M1 bayonet problem solved

[PCGS65]

About a month ago I bought a bayonet for my M1. It didn't fit. Needless to say I was disappointed. So I looked at the pommel and noticed the left grove had some mushrooming as if it had been used as a hammer at one point in time. So I took a triangular jewelers file and gently took the mushrooming off. It still didn't fit. Somehow I wondered if the gas cylinder lugs might have been different sizes ,but that wasn't the case. The gas cylinder lug measured .425x.125

Then I kept looking at the pommel end and noticed it looked ever so slightly bent down. So now how to bend it back up without cracking it.
Well I miced it and made a wedge at the machine shop on my own time at work. I took a piece of 1/2"x3/16" steel bar stock and milled it to .417 wide and with a taper of .117 at the end to .133 about an inch back. I lubricated it and gently tapped it into the pommel with a hammer about 2/3 the way in. Pulled it out and viola the bayonet fit perfectly. Not too tight and not loose.

Below the first pic is of the pommel as a reference and the 2nd pic is the wedge tool I made.

Has anyone ever experienced this?

 

[Nugilum]

No. Fortunately for me all my bayonets have fit without any difficulty.

Let this serve as a warning to everyone else:
Never underestimate a machinist with tools and free-time.

 

[rondog]

You're supposed to do "government projects" on company time!

 

[PCGS65]

You're supposed to do "government projects" on company time!

I plead the 5th.....

No. Fortunately for me all my bayonets have fit without any difficulty.

Nuglium this is a 16" uncut 1942 bayo and needless to say I was very disappointed to find out it didn't fit when I bought it.
Though determination did prevail.

 

[nad3ooo]

PC- nice work, i love seeing problems overcome in machine shops

 

[Nugilum]

this is a 16" uncut 1942 bayo

Ohhh... Yea, I'd make it work too.

 

[PCGS65]

Ohhh... Yea, I'd make it work too.

It compliments my 781xxx August of '42 M1 nicely.
I'll be going to the range saturday to burn some powder with both of them and a few other guns.

 

[Nugilum]

OK, we want an update on your expedition today.

Did you shoot it with the bayo attached?

 

[PCGS65]

She's a 5.4 mil SA with a 10-54 barrel. The only parts not SA are the trigger group(HRA)and the OP rod is NM that measures .527. The gas cylinder looks beautiful and the bore is BRIGHT and shiney too. ME just under 1 I call it .9 and TE is 2.

Anyway I took her out to the range last saturday. She's nice and accurate but a few shots were off because of operator error. No I'm not going to blame the rifle. Did have a couple problems though. When shooting the elevation knob would adjust itself to shoot low. The fix didn't dawn on me till I got home. I tightened the sight on the windage side and all seems good now.

I had my august of 1942 M1 with also. Needless to say I went through about 350 rounds total.

Nugilum no I didn't shoot her with the bayo on. I didnt bring it. But that will change soon. As you know bayonets fit rather loosly and I'm not too anxious to fire her much with the bayo attached due to scratching the barrel/gas cylinder.

 

[Nugilum]

Yep, I usually don't shoot with the bayo attached (only my M91/30 and M44). However, I do show up with the bayo attached to the range. Yea, I'm kinda shallow that way.

I've never had anybody criticize me for it. In fact it gets people's interest, and I fill them in on the rifle's history.

Just for giggles, I'm going to attach my M1905 bayonet to my Garand to see what that looks like.