Original Item: Only One Available. This is a good original U.S. WWII Navy Mark 1 plastic training bayonet, manufactured by the Victory Plastics Division of Beckwith Manufacturing Company of Dover, New Hampshire, complete with its correct wartime USN Mark 1 scabbard. Designed for use with the U.S. Navy Mark 1 Dummy Training Rifle, this unusual bayonet combines sheet steel components with molded black Bakelite plastic, providing a lightweight substitute for a conventional steel bayonet during recruit training. The ricasso retains its original U.S.N. / MARK 1 identification and the manufacturer's B.M.Co. (VP logo) marking, along with the Navy contract number NORD - 3066. The bayonet remains in good overall condition, although the crossguard muzzle ring has broken off, a common area of damage on these relatively fragile training bayonets. The accompanying scabbard retains its original military markings and remains in good condition, with some wear and corrosion to the metal throat.

The bayonet design was reverse-engineered from the M1905 bayonet, and is made entirely of sheet steel and hard, black Bakelite plastic. The bayonet is fragile and could not stand up to rigorous use. Most examples encountered today exhibit breakage, and this example has the crossguard muzzle ring broken off. The blade ricasso is marked:

U.S.N.
MARK 1

This example was produced by the Victory Plastics Division of Beckwith Manufacturing Co. in Dover, New Hampshire, as marked on the reverse ricasso:

B.M.Co. (VP logo)
NORD - 3066

The "NORD" number represents the Navy contract number associated with the bayonet’s production, and is a very low number, from early in the war.

Examples are also encountered marked “PB Co” in fancy script. These were made by the Pro-phy-lac-tic Brush Co. of Florence, Massachusetts, a peacetime manufacturer of
toothbrushes. 300,000 Mark 1 bayonets are believed to have been produced between November 1942 and July 1943, roughly half by each of the two makers.

The original USN Mk1 scabbard is marked USN / MK 1 on the parkerized steel throat, and is in good condition. 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 parkerized finish on the throat is worn with some corrosion. The scabbard body has no cracks or major chips, with some nicks along the edge.

The U.S. Navy Mark 1 plastic training bayonet represents an interesting aspect of American wartime equipment production, when manufacturers from a variety of civilian industries were called upon to produce specialized military training materials. This Beckwith Manufacturing Company example retains its original B.M.Co. (VP logo) and NORD - 3066 markings, together with the distinctive sheet steel and Bakelite construction of the pattern. Although the muzzle ring is broken, the bayonet remains a recognizable example of the Navy's WWII training equipment, complemented by its original USN Mark 1 scabbard with surviving B N manufacturing marks. The combination provides an informative example of the materials, manufacturing arrangements, and equipment employed in the training of American naval personnel during the Second World War.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 16"
Blade Style: Single Edged
Overall length: 20 1/2“
Crossguard: 2 7/8”
Scabbard Length: 17"