rare dates on RIA and SA bayonets

[hillbillyricky]

does ayone have production numbers for RIA and SA bayonets ?? are their certain dates that are worth more??

[Dan Shapiro]

Not sure about total production numbers for SA and RIA, they must exist somewhere. The bayonets were not serial numbered until 1906. There was little need to produce any immediately after WWI. According to Canfield the latest SA dated blade is 1922. The latest RIA 1919. Here are the contract numbers (1941-42) for the M1905 in early WWII:

UFH - 440,336
Utica - 200,000
Wilde - 60,000
AFH - 200,000
PAL - 200,000
Oneida - 100,000

As to value/date - my own WAG would be the early ones - un-serial numbered.

[5MadFarmers]

Dan, I'm going to disagree. The early, unserialed ones, are pretty common over all as they pounded them out those years. Serialed SA bayonets from 1906 run somewhere between 191K and 193K. Almost 200K bayonets and that doesn't count the unserialed ones.

RIA hit close to 90K on the serialed 1906 dated ones.

Most collectable will be early (bright with blue strip near hilt) and one of the lower produced years. The bayonets themselves aren't really the valuable bit - it's the scabbard. Bayonets are common whereas scabbards - not so much.

1913-1916 are the "rare" point.

Here is the deal. I provide the numbers and if you can hit my gaps you send me a picture of the serial and year. That way I have proof of the number tightening.

================================================== ============================
Springfield
================================================== ============================

1906: 848-191848
1907: 193367-241238
1908: 243450-356683
1909: 361603-432574
1910: 435784-466305
1911: 474325-500681
1912: 514458-546577
1913: 552927-582544
1914: 585087-608876
1915: 612212-631695
1916: 636229-648575
1917: 680384-758820
1918: 779916-1040319
1919: 1064286-1124796
1920: 1128795-1166024
1921: 1180376-1187249
1922: 1193795

================================================== ============================
Rock Island
================================================== ============================

1906: 82605
1907: 90687-116110
1908: 120818-138171
1909: 139458-160668
1910: 172896-182146
1911: 196333-216900
1912: 218451-229323
1913: 239730-241258
1914:
1915:
1916:
1917: 253700-302413
1918: 303670-416888
1919: 390139-423496

[Dan Shapiro]

Learn something new every day. I've never seen an un-serialized M1905.

[Doug Ford]

I have a 1905 marked 1918 that sombody turned into a boot knife! Anyways, serial number is 1029720

[5MadFarmers]

Learn something new every day. I've never seen an un-serialized M1905.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=270696976027

[Tom in N.J.]

S.A. M1905 bayonets dated 1922 are super scarce... I've only seen one in over fifty years. Bright blade M1905 with the experimental leather covered aluminum scabbards are also scarce, I've seen two. I have one of those..

[5MadFarmers]

Very nice bayonet. The handles retain their ridges.

[GWS]

Dan Shapiro
Learn something new every day. I've never seen an un-serialized M1905

Here you go Dan As I understand it RIA did not serialize in 1906 only, S.A. did serialize in 1906 thru the end of production (1922?).

[GWS]

Bright blade M1905 with the experimental leather covered aluminum scabbards are also scarce, I've seen two. I have one of those..

And now you've seen 3 Tom :