{"product_id":"original-u-s-wwi-wwii-m1905-springfield-16-rifle-bayonet-marked-r-i-a-with-rare-cab-grips-and-usn-mk-i-scabbard-dated-1912","title":"Original U.S. WWI \u0026 WWII M1905 Springfield 16\" Rifle Bayonet marked R.I.A. with Rare CAB Grips and USN Mk I Scabbard - dated 1912","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is a nice U.S. M1905 bayonet dated 1912, originally made during the pre WWI period for the M1903 Springfield Rifle, which was then reissued in WWII for the M1 Garand Rifle. It is fitted with a WWII Issue M3 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the same blade bayonet as the M1903 Springfield rifle, so at the beginning of the war they were issued with bayonets originally made for those rifles.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 like this one. These were also sometimes fitted to M1905 bayonets made previously that had damage to their wooden grips.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blade ricasso is marked with \u003cstrong\u003eSA\u003c\/strong\u003e 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 \u003cstrong\u003eOrdnance flaming bomb\u003c\/strong\u003e and date of manufacture 1912. The other side of the ricasso is marked with U.S. above serial number \u003cstrong\u003e520157\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blade is in great shape with a nice edge, and in many places the original factory grinding marks can still be seen. The blade retains nearly all blueing from when the bayonet was reissued for use during the WWII era. The hilt assembly also retains nearly all blued finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe red grips present on this example are actually somewhat rare. The bayonet doesn't have the standard black plastic grips, instead they are made of Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, commonly called CAB. In use, it was found that this material was softened by the solvents used to remove grease in the field. As it had been found that there were sufficient supplies of the black Bakelite material, the use of CAB was discontinued in April 1943. Original use of these grips was therefore restricted to the 16 inch blade M1905 bayonet. The red grips were almost exclusively used by American Fork and Hoe (AFH), although it is possible that some small amounts were used by other makers like this one. They were supposed to be replaced when the bayonet went through rebuild or was shortened to M1 length, but this did not always happen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original M3 scabbard is marked \u003cstrong\u003eU.S.N. MK I\u003c\/strong\u003e on the steel throat over the \"Flaming Bomb\", and is in very good condition. The\u003cstrong\u003e B N\u003c\/strong\u003e 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 throat of the scabbard is missing most of the original finish, with a bit of past oxidation showing. The scabbard body has no cracks or major chips, and the paint does show heavy wear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn unaltered 16” WWI M1905 Springfield rifle bayonet by SA, reissued for use in WWII!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReady to display or fit on your Garand or Springfield Rifle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBlade Length: 16\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBlade Style: Single Edged with Fuller\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOverall length: 20 1\/2“\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCrossguard: 3 1\/2”\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eScabbard Length: 17\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar firearm, allowing it to be used as a spear-like weapon. From the 17th century to World War I, it was considered a primary weapon for infantry attacks. Today, it is considered an ancillary weapon or a weapon of last resort.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe popular image of World War I combat is of a wave of soldiers with bayonets fixed, \"going over the top\" and charging across no man's land into a hail of enemy fire. Although this was the standard method of fighting early in the war, it was rarely successful. British casualties on the first day of the Battle of the Somme were the worst in the history of the British army, with 57,470 British casualties, 19,240 of whom were killed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring World War I, no man's land was often hundreds of yards across. The area was usually devastated by the warfare and riddled with craters from artillery and mortar shells, and sometimes contaminated by chemical weapons. Heavily defended by machine guns, mortars, artillery and riflemen on both sides, it was often covered with barbed wire and land mines, and littered with the rotting corpses of those who were not able to make it across the sea of bullets, explosions and flames. A bayonet charge through no man's land often resulted in the total annihilation of entire battalions.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40859993538629,"sku":"ONSV23WHS007","price":595.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONSV23WHS007__01.jpg?v=1702316902","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-wwi-wwii-m1905-springfield-16-rifle-bayonet-marked-r-i-a-with-rare-cab-grips-and-usn-mk-i-scabbard-dated-1912","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}