Collectors have designated this pattern the Model 1942. It is a modification of the 1905 pattern, retaining the 16-inch blade, but using plastic grips instead of wood and less attention to non-essential details of finish that might have slowed production. The grips are excellent, with no chips or cracks. The locking button is functional. The guard and pommel are gray with brown coming up underneath. The scabbard is the regulation M3, made of cloth-reinforced plastic with a metal throat enclosing the wire belt hook and bearing a U.S. ordnance bomb on the obverse. The scabbard was actually developed before the bayonet as a replacement for the old 1910 pattern scabbards. This one is excellent, with no chips, cracks or abrasions. The color is excellent. There is just the tiniest bit of rubbing on edge of the metal throat lip showing a hint of gray metal. The blade has crisp marking on the reverse ricasso: UC (Utica Cutlery, the maker) over an ordnance bomb between a U.S., with the date 1942 below. The blade retains about 85 percent of its thin finish with some rubbing on the high points of the tip, gutter edge and ricasso that show some gray metal. This bayonet was retained even after the introduction of the shorter version with a 10-inch blade and reportedly was favored by troops in the Pacific as a counter to the long bayonets of the Japanese Arisaka. It fit both the m1903 rifle, in the hands of many troops at the beginning of the war, and the M1 Garand, “the greatest battle implement ever devised,” in Patton’s opinion.  [sr]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS,

CLICK ON ‘CONTACT US’ AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE,

THEN ON ‘LAYAWAY POLICY’.