Post-War U.S. bayonet and scabbard production has posed significant challenges to researchers. Limited federal contract data has left many gaps and, at times, has proven difficult to interpret accurately. As with any story that is pieced together over time, there have been advances, as well as errors, made along the way. My research builds on previous work by noted authors/researchers, Gary Cunningham, Bill Porter, and Frank Trzaska. Gary’s research can be found in his books; and the work of all three on Frank Trzaska’s great site, http://usmilitaryknives.com.
The following summarizes what appear to be the U.S. government contracts, building on what has already been published with additional research of my own. The information presented below shows the extent of M4 Second Production Bayonet procurement discerned from publicly-available data, adds new details, and clarifies some details previously reported elsewhere. There remains much to still be discovered and explained through further research. If you are aware of any additional contracts or have information to add, comments and clarification are welcome.
| Post-War M4 Bayonet Contracts Summary | ||||||
| Contract No. | Contractor | Date | Amount | Contract Type | Quantity | Notes |
| DA-19-058-ORD-7479 | Camillus Cutlery Co. | April 1953 | $468,676 | Definitive Contract | 166,098 | Last of the leather-grip M4 bayonets, these had the wider crosspiece adopted in 1951. Date, quantity, and amount per announcement in Iron Age (trade journal), Vol 171, Issue 17, 04/23/1953. |
| DA-19-058-ORD-7882 | Imperial Knife Co. | July 1954 | $87,388 | Definitive Contract | 44,586 | Date, amount, and quantity per award announcement in Iron Age (trade journal), Vol 174, Issue 5, 07/29/1954. |
| DA-19-058-ORD-7886 | Turner Manufacturing Co. | 1954 | not available | Definitive Contract | 298,691 | Quantity reported per Cunningham. This has long been believed to be the first M4 Second Production contract, however, the serial number of Imperial's contract actually precedes that of Turner's. 1/56 packing date observed. |
| DA-11-199-AMC-724 | Conetta Mfg Co | June 1966 | $293,000 | Definitive Contract | not available | Contract details per NARA AAD. 3/69 packing date observed. |
| June 1966 | $42,000 | Additional Work | not available | |||
| August 1966 | $127,000 | Additional Work | not available | |||
| September 1966 | $69,000 | Additional Work | not available | |||
| DAAF01-71-C-0851 | Bren Dan Inc. | June 1971 | $95,000 | Definitive Contract | not available | This contract not identified in Cunningham. Contract details per NARA AAD. 12/71 packing date observed. Bayonet in package was marked "Conetta." |
| September 1971 | $89,000 | Additional Work | not available | |||
| Sources
Cunningham: Gary Cunningham, U.S. Knife Bayonets & Scabbards (Pennsylvania: Scott Duff Publications, 2015) |
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| © Ralph E. Cobb 2022 All Rights Reserved | ||||||
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