RARE NEAR MINT 1943 WT M1905 LONG BAYONET & USN MK1 SCABBARD

Description

RARE NEAR MINT 1943 WT M1905 LONG BAYONET & USN MK1 SCABBARD.  When the U. S. was attacked by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, and entered WWII, it was woefully short of arms to fight the war.  Among other things, the War Department contracted with six different manufacturers to produce the long-bladed (16") M1905 bayonet used on the M1903 Springfield and M1 Garand rifles.  Of those six, the Wilde Drop Forge & Tool Company (WT) had no experience producing bayonets, and the bayonets it produced were inferior in quality to those made by the other six manufacturers.  As a result of its production problems, WT only ended up making 60,000 bayonets out of the over 1.5 million M1905's produced in 1942 and 1943 before the War Department changed to the shorter (10") bladed M1 bayonet.   This alone makes WT's the rarest U. S. bayonet of WWII.  Add to that the fact that many M1905's, including many WT's, were returned to the factories to have their blades cut down to 10", and then the loss and damage in combat, means that a full-length WT in near mint condition, as this one is rare indeed.  As shown by the photos, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find a full-length WT in better condition.  The bayonet comes with a USN MK1 scabbard in equally fine condition.  If you have any questions, please ask before buying or making an offer.  Thanks.