Weird M-4 #2

[Bigrob1911]

Does anyone have an explanation for this?

[SKIPH]

Bigrob1911-This has come up before. Maybe this particular knife.  At one point, they rebuilt blade marked M3s into M4s, but all you usually see are blade marked, not dated. This CASE or ones like it have come up for discussion before. Not sure if it is legit with the date, since blade-dated, and eventually blade stamped were eliminated due to blades being weakened by stamping. An M4 bayonet would be subjected to hard use, at least in training which could cause breakage.  I have two M3/M4s, a Camillus, and an RCCO. Mine have rubber handles, and yours appear to have one too. SKIP

[thorin6]

I have a Camillus M3 Blade Marked M4 with rubber handle, but no marking on the guard.  I suspect these were being made in Japan during the Korean War with M3 Knives that had deteriorated handles, using disassembled parts and new parts from the US.  They also made wooden handled M4s (again, probably with M4s that had deteriorated handles).  The story of the Japan refurbished M4s has yet to be written. 

[Bigrob1911]

I think it’s stacked washers. 

[Misfit 45]

Sorry to say, but I'm quite sure this is a fake.   The lettering and numbering on the blade have a different font.  The "M" should have the center part meet the base line.  The "S" should be more square on the top and bottom.  The nine is very rounded, but should be, again, more square.

Those of you who have Bill Walters book 1  will notice the same lettering style as in the picture below. 

Sorry,

Marv           

[Misfit 45]

The markings on the cross guard are correct.  When they faked the M3 blade, they used the same font as the cross guard.

Marv