The Elusive WD M8A1 Scabbard

[bayonetman]

In searching for Makers and contracts for US military bayonets, I have found all of the makers (to my knowledge) except the maker of the US M8A1 scabbard marked WD.

 

 

The photo above illustrates 4 that I currently have in my reference collection.

 

1. Marked VIZ / WD. It is thought that WD may have purchased some mouthpieces from VIZ after the completion of their 1969 contract, and then added the WD marking rather than trying to remove the existing mark. It is possible that VIZ and WD had some connection which has not yet been determined. The underside of the top plate flange is unmarked.

 

2. Marked WD, but the underside of the top plate flange is marked VP /1 which is a mark used by Victory Plastics on their 1953 and 1960 contracts. It has been thought that WD was able to acquire some mouthpieces from Victory Plastics, or that VP subcontracted these parts for them. The scabbard body is marked VP 35 again indicating production by Victory Plastics.

 

 

However, this raises another question. In the VP production of 1953 where the VP 1 top plate mark occurs, the configuration of the part that the web hanger attaches to is the narrow version, used prior to the use with the M5 bayonet. The grip of the M5 is so much thicker that it sometimes will not seat fully due to contact with the bottom of the hanger. By around VP 3 or VP 4 the metal was extended somewhat to correct this problem. So a VP 1 normally would have the narrow hanger attachment. However, this one has the wide attachment which should not have occurred until VP 3.

 

 

Left - early style top plate, face marked V.P.CO. Right - Late style top plate, face marked WD

 

 

Above - early style top plate, face marked V.P.CO. Below - late style top plate, face marked WD

Note that both are marked VP /1

 

Number 3 has the same mark on the face as #2. However, the underside of the top plate is marked VP /9 which is the highest I have seen, and the body is marked VP 40.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

[bayonetman]

Number 4 has a slightly different WD mark (letters closer together) indicating a different die was used. It has no marking on the underside of the top plate and no markings on the body.

 

I have searched the contract records to try to find who WD was, but have not found anything that I can consider definite. It should be remembered that the online Contract records do not identify the specific item under contract, only the class that it falls in.

 

The only one that even comes close and MIGHT be WD is a little early as it is dated August 1969 and the VIZ contract was dated May 1969. That contract is to Willard Bronze Co. Inc. of Cincinnati. It would seem that they should have been WB but that code was already in use by another company, the West Bend Company. I suppose it could have been WillarD Bronze and stranger things have happened, but it just doesn't feel right to me.

 

What I would really like to find would be a package with the WD scabbard in it so I could determine the Contract Number and search that way. If anyone sees such a package, I would really appreciate hearing about it.

[Redleg13a]

I saw a WD marked scabbard yesterday at the antique mall. It was not in the greatest shape but was functionally sound without cracks or anything. Had some rust on the steel parts. They wanted $12 for it. I hadn't seen a scabbard marked that way until yesterday so I didn't know what it was.

[sactroop]

Gary, thanks again. I keep adding notes to my "Bayonets Point" folder.

[marysdad]

I just picked up one of the VIZ/WD scabbards, along with a BOC M7 bayonet. I haven't had time to photograph it yet. The scabbard has no Victory Plastics markings on either the metal throatpiece or scabbard body. I do wonder whether the way things played out was that VIZ got the contract, produced some scabbards on their own, then subcontracted with WD to complete the contract, after which WD received their own contract and produced a run of their own. This would have concluded during the time period (ca. 1971-73) when both the War and the U.S. economy were both slowing down; and further scabbard contracts would likely have been unnecessary.

 

One suspect on my list for the firm represented by WD is the Wayne Novelty Corp of Decatur, Indiana. They had a weapons contract for FSN 1095 Miscellaneous Weapons from Nov 1971 thru Feb 1973. They had three subsequent contracts during the 1975-78 timeframe as well. The latter three contracts were also for FSN 1095 Miscellaneous Weapons, however, specifically documented as associated with the 5.56MM RIFLE M16. I'm a little doubtful that all of the contracts would have been for scabbards, unless Wayne also produced their own plastic scabbard bodies. If the Wayne Novelty contracts were just for assembly, like the PWH/TWB scabbard contracts, WD scabbards would be more numerous today.

[Steve S.]

I know this is an old thread, so apologies if its taboo to resurrect. I just came across an old M4 bayonet I bought many yrs ago (imperial) . It has one of the WD marked scabbards like #3, wide top plate marked VP/1 under the ear. Body is marked VP 41. Has any other info surfaced on these??

[Misfit 45]

I noticed that No. 1 and No. 4 have a wide font U.S., and the No. 2 and No.3 have a narrow font U.S. I wonder if that indicates different stamping dies, or completely different manufacturers. Also, the spot welds on the front of the metal are heavier on Nos. 2&3 than they are on Nos. 1&4. The one example of a WD that I have has a narrow U.S., and has the VP/9 like No.3. The body is Marked VP31, and has the extended web hanger. Thankds

Marv

[ccyooper]

was cleaning out one of my knife bins and found a WD scabbard in the lot. Type 3 (no spot welds on front) VP 9 with VP 35 body. Another data point.

[SKIPH]

I've got 4xWD M8A1 scabbards. I can't seem to get hold of a "WP". Some day! Not really a priority at this time. SKIP

[Nbound]

This old thread popped up for me, and, I remember seeing something about WD marked scabbards.   Tried thinking of where I saw it and came up with it.  Go this website and know what WD stands for. Wilson-Duggar Co., Inc   WD  https://worldbayonets.com/Misc__Pages/m_series_bayonets_scabbards/viz_manufacturing_wilson_duggar/viz_manufacturing_wilson_duggar.html