This album contains pics/info on US military bayonets for the M16 series along with brief info on a few M7 "variants" that occasionally are offered as US military. The M16 bayonet was originally designed by Colt & appeared to have been based on the US M4 .30cal carbine bayonet of WWII origin. The first bayonet supplied to the US military for the M16 (Colt 601) was very similiar to the well known M7 & was actually the M7's forerunner, these bayonets were provided w/the 601 (& most probably 602) rifles bought by the US military prior to 1964, the grips on most were a fiber type brown material & overpainted green, although there are brown gripped examples around, the grips were not checkered like the M7 but had shallow "rings" & used fixed rivets/plugs rather than screws to attach the grips. The "standard" military M7 appeared to have been a refinement of these early Colt bayonets & were purchased by the military direct from various contractors rather than through Colt. It appears Colt supplied the above described bayonets which were then superceeded by the military production M7's beginning approximately 1964 with M7 production from various contractors supplied at least into the 80's, another US military bayonet for the M16, the M9 began mfg in the late 80's, the M9 supplemented but did not replace the M7 in service.
Album by willyp. Photos by willyp. 1 - 43 of 43 Total. 42087 Visits.
US M16 issue bayonets Top to bottom: 1) Original Colt bayonet supplied w/601 rifles, app. 1962-1963, around 18,000 delivered. 2) Military pattern M7 w/M8A1 scabbard mfg 1964- at least 1989 by at least 7 makers. 3) Later M7 w/M10 scabbard. 4) Early pattern M9 by Phrobis, 1987, approximately 315,000 contracted for. 5) later pattern M9 by LanCay, contracts 1992-1994, approximately 104,511 total. Contract dates & numbers are from "American Military Bayonets of the 20th Century" by Cunningham, an exc reference!!
Colt, M7 & M9 grips Top: Colt Middle: M7 Bottom: M9 Note the early Colt grip has the appearance of the early M4 carbine grip which was composed of leather washers, the Colt grip is however 2 piece w/the "grooves" presenting the appearance of the M4's washers, the military contract M7 in the center uses the same grips as the later M4 carbine bayonet, 2 piece, black checkered plastic assembled w/2 screws thru the grips. The bottom bayonet is the first type of M9 & is a completely different bayonet than the previous 2.
Crossguards On the left is the Phrobis M9, center is a standard military M7, right is the original Colt bayonet.
Left side view Top: Colt "601" bayonet Center: Standard military M7, note the difference in the grip pattern. Bottom: Early pattern Phrobis M9. The Phrobis M9's were designed by Phrobis but made by Buck Knife Co.
Blades Top: Original Colt "601", note the Colt blade marking. Center: Standard military M7 Bottom: Early Phrobis M9.
Blades, left side Top: Colt "601", note there are no Colt markings on the left. Center: Standard military M7 Bottom: Early Phrobis M9.
Full left side views Top: Colt "601" bayonet. Center: Standard military M7 Bottom: early Phrobis M9.
M4 carbine bayonet & m8 scabbard Beginning the M7 series, the bayonet shown is an early M4 bayonet for the M1 carbine, it's believed Colt used the M4 as the basis for the M16 bayonet. Note the grip on the M4 which is made from leather washers, this grip & the grip of the Colt bayonet have the same appearance although the Colt M16 bayonet uses synthetic material to replace the leather, also note the crossguard on the M4 w/the small diameter muzzle ring vs the M16 larger diameter ring. later versions of the M4 used black plastic 2 pc checkered grips which are the same as the M7 grips. Pics courtesy of M1sniper.
M4 vs Colt (601) grip Top: early M4 carbine grip Bottom: Original Colt (601) grip The "lineage" between the early m4 carbine & early Colt bayonet can be seen here. The M4 used seperate leather washers compressed onto the tang, after WWII there was reportedly a "plastic" grip experimentally used on the M4 which approximated this leather washer grip which was not adopted, rather the black checkered plastic 2pc grips were adopted. The early Colt bayonet stayed w/the 'washer" M4 style but it was a synthetic material 2 pc grip w/plugged screws or rivets, once the military adopted the M16 series they used the late M4 black checkered plastic grips on all the military contract M7's.
M4 & M7 comparisons On the left is the M4 on the right a Milpar M7 showing the differences for the M1 carbine & M16. Note the differences in the crossguard, muzzzle ring & pommels. Pics from M1sniper.
M8 vs M8A1 scabbard comparison Top: M8 scabbard Bottom: M8A1 scabbard Note the lack of the wire belt hooks on the M8 & no metal tip or grommet compared to the M8A1. The M8 was superceded late in WWII by the M8A1. On rare occassions you may find an M7 in a modified M8 scabbard, the modification would simply add the metal belt hooks &/or a metal tip or grommet to the M8 basically bringing it up to M8A1 standard. An interesting note is that the original Colt bayonets were supplied w/scabbards similiar to the M8 rather than the M8A1. It appears most if not all of the Colt bayonets placed in service w/the US military had their original Colt supplied scabbards replaced w/US M8A1 scabbards as all the Colt bayonets I've seen that are "used" have been in M8A1 scabbards, the only Colt bayonets I've seen in original Colt type scabbards appeared to be new & never issued/used. I do not have any pics of an original Colt supplied scabbard for the early Colt (601) bayonets at this time.
M7 style bayonets & scabbards Top: Colt "601" type, these bayonets originally came w/a scabbard that was similiar to the earlier M8 scabbard, it appears once accepted by the military most were refitted w/standard M8A1 scabbards. Center: Military M7 w/issue M8A1 scabbard. Bottom: Miltary M7 w/later M10 scabbard, M10's were mfg at least 1987 thru 1989.
M7 blade "runout" comparison The "runout" of the blade is the "cut" along the center of the blade which then turns down in front of the crossguard, all the earlier mfg bayonets had an almost 90% angle near the crossguard, see the top 2 bayonets, a Colt 601 & a Milpar mfg in the mid 60's, all the VietNam era M7's had this style, the bottom blade in the pic is a General Cutlery mfg piece 1985-1990, these bayonets along w/most West German (Eickhorn) & commercial copies have this later "curved" type runout, there are examples of the M7 that have this later type runout which have Colt blade markings but no mfg's name on the crossguard, these are believed to have been mfg by Imperial for Colt & are most probably post VietNam due to the late type runout, interestingly the M7's that were mfg by Imperial for the Govt & are marked Imperial which were contracted in 73-74 have the early 90% type runout.
late type runout A close view of the curved & (what I believe to be) later style runout. This is the General Cutlery example shown earlier.
M8A1 scabbard The US military used the M8A1 scabbard mainly w/the M7 bayonet early on, the military scabbards are a resin/fiberglass body painted OD w/a web hanger & belt hooks. The bottom M8A1 in the pic is an odd example as it appears to be plastic & has a rough textured finish, these were reportedly supplied w/the M7 bayonets made by Imperial for Colt (& so marked on the blade).
Military issue M7 scabbards Top: the later M10 plastic scabbard, first seen approximamtely 1987, at least 3 makers made the scabbards, only 1 is known to have mfg bayonets & M10 scabbards & supplied them as a unit to the military, that was Ontario. Bottom: Standard M8A1 scabbard, these scabbards were in use since the end of WWII w/m1 carbine & the shorter version of the M1 garand bayone & also w/the M6 bayonet for the M14. The maker is marked on the front under the M8A1 marking & the rear of the body usually has a code molded in.
M8A1 & M10 scabbards rear The M10 is actually a copy of the M8A1 that is simpler & cheaper to produce, the body is all plastic w/a 'nylon" hanger instead of web.
M10 Ontario scabbard mkg The M10 scabbards have the manufacturers code on the face, in this case 1Z803 which is believed to be Ontario.
Brown handle Colt 1 line mkg This bayonet is an original Colt, the grips are in the original material color of brown (as were some of the very early Colt 601 rifles), this particular bayonet has a 1 line variation of the Colt marking on the blade (there are 3 altogether), most of these bayonets have the grips painted green. This pic & some following were very kindly provided by a dedicated M7 collector, thanks!
Colt 601 Green handled bayonet This particular bayonet has the green painted handles & another variation of the Colt markings found on the blades, this one has Colt & also Armalite. Note there are no markings on the crossguards of these bayonets as opposed to the standard US military M7's later int he album.
Early Colt bayonet blade markings Here are the 3 different blade markings which are found on the early Colt "601" bayonets (the description "601" is NOT official, it's a descriptive term I use). In addition to the blade marking variations shown, the green & brown handles there's also a grip variant that is black & screwed on, these are believed to be prototypes & VERY rare. For more in depth info on these bayonets see Mike Humes web site on the M7 bayonet: www.usmilitaryknives.com/humes_m7.htm
Milpar manufactured M7 The first M16's (Colt model 601 & 602) bought by the US military came w/the previously described Colt "601" bayonets, once the military signed a large contract w/Colt for the XM16E1 rifles they contracted for the bayonets themselves, the M7 bayonet was basically the Colt "601" (which in turn appeared to have used the earlier miltiary m1 carbine M4 bayonet as a basis!), the military contract M7's used 2 piece plastic checkered grips held on by 2 screws, the same grips used on the late M1 carbine bayonets in fact. it appears the first "official" military M7 contract was w/Milpar approximately 1964-1967 for 650,000+.
Milpar Colt M7 bayonet These bayonets are a bit of a mystery, there are a few known & "appear" to be M7 bayonets made by Milpar w/a Colt marking on the blade which would indicate either Milpar made them for Colt or the Colt marking was put on the blade early in production possibly due to a licensing situation w/Colt, if so they would probably be the earliest made of the Milpar contract, this seems unlikely as the crossguard has the makers name Milpar & required military markings (US M7) also, another "theory" is that they're simply reworked M7's that had a Colt mkd blade fitted w/a Milpar crossguard. In any event it is a very rare variation!
FZR M7 bayonet Another very rare M7 variant, these are marked on the crossguard FZR, it has been reported they may have been made by Frazier 1966-1971, app. 260,000 made, this info, again, is from American Bayonets of the 20th Century.
Conetta M7 Another VietNam era maker, Conetta reportedly mfg about 132,000 M7's in 1968 (from American bayonets of the 20th Century).
BOC M7 BOC (Bauer ordinance Corp)is another mfg of M7's during the VietNam war, delivering about 1,800,000 in the late 60's.
Imperial M7 Imperial mfg M7's from 1973-1984, delivering approximately 620,000 during that time. These are usually "listed" as VietNam era but 1973 was about the end of major US involvement in combat in VN so actually a bit late to be considered a VN era maker. Imperial also reportedly mfg about 30,000 M7's for Colt (see the following pics).
Imperial Colt M7 These have no manufacturer on the crossguard but have Colt markings on the blade, another interesting thing is they have the late style rounded runout on the blade that appears to indicate late manufacture, at the least post VietNam, they may have been made as a contract for Colt for sale w/export M16's? A number of these bayonets have shown up recently & are easier to find than they were a few years ago w/a commensurate drop in price. They also use an odd M8A1 scabbard which is plastic & has a rough "crinkled" texture.
General Cutlery M7 General Cutlery made M7's between 1985-1990, approximately 127,000 so are not Vn era M7's, they also have the rounded "later" (my term) runout instead of the 90% style runout seen on all the other military makers M7's.
Ontario M7 Ontario mfg M7's 1988-89, approximately 58,000, these are again, post VN M7's, they have the 90% runout as opposed to the curved later type described previously. Ontario is also the only manufacturer to have delivered bayonets & M10 scabbards together.
M9 bayonets The M9 series was designed to be more of a general purpose/combat knife than just a bayonet. Phrobis was a design company who won the contract, they then contracted w/Buck knives to actually make the M9's for the military. First delivered in 1987 approximately 315,000 were delivered by Phrobis/Buck. Top: Phrobis/Buck M9 early Bottom: LanCay M9 later.
Phrobis & LanCay M9 bayonets Top: Phrobis/Buck M9 Bottom: LanCay M9 In service numerous 'problems" were found w/the early M9's which were addressed in later contracts which were awarded to LanCay & Ontario, the Phrobis M9's were consistent in form, variations involve mainly markings, the LanCay M9's have a number of variations in form, manufacture markings & scabbard design. For much more in-depth info on the M9, check the M9 web site on the net ( www.m9bayonet.com ), the book "American military bayonets of the 20th century" & Cole's books on American Military Knives.
M9 grips Top: original Phrobis/Buck M9 grip Bottom: later LanCay M9 grip, the LanCay is a bit larger diameter & contoured to fit the hand.
Phrobis & LanCay crossguards Another difference between the Phrobis/Buck M9's & later variants, the original Phrobis design incorporated a bottle opener in the crossguard, this was done away with in the later contracts.
Phrobis & LanCay blades Top: Phrobis/Buck M9 Bottom: LanCay M9 You can see the obvious differences, lack of the blade fuller on the LanCay blade the "blackening" of the blade, there are also more less obvious changes in the style of teeth on the blade back, the cutback on top & bottom of the blade in front of the crossguard etc.
Phrobis & LanCay blade comparison A closer view of the rear of the blades showing the saw teeth, the different 'relief" cut in front of the toothed area, the straight contour of the later blade in front of the crossguard as opposed to the earlier model.
Phrobis & LanCay markings Blade markings on the Phrobis & lanCay specimans in my collection. There are numerous markings varaints in both makers, I only have the 2 shown for comparison & do not know all the finer points & details.
Phrobis & LanCay pommels Note the LanCay is marked on the pommel end.
Phrobis & LanCay M9's left Top: Phrobis/Buck m9 early Bottom: LanCay M9 later.
Phrobis & LanCay M9s rear Top: Phrobis/Buck M9 early bottom: LanCay M9 later The Phrobis/Buck M9's usually had a pouch for the M9 pistol mag which attached thru the "loops" seen on the edges of the scabbard, this example is missing the M9 mag pouch. There were numerous changes made to the scabbard between the original contract w/Phrobis & the later contracts, one is the lengthening of the hanger to drop the bayonet lower on the belt, the early M9 scabbard also has a sharpening stone under the web strap near the button in the pic, later models did away w/it, the strap to secure the bayonet was changed/moved etc.
German mfg M7, short guard version Eickhorn in West Germany manufactured a large number of M7's in many variations, some of which were strictly for the collector market, the variant shown here has the crossguard on the bottom shortened, the reason was the bayonets were made to be useable on the M16 & the German G3 rifle which mounted the bayonet on top of the muzzle, the crossguards were shortened so it wouldn't interfere w/the sights. It's not known if the US military actually bought any of the German mfg M7's for service. All the Eickhorn M7's have Colt blade markings which would indicate production for Colt.
German M7, standard M7 type Here is another of the many German variant M7's, this one is a standard configuration M7 w/Colt blade markings, check the markings on the blade, crossguard & scabbard for differences w/the US military M7's pictured/described earlier.
German late M7 Another variant, these are believed to be purely commercial products, note the later style Colt logo & "purple" tint to the blade.
