Original U.S. WWI & WWII M1905 Springfield 16 inch Rifle Bayonet Marked S.A. with M3 Scabbard - Dated 1918

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a nice U.S. M1905 bayonet dated 1918, originally made during the late WWI period for the M1903 Springfield Rifle, which was then reissued in WWII for the M1 Garand Rifle.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the same blade bayonet as the M1903 Springfield rifle, so at the beginning of the war they were issued with bayonets originally made for those rifles.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.

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.

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 869053. The blade is solid with minor nicks along the edges but nothing too serious. It has an overall dark finish, so it was most likely refinished after WWI for WWII. The grips are plastic, also replaced for WWII issue.

The original M3 scabbard is marked U.S. on the steel throat over the "Flaming Bomb", and is in very good condition. 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 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.

A 16” WWI M1905 Springfield rifle bayonet by SA, reissued for use in WWII! 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"

A 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.

The 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.

During 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.