AzRednek Posted January 15, 2020 Report Share Posted January 15, 2020 Does anybody know how to disassemble a M-1 Carbine bayonet?? Took my grandkids to the range and brought along an M-1 Carbine. I was taking pictures and installed the bayonet for the photo op. On the second shot the hand guard came loose and somehow the bayonet got knocked loose. The bayonet’s cross bar got twisted up and bent. I’ve located a new cross bar but I cannot figure out how to disassemble the bayonet. The female portion of the lug appears to be riveted on. I sent two email to the seller of the crossbar asking for help but haven’t got a response. I cruised the net but couldn’t find anything useful. Hate to see a perfectly good bayonet wind up in one of my junk boxes. The leather handle Korean surplus bayonet I bought in the late 80’s for about 20 bucks still looks mint. I just about dropped a load in my pants seeing today’s cost. The cost of a new blued steel cross bar with postage is about $15.00. If I managed to get the cross bar separated. I might be able to beat it straight with my brass sludge hammed. Edit: According to the gun shop I bought the bayonet from claimed. The Korean govt purchased the bayonet tooling and left over parts after the war from inland Marine. Your guess is as good as mine if it’s truthful. The only stamping on it is a tiny X. Doing a side by comparison to US GI I can’t see any difference other than stampings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted January 15, 2020 Report Share Posted January 15, 2020 My google-fu found this: https://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?1075727-M4-Bayonet-Disassembly Quote This is a project that will require some time and patience. To get the latch plate off the tang, you will need to grind off the beautiful start burst peen until you can see the rectangle shape of the tang end. Then the latch plate should pop off the end with a little percussive persuasion. Now you have a tang which is too short to properly peen. Here's your decision. Do you grind each side of the shelf that the latch plate sits on, which allows the tang end to protrude through the latch plate giving you some "meat" to work with as you peen the end? This will shorten the overall length of the bayonet by about a 1/16th of an inch. My M1 carbine would be able to handle the shortened bayonet. It depends how far back the sight sits on the barrel. On my carbine, the barrel ring on the bayonet could go back a full 1/8th of an inch before it hit the sight assembly. So, shortening your M4 is not too bad of an option. Or, do you try another option by welding some metal on the end of the tang so when you replace the latch plate, you will have enough metal to peen? This method will keep the bayonet the correct length. With either method, you will have to place the latch plate after you have your leather washers in place and finished down to nearly perfect shape. The way I did it was to use JB Weld to hold the latch plate tight against the leather; using clamps to hold it in place while the JB Weld fully cured. Then I peened the edges of the tang . You'll probably not get the starburst peen that Camillus used, but it will suffice. Hope this helps. Maybe others will have some other, better options. Marv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted January 15, 2020 Report Share Posted January 15, 2020 Also found this: which looks like there may be several models and that one comes apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manureman Posted January 15, 2020 Report Share Posted January 15, 2020 Az since you mentioned a brass hammer, I believe I’d clamp something round the cross bar would fit over in a vise put the scabbard on it to protect the blade and see if you could bend it back straight might need a cheater bar and finish it up with your brass hammer without tearing it apart. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken98k Posted January 16, 2020 Report Share Posted January 16, 2020 I'd just straighten it out with a vise and a hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted January 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2020 Thx Guys for the advice and Doc Hess for the pictures and link. I finally threw in the towel. I tried bending it back and got the hole for the rifle barrel out of round. I was wrong about What I thought we’re rivets. They are just simple pins the clamps pivot on. The only way to disassemble it is to drive the blade forward out from the pommel. I just couldn’t get ahold or underneath the pommel without crushing the leather handle. I got a good grip on the pommel with vice grips. Stuck the vice grips into a bench vice but the best was just knocking everything loose. Give several good whacks and the blade didn’t budge. When I get more time I’ll give it another try. I will attempt once again to bending the guard back and hopefully not get the hole to far out of round. Another consideration is cutting and removing the leather handle enabling a good grip in bench vice. If I’m successful JB Weld it back on. Call me a cheapskate as I won’t spend a 100+ for a genuine WW2 issue date. Saw one unissued WW2 dated in original GI cardboard box on eBay asking $450. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken98k Posted January 19, 2020 Report Share Posted January 19, 2020 On 1/16/2020 at 11:17 PM, AzRednek said: Thx Guys for the advice and Doc Hess for the pictures and link. I finally threw in the towel. I tried bending it back and got the hole for the rifle barrel out of round. I was wrong about What I thought we’re rivets. They are just simple pins the clamps pivot on. The only way to disassemble it is to drive the blade forward out from the pommel. I just couldn’t get ahold or underneath the pommel without crushing the leather handle. I got a good grip on the pommel with vice grips. Stuck the vice grips into a bench vice but the best was just knocking everything loose. Give several good whacks and the blade didn’t budge. When I get more time I’ll give it another try. I will attempt once again to bending the guard back and hopefully not get the hole to far out of round. Another consideration is cutting and removing the leather handle enabling a good grip in bench vice. If I’m successful JB Weld it back on. Call me a cheapskate as I won’t spend a 100+ for a genuine WW2 issue date. Saw one unissued WW2 dated in original GI cardboard box on eBay asking $450. I spend a lot of time at another site, www.allaboutpocketknives.com and there are several knife mechanics there that could restore you bayonet to like new or better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted January 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 THX!! I’ll pay them a visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montea6b Posted February 27, 2021 Report Share Posted February 27, 2021 That must have been one hell of a photo op to get bent like that!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted February 28, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2021 5 hours ago, montea6b said: That must have been one hell of a photo op to get bent like that!!! I didn’t see the mis-hap as I was fooling with the camera. After the hand guard came loose it was my granddaughter’s follow up shot. With the bayonet dangling loose I had to yell at her not to shoot the third time. She fell bad about it but I told her it was no big deal I can get another for a few bucks. I searched for the photo buried in a file somewhere but couldn’t find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.