Misfit 45 Posted January 24, 2019 Share #1 Posted January 24, 2019 Hi Folks, I just got this Krag Cadet bayonet. I've been looking for quite a while. Most collectors do not seem to like chromed bayonets, so when one shows up they don't take a second glance. Glad I did on this one. The first time I saw one, I thought someone had replaced the grips......well someone did. It was WEST POINT. Since the Krag bayonet fits the 1903 Springfield rifle, someone got the bright idea to use the Krag bayonet for the Cadets. They started Chroming them in the 1920s and changed over to the screw and nut retained grips in 1939. The scabbard was painted black to make it easier to refresh the finish at any time it needed. This one has a blunted tip. I have seen examples with sharp tips, and some without. Frankly, it could be that the safety of the cadets were a concern. Or, the cadets may have dropped the bayonets on the tip, who knows. Or they weren't concerned about the blades, they just chromed them as they came in. Question: Was this bayonet used by all the US Military and/or Naval Academies, or just WEST POINT? Thanks Marv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misfit 45 Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share #2 Posted January 24, 2019 Here's the screws and grips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misfit 45 Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share #3 Posted January 24, 2019 Last pic 1899 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorin6 Posted January 24, 2019 Share #4 Posted January 24, 2019 Nice catch. You are missing the leather piece that goes over the hook attachment that would allow the scabbard to fit on the the cadet belt. Hard to find those in black; plenty around in brown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misfit 45 Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share #5 Posted January 24, 2019 Nice catch. You are missing the leather piece that goes over the hook attachment that would allow the scabbard to fit on the the cadet belt. Hard to find those in black; plenty around in brown. First of all, does that leather piece have an official name? Also, since the examples I have seen are unmarked, it would seem an easy task to make a replacement. The pic below has the later 1905 scabbard, the leather has two slots so either Krag scabbard can be used. Marv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray42 Posted January 24, 2019 Share #6 Posted January 24, 2019 Thats a very nice find, it was my belief that the real cadet bayonets were done at West Point and only used by West Point, although that's not to say that every chromed Krag bayonet will be a cadet bayonet. I remember seeing a few chromed bayonets that looked fishy back when I was searching for one to give to my brother as a gift for getting in his plebe year. I have a picture of the bayonet displayed at the West Point museum with it's description on another computer so I will see if I can find and post that if it adds any useful information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Flick Posted March 16, 2019 Share #7 Posted March 16, 2019 Gentlemen: I ran across the image below on (where else?) Ebay. What caught my eye was the plated Krag Bayonet in use by West Point Cadets with the M1 Garand rifle. The image is from 1958. Ebay item number 372608108608. The watermark is the seller's. I was reminded of this thread when I saw the image. Marv, I think you need to own that image to go with your very nice bayonet! Regards, Charlie 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