M1942 Bayonet
Encyclopedia
The M1942 Bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...

was designed to be used with the .30 caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....

 U.S. Rifle M1, or M1 Garand. The blade is 16 inches (40.6 cm) long and the handle is 4 inches (10.1 cm) long.

The M1942 is an exact copy of the M1905 Bayonet
M1905 Bayonet
The M1905 Bayonet was designed to be used with the .30 caliber U.S. M1903 Springfield rifle. Variants of the M1903 rifle were produced during World War I and World War II by Springfield Armory, Remington Arms, Rock Island Arsenal, and Smith-Corona Typewriter. The blade is 16 inches long, and the...

, which was made for the .30 caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....

 U.S. Rifle Model 1903. Variants of the M1903 rifle were produced during World War I and World War II by Springfield Armory
Springfield Armory
The Springfield Armory, located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts - from 1777 until its closing in 1968 - was the primary center for the manufacture of U.S. military firearms. After its controversial closing during the Vietnam War, the Springfield Armory was declared Western Massachusetts'...

, Remington Arms
Remington Arms
Remington Arms Company, Inc. was founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington in Ilion, New York, as E. Remington and Sons. It is the oldest company in the United States which still makes its original product, and is the oldest continuously operating manufacturer in North America. It is the only U.S....

, Rock Island Arsenal
Rock Island Arsenal
The Rock Island Arsenal comprises , located on Arsenal Island, originally known as Rock Island, on the Mississippi River between the cities of Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois. It lies within the state of Illinois. The island was originally established as a government site in 1816, with...

, and Smith-Corona Typewriter.

Interchangeability allowed the M1942 bayonet to be used on any of these M1903 rifles, as well as mounting the earlier M1905 bayonet on World War II M1 Garand rifles. More M1905/M1942s were manufactured to keep up with wartime production of the M1 Garand.

In 1943, the U.S. Army decided a shorter bayonet would be better, so as many of the M1905/1942s as possible were recalled, had their blades cut down to 10 inches, and were reissued. These shortened bayonets, along with the newly made 10-inch bayonets, are called M1 bayonet
M1 Bayonet
The M1 Bayonet was designed to be used with the .30 caliber U.S. Rifle M1. The blade is 10 inches long, and the handle is 4 inches long....

s.
Production by manufacter
American Fork and Hoe 350,000 23%
Oneida, Limited 235,000 16%
Pal Blade and Tool 250,000 17%
Utica Cutlery 225,000 15%
Union Fork and Hoe 385,000 26%
Wilde Drop Forge and Tool 60,000 4%

External links

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