4 plastic grips are slightly different than the M7 grips; not generaly noticable but they differ in length and inside.

M7 grips: http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/Images_7/DSC02678.JPG

M4 grips: http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/4-1.jpg

 

 

[jw517]

I'll be patient I guess. Thanks for the links thorin6 ! It would be best to have early grips that belong on the TMN . I wonder what happened to these! A almost mint knife with grips from hell.

[Misfit 45]

Well jw517,

I took grips from one of my M7s, and compared them with my TMN M4 grips and confirmed that they are indeed different. The M4 grips are slightly shorter. So, once again, I learned something. Good thing there are people watching over us when we speculate about things like this. Thanks thorin6!

Marv

[jw517]

Did they fit better on the TMN than the ones it came with? Just asking cause there is room for a little longer grip on this TMN. You know,that tiny gap by pommel.

[Misfit 45]

Here is a picture of a an M7 grip screwed to a TMN M4 grip. The holes line up perfectly. If you want to customize M7 grips to fit the M4 that is certainly feasible. The tang on both bayonets is the same width and thickness, so they should fit fine after some fitting. Naturally, you would end up with a nice looking non-original TMN M4, but that's up to you. The small gaps at either end of the grips is normal and common, but you can close them if you wish with M7 grips. Hope this helps.

Marv

[jw517]

Thanks Marv. I bet they fit better than the m4s. Bill was kind enough to dig up a set for me so I'm good now for a while. I'll stop crying now.

[Collector2]

As this forum is already talking about M7 grips I thought it would be ok to ask members here a few questions about the different grips I have on my small collection of M7 bayonets.

Last weekend I picked up a nice near original Milpar M7 at the Sydney Gun Show, it was a slight improvement on the other one I have and it was in a very nice PWH scabbard. Both Milpar's have the early back cut on the blade, slotted tang and the chevron on the pommel. Blades have been sharpened different to the original factory sharpening on all the other M7 types I have but both Milpars are sharpened in a simular way and you could say they may have been sharpened on the same or simular machine. When I removed the grips of my newly acquired Milpar I found that the grips were marked in a different method than I had seen before, they had the correct numbers on them but in this case they were marked by white paint and perfectly stencilled on the flat of each grip, also one grip had "10" in circle and the other grip had "1" in circle. My other Milpar and my BOC both have the hollowed out grips the same as the M7 grips shown earlier in this forum and my Imperial Colt, Imperial with square back cut, Imperial with curved back cut, Conneta and Ontario all have the flat grips with numbers built into them. All grips have the correct 8 digit numbers ending in 8 one side and 9 the other.

My question to the forum is, are all my grips original to the time of manufacture to the bayonets they are on.

Thanks members.

[Misfit 45]

Hi,

The white markings could be a supply company marking on replacement grips. The hollowed out grips are considered somewhat scarce, so to have them on several M7s is a mystery. The Imperial/Colt (I assume with curved back cut) should have grips that have hexagonal shaped counter sink holes to allow for a screw and nut to be used. The few other M7s I have all have the common grips with the channel down the center for the tang, numbered 11010068 and 11010069.

Marv

[Collector2]

Hi Marv,

The Imperial Colt with curved back cut does have small hexagonal nuts securing the grips and not like the rest of my M7's, it also has the solid tang and square hole for the cross guard securing bar and an "A" stamped below the pommel and is in it's original crinkle finished USM8A1 scabbard. My other Imperial with curved back cut also has the solid tang and the square hole while my Imperial with the 90 degree back cut has the slotted tang and the round hole and a "3" below the pommel. these three M7's only have scabbard marks on the blade otherwise near new condition as are the rest except for the two Milpars which may have been repacks going on the finish of the cutting edge and as you suggest maybe refitted grips. It would be interesting to see if any other members have M7 grips with the white painted numbers and what bayonet they are fitted to.

Thanks Marv.