Willpower: Mine vs The Rifle. I'm losing

[Rockrivr1]

Last year I bought a very nice SA Garand from the CMP. When I received it the serial number puts it as a 1943 production rifle. Ok here's my dilema. Ever since I purchased this rifle I've had this darn urge to get a matching year bayonet. At first it was just an impulse that I easily ignored. Lately though, it's turned into some else. Almost as if the Garand is calling to me and telling me to get it a bayonet. At the last couple of gun shows I've looked at bayonets that were there. At first I thought I'd pick up one of the cheaper M5 versions for $25. But that just didn't seem right getting a 1950s version of it's 1943 brother. This urge though just can't convince my penny pinching mind to plop down the ridiculous amount of cash they were asking for one from the proper year. Especially since it will just sit in the safe. Not yet anyway.

Hummmm, maybe I need to wrap the Garand in tin foil to hopefully stop it from making me pay stupid money for the thing.

So does this sound familiar to anyone? When you buy a rifle that has a detachable bayonet, do you get one or just figure it as a waste of money?

 

[secluded]

I have bayonets for about half of my milsurps only because they came with the gun when I bought it. I don't specifically seek out the ones I don't have though. Usually I'll try them on the gun when I first get it just to see how it looks and attaches then it ends up being thrown in a old yugo sks shipping crate that I have in my basement. (Same with all the greasy oil cans/pouches/slings).

 

[wmenorr67]

Well if it is a problem you could send the Garand to me. That way it will stop calling for you to buy a bayonet.

 

[Dionysusigma]

Never had that problem.

Of course, the only milsurps I've ever had were, well... a Mosin M44 and a Swede Mauser that had the barrel shortened (no bayo lug)

 

[rritter]

Most of the bayonets I've got came with the rifle. The exceptions are a bayonet for the Yugo M48, and the M5 bayonet for my Garand.

The M1 is a very late war production (August 1945, IIRC), so it probably didn't see combat in WWII. On the other hand, it's got a 1954 barrel and a replacement stock, so it might have seen action in Korea. Given that, the M5 bayonet is a reasonable fit.

Those original bayonets are, what, $100 or better? I don't think I could see paying that unless I had an all-original, all-correct M1 for it to go on. Even then, it would be a stretch.

 

[jason10mm]

Aren't most Garand bayonets just original length or cut down 1903 bayonets? I don't think there are many year matching bayonets for ANY rifle. Some one is selling 10 inch Garand repro bayonets if you just want the looks. Go for about $50 IIRC. It was in one of my many C&R catalogues, don't remember the name of the company, sorry.