M1 carbine bayonets

Were bayonets ever made for M1 carbines? I have one and I would like to get a bayonet for it. I sometimes see them in pictures but I'm not sure if they are official bayonets or are just improvised ones made from survival knives; fabricated in combat or something. Does anyone know?
Thanks,Ted

 

Yah they do Ted.
The newer ones fit too, but the original ones have the leather handles with the rings cut round them, not plastic.
Official/original is the tough part. Earlier they were longer, then shorter, then short. The short ones look best on the carbine (as long as you have the "lug").
It will most likely fit a Garand/Springfield as well. It's the calibur/muzzel and the distance from the loop to the lug that counts. A sloppy fit does not inhibit its worth.

 

It's the M4 bayonet. Here's a link to photos.

web page

JT

 

Hey Ted,

If you have any questions pertaining to the U.S. Carbine .30 Cal. M1, I posted in detail everything you'll practically need know about the weapon including information on the M4 Bayonet and M3 Fighting Knife. It also has photos of my own early 1944 Quality Hardware U.S. .30 Cal. M1 Carbine. If you'd like to learn more...

Go here:
http://www.ww2forums.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000472

Regards,
MARNE

 

An idea
Rent that old flag waver "Back to Bataan", its premier (if not only) redeeming virtue is the weaponry/uniforms/kit. Especially bayonets! They are in all sizes, from knife to sword.

 

Thanks everyone. I had no idea they made one. The pics of it just sort of look like the military took a standard U.S. survival knife and put a ring on the top of the handle. I'll look for one at the next gun show.

MARNE, glad to see I'm not the only one who's favorite gun is the carbine. It's a great gun.

Thanks everyone, Ted

 

I have recently purchased one and it had the numbers 1179 on the back any idea what those numbers mean?

 

In WW2 the M1 carbine had no bayonet-plug, this was made after WW2!
The M4 was in WW2 issued as a fighting knife not a bayonet...

 

Wasn't it the M3 Trench knife instead?

 

Don't know anything about the M3... But that the M4 could only fitted on the M1 Carbine after(!) WW2 I'm sure.

 

I was reading a book by Osprey on WWII infantry tactics and it said that the M3 was a knife that could be used as a bayonet for the M1 Carbine and that a similar bayonet was used for the Garand.

 

I am not sure if they were ever made, but I am pretty sure bayonets were not issued to soldiers with M-1 carbines in the pacific

 

So as in the US ETO as well...

 

I can attest that they do exist as I have one with a leather handle. Because of where I picked it up it probably came from the Italian or Africa Theatre of Operations. I don't know about it not fitting the M1 but most all text I have read reference that it does. I will have to look at the tech specs on the M1. My question is specifically to anyone that may have had one or other military equipment that they marked.

If in WWII or Korea you marked you Equipment with four numbers, what did the numbers represent? I think the numbers on this particular knife might lead to discover it's origin.

Thanks for listening

 

Marne;

You give a web address on the M1 that I am not able to link to. Your profile says that you did serves in Morocco. Were you supplied M4s? And could you possible know about the 4 numbers on the back of the scabbard. Today we use the last four of SSN and I was wondering if perhaps that in WWII they used last four of Service Number?

 

I also had serveral M4 fighting/knives in my collection... but ones again the M1 didn't had a bayonet fitting in ww2.

........

 

Caberney (and others)

Excuse me going off thread, but I just have to know the origin of your Avatar.
It looks to me to be a Sestertius of Vitellius.
May I ask why you chose it ?

Ron

 

The M1 carbine was not initially made to accept a bayonet. The M3 trench knife was issued with the carbine but could not be affixed to the carbine. The decision was made to incorporate three major changes in the M1 carbine starting with production in May, 1944. The three changes were: replace the push button safety, located next to the push button magazine release, with a rotating safety lever; replace the L-shaped rear flip sight with a fully adjustable rear sight: add a bayonet lug to accept the M4 bayonet modified from the M3 knife by adding a barrel ring to the crossguard and a spring loaded catch in the hilt.
Many M1 carbines manufactured previous to May, 1944 received these retro fittings when they were sent to the armories for repair, maintainence, etc. No M1 carbine made with or retrofitted with these changes saw combat in WW2.
This is a serious point for reenactors. A WW2 style carbine is correct for WW2 and Korea but a Korean War style carbine is not correct for WW2.
The original M3 knife and M4 bayonet had leather washer handles with grooves circling the handle. The leather proved to be unsuitable for tropical climates and was replaced with a plastic handle. The bayonet for the M-14 looks like an M4 bayonet with a larger barrel ring. The bayonet for the M16 looks like a M4 bayonet with a huge barrel ring.
The M4 bayonet will not fit the M1 Garand and the M1 Garand bayonet will not fit the M1 carbine.
CAUTION: An M1 carbine in original WW2 configuration is hard to find...buyer beware.
My M1 carbine was made on Oct, 1943 and was retrofitted whith the three changes at some point. I have an original leather handled bayonet with a scabbard that has the steel drag(not correct) and an original plastic handled bayonet with steel drag scabbard(correct).
All original everything is very expensive and difficult to prove counterfeit. Again, buyer beware.