This WWII-era U.S. bayonet began life as a full-length M1905 before being arsenal cut down to the 10.5-inch configuration, officially designated M1905E1 and later standardized as the M1 bayonet.
🎥 Watch the short educational breakdown:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT86LPDGa1c
How the U.S. M1905 became the M1 bayonet during WWII
Produced by Union Cutlery Co. (UC)—the same firm behind KA-BAR—this example features correct black phenolic grips, a wartime material chosen for durability and rapid production. Black grips were the most common WWII issue and are fully correct for mid-war manufacture.
The cut-down program, carried out between 1942 and 1944, reflected changing battlefield realities. Long 16-inch blades proved cumbersome in jungle and urban combat, and shortening existing bayonets conserved steel while improving handling. As a result, most surviving M1905 bayonets were converted—making original, uncut examples scarce today.
This bayonet represents the standard U.S. infantry configuration for the latter half of WWII, issued for use with the M1 Garand and emblematic of America’s wartime industrial adaptation.
