Description
Original early Vietnam War era fighting knife made from the short-lived M6 bayonet factory overruns; the handle is factory-unfinished and uncut; bayonet release mechanism was not installed as well. The original partially-finished bayonet was made by Columbus Milpar & Mfg (Milpar). The M6 was the only edged weapon issued for the M14 – the last US “battle rifle”. In spite of excellent accuracy and ballistics M14 fell victim to the modern small-caliber small arms doctrine and had a very short service life. That led to the short-lived service for the M6 bayonet as well. My guess is that Milpar decided to use-up the left-over unfinished M6th in any way they could, hence this “M6 fighting knife”. Anyways, this particular fighting knife type is scarce nowadays, especially in unused condition. Attached in the photos is the scan of the original 1965 photograph by Eddie Adams of a young marine in Vietnam holding the M14 with the M6 attached.
The parkerized guard/muzzle ring is marked U.S. M6 / MILPAR COL; no markings on the blade or handle. About 11-1/2″ / 29.3 cm overall; fully-parkerized blade is about 6-3-4/” / 17.2 cm long. Original finish on the blade, guard, and pommel. Original factory edge; the blade has never been re-sharpened; the tip has a small factory defect – see photos. Black plastic grips are in perfect condition; no cracks or scratches. The original M8A1 composition scabbard manufactured in the 1960th by Pennsylvania Working Home for the Blind (PWH) company in Philadelphia, PA – a scarce type. Unpainted “gun-gray” steel throat is stamped USM8A1 / PWH on the front side; web hanger is excellent with no stains, mold, or rust.
This attractive Vietnam War US fighting knife has not been cleaned or tampered with in any way, 100% original condition; these are the actual photos. I have a few more Vietnam era American knives, as well as some British, Commonwealth, and German WW2 era combat knives and bayonets, plus several scarce WW1 and WW2 fighting daggers and trench knives from other countries available for sale – please take a look in our Militaria section.
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FREE USPS PRIORITY MAIL SHIPPING WITHIN THE U.S. FOR THIS ITEM!
No shipping to Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Japan, or the UK/Ireland for this item, sorry. International shipping to other countries for this item will be $39.75 and up to most countries on our “ship-to” list.
