Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice U.S. M1905 bayonet dated 1918, originally made towards the end of WWI for the M1903 Springfield Rifle. It was then reissued in WWII for the M1 Garand Rifle, and was fitted with a WWII Issue USN Mk1 scabbard. The Garand was designed to take the same blade bayonet as the M1903 Springfield rifle, so at the beginning of the war they were issued with bayonets originally made for those rifles. Later in 1942 to keep up with wartime production, new orders for M1905 bayonets with plastic grips were sent out, which had plastic ribbed grips. These were also sometimes fitted to M1905 bayonets made previously that had damage to their wooden grips. This bayonet however still has its original wooden grips.

In 1943, the specification for bayonets was changed to have a 10 inch blade, and many M1905 bayonets were shortened to this length. This bayonet however is still in the original configuration, which is rare to find on the market today. It still appears to have the original blued finish, and was not parkerized for use in WWII.

The blade ricasso is marked with SA for the Springfield Armory in Springfield Mass, the primary center for the manufacture of United States military firearms from 1777 until its closing in 1968. Below this is the Ordnance flaming bomb and date of manufacture 1918. The other side of the ricasso is marked with U.S. above serial number 1020298. The blade is in very good shape, with a nice blued finish and the factory grind marks still visible. It was however sharpened at some point, and there is light rust speckling overall. The hilt is a bit worse for wear, and has rust on the cross guard, most likely from water exposure. The wooden grips are also affected, showing a lot of wear. One grip scale is cracked completely through, as shown, and the rust patterns on the grip match those on the scabbard, so these have been together for quite some time.

The original USN Mk1 scabbard is marked U.S. / MK 1 on the steel throat, though the throat has oxidized, so it can be hard to see. These scabbards are identical to the US Army M3 scabbard, except for the markings. The B N marking on the underside of the metal throat lip indicates manufacture by Beckwith Manufacturing, who produced a variety of thermoplastic impregnated cotton fabric scabbards during the war. The N is for New England Pressed Steel, who made the steel throats under contract with Beckwith. The original parkerized finish on the throat of the scabbard is somewhat degraded due to rust. We have not attempted to clean this, to preserve the patina. The scabbard body has no cracks or major chips except on the very tip, and the paint shows moderate wear on the edges. Both locking tabs on the top are intact.

A very nice 16” WWI M1905 Springfield rifle bayonet by SA, reissued for use in WWII with a rare U.S.N scabbard! Ready to display or fit on your Garand or Springfield Rifle.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 16"
Blade Style: Single Edged with Fuller
Overall length: 20 1/2“
Crossguard: 3 1/2”
Scabbard Length: 17"