Item Description
Original Item: One Set Available. The outbreak of the Korean War on June 25th 1950 found the Republic of Korea (South Korea) Army quite ill-prepared, and severely under-equipped. While the U.S. Korean Military Advisory Group (KMAG) had been working with the ROKA since 1948, it was not prepared at all for the artillery and tank supported invasion from the North. Once the United Nations Security Council published Resolution 83, the U.S. began preparations. The M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, and M2 Carbine were still the standard service weapons of the U.S. Military, and these were provided as aid to the ROKA in large quantities as well. This then continued after the end of the war into the early 1970s. Overall the U.S. provided over 1 Million M1 & M2 Carbines to South Korea.
Along with these, the U.S. provided bayonets, which included the M4 for the M1 Carbine, the M5 for the M1 Garand, as well as modified M1905E1 and 1942 bayonets, which were cut down and re-shaped to have a blade more similar to the M4 and M5 bayonets. Later on, the U.S. did not supply further bayonets, so they manufactured their own.
This set consists of three bayonets:
- Modified U.S. M1 Garand bayonet. The blade has been shortened and slimmed to resemble the M4 bayonet blade. Korea used the designation M5 for this bayonet, even though it was not a U.S. M5 bayonet. To avoid logistical confusion, the U.S. created a Federal Stock Number (FSN) for this bayonet (1005-726-6556), even though it did not exist in U.S. military stores. This example is in relatively good condition, though as with all, the re-shaping of the blade was done crudely.
- Korean-Made K-M4 Bayonet for the M1 and M2 carbine. This is basically a copy of the U.S. M4 bayonet, as issued in the 1950s. It is marked K-M4 on the top of the cross guard, and has a starburst inside a circle on the underside. These are generally considered to be of inferior construction to their U.S. counterparts. Has black plastic grips, and a matte black oxide finish. This example is in excellent condition.
- Korean-Made K-M5A1 Bayonet for the M1 Garand Rifle. As with the K-M4, this is a copy of the U.S. M5 bayonet, although not as well made. It is marked D Y W on the crossguard, and also has a figure 8 symbol as well. The grips in particular were known for cracking. This example however does not have any cracks or defects, and is in excellent condition.
Perfect for any Korean War collection, or to add to a Korean War issue Carbine or Rifle.
- This product is available for international shipping.
- Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle
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