This bayonet is an exact replica of the US manufactured bayonet. The Italians used surplus M1 bayonets prior to manufacturing their own in the mid to late 1950s.There is a great deal of information on these in Cesare Calamandrei’s Baionette Italiane 1814-1991.

The bayonet can be found with both wood and plastic grips. The left ricasso is stamped with a five or six digit serial number. The examples with the six-digit number are also marked on the left side with a five-pointed star over a two-digit number, in the case of the two illustrated pieces, a 56. The right side of the blade is marked with a small rectangular box with a star over FAT over 56. FAT stands for Fabbrica Armi Terni and the 56 represents the year of manufacture (1956). It’s interesting to note that the latch lever is also marked with a star and two-digit year of manufacture.

The bayonets are fairly well made and the finish is comparable to the US manufactured bayonets, except for the five-digit serial numbered piece. Its quality is rather crude. The blade is poorly finished and the crossguard and pommel are rough. All of the bayonets are parkerized. This bayonet can be found in two distinctively different scabbards. The first utilizes a leather scabbard body similar to the Italian Model 1870 Vetterli bayonet scabbard. It is equipped with a steel mouthpiece and tip that are riveted to the leather body. The mouthpiece is manufactured like the US scabbard with a place for the wire belt hook. In place of the hook there is a cotton web loop. The entire scabbard, with the exception of the web loop, is painted dark green. There are no marks on the scabbard. The second style scabbard is modeled after the US M7 scabbard. It has a fiberglass body with a steel mouthpiece. Like the previous scabbard, it is equipped with a cotton web loop. The entire scabbard is painted OD and is completely unmarked