Observations on Milpar M7

[Windraider]

Hello, I am new here and my name is Stefan. I am from Germany and I am a collector of bayonets. These include US bayonets. My favorites are M6 and M7 from the Vietnam era. I'm from the region around the Ramstein Air Base. That's how I came into contact with veterans early on in my childhood. At flea markets, regional army and outdoor shops and from private you can always get appropriate bayonets. This is how my collection developed.

 

I have registered here again and read about my collection focus. So I also found the entries about the Milpar M7. Again and again the question arises, what the "chevron" marking could mean. Maybe I found an answer.

 

I found some Milpar M7 from 1964 to 1967 and roughly divided them into an "early" and "late" phase or production. But there are only a few differences.

 

In the "early" phase, there is the "chevron" mark on the pommel block. The handles have a part number in white color on the inside. This white color is slightly delicate and has often passed.

 

Then comes a phase with partially mixed handles, but all of them should come from the same manufacturer. These are the earlier ones with the white printed part number and later with the molded part numbers.

 

The later have only the molded part numbers in the handles. For some, there is a "7" in the same place instead of the "chevron" mark.

 

The model and manufacturer's name is also partially reversed impressed.

 

So I think that the "chevron" mark is an Indian / Arbian 7.

The similarity is then obvious. I think that has to do with the model name M7.

 

 

Has anyone made similar observations?

 

Here's one of my early ones

 

 

 

[Windraider]

hier is on with mixed Grips

[Windraider]

And here is a described "late" piece. There are comparison images attached to the "Chevron"

 

[Misfit 45]

Thank you for posting your observations of this Milpar M7. I did not know about the white painted numbers on the grips. On my Milpar/Colt M7 there are no numbers on the grips. I'll have to take them off again and see if there is any remaining white paint. Also, I have never seen a "7" instead of the chevron on the latch plate. Thanks again for showing us.

Marv

[remman]

Very nice presentation Stefan. I was wondering if the bayonet with the 7 on the latch plate is unique or have you seen more than this one. The reason I ask is that the raised metal around the 7 indicates it was hand stamped as opposed to the smooth edge of the normal chevron.

 

Regarding the grip markings on 1st contract Milpar M7s it appears the early bayonets had no markings, the later bayonets had white painted numbers and the late production had the standard molded numbers. Don

[Windraider]

Hello. Thanks for the answers. Yes you are right. The edges are raised. But I do not know what kind of punch was used.

I have not seen anything like this before. This is the only piece I've seen so far. Also that the model and manufacturer's name is also partially reversed impressed.

 

Maybe there's someone here who shares this observation. I do not think that this is a unique piece.

A subsequent impact I consider excluded. There are no traces of editing. The 7 was phosphated together with the metal.

Later Milpar have a point.

What is striking in this context is that the 7 is in the same place as the "Chevron" and the "Chevron" corresponds to an Indian / Arabic symbol for the 7.

[Windraider]

Different time, different manufacturer, different model. But you can see the raised edge although this stamp was also executed by machine. It also depends on the shape of the percussion hammer. Just an example.

 

[Windraider]

on the medium-old Milpar M7, the chevron is a bit finer