Rare LanCay ?

[pwcosol]

Carlo: I must plead Mea Culpa as I had provided you with erroneous information regarding the "200 off-spec first contract LanCay M9s" incorporated into the second contract. Having only read about them, I was under the impression they were early first contract pieces and bore fullered blades. Thanks to the links you posted, and some additional research, my error became apparent. In several conversations I had about these M9s with fellow collectors, no one ever mentioned them not having a fuller. So, "The 200" are late first contract blades with "LanCay" marking, step in the spine, concave ground blade, black oxide finish, & PI scabbard w/stone. Life was much simpler when only Phrobis/Buck made M9s...

[Carlo]

Hey,
no need for "plead Mea Culpa", this is not a conference on the M9.
We are all here to share the information available and hopefully learn something.

[pwcosol]

Thanks for your vote of confidence, Carlo. When I think of "first-contract LanCay production", my thoughts are of the early first pattern, standard production M9 with fullers. The Gen Cut blades and shallow fuller variants were so few in number we collectors separate them out from the finalized large fuller, standard production bayonets. But then came the later first contract LanCay M9s, which I believe comprised the majority of bayonets produced under that contract. I guess that is why M. Pattarozzi categorized the military contract M9s in his book American Gladius. It is a good idea, but doubt if it will become the method to reference these M9s any time soon...

[pwcosol]

Got the "oddball" M9 yesterday. Blade has the large fuller, step in blade spine, and edge is angle-ground. There is no marking on the pommel. Scabbard is first PI type with stone. Fastex clip is dated 1/95. The bayonet exhibits minor service use; particularly in the wire-cutter mode, and there was dust & sand down in the scabbard throat. On the left forward end of the blade is an area of what looks like corrosion. After close examination, I believe the left tip of the blade failed to be finish-machined during the grinding/polishing process. There is plenty of meat on the end of the blade tip. A few passes on the grinding/polishing wheel should have cleaned this off like the rest of the blade. The oversight should have been caught during inspection, and prior to having the black-oxide finish applied.

This leads me to a couple of scenarios. The bayonet was a pre-existing, incomplete, early first contract blade. Based on the mated scabbard, it may have been completed sometime in early/mid 1995. Whether discovered to be a reject or not, the bayonet may have slipped into (intentionally or unintentionally) the M9s destined for the Army. It might also have been shelved and later sold commercially. Considering the provenance, I lean towards the first possibility. I was trying to recall the time frame when Lan-Cay actually began to offer the M9 to the civilian market. Initially the M9 "Utility" was the only one. In any event, this M9 ended up serving in Iraq for a year or so, which makes it all the more interesting...

[Carlo]

Nice pictures, thanks!