M7 bayonet guard design???

[Trent Rock]

I just got my 1st bayonet today
Conetta M7
Is the guard (or whatever it's called on a bayonet) designed to be loose?
It almost looks like the gap has some sort of pin that pushes against it and the hole around the blade looks like it was designed sorta like a "cam"
I have never even picked up or examined a bayonet before today!
Sorry if this is a bayonet n00by question.......

 

[D R E]

They all have some space between the guard and the handle scales. The only ones that don't are made in Germany for the commercial market. The guard should not be loose. If you wan't to examine how they are assembled, simply remove the handle scales. I believe the guard is pressure fit. There is an armorers manual on the market that has all the details for fixing and refinishing the M7's. If your into collecting, there are many makers of the M7 spanning many years. Bauer Ord. Corp. (BOC) was the largest manufacturer. Others were produced by Milpar, Conetta, Imperial, Frazier Manufacturing, General Cutlery etc. Colt contracted through Imperial & Eickhorn in Germany for a commercial version. Hope that helps.

Dan

 

[GIRLYmann]

Loose guard on the M7 unit?
Tightening instructions (Warning, not for the faint hearted collector!)
-http://www.tpub.com/content/clothingandindividualequipment/TM-9-1005-237-23P/css/TM-9-1005-237-23P_52.htm

 

[Trent Rock]

Thanks for the info all!!!
I was just about to spend 12 bucks on EBAY for the manual!!!!

Swaging (pronunciation note below) is a metal-forming technique in which the metal is plastically deformed to its final shape using high pressures, either by pressing or hammering, or by forcing through a die. Swaging differs from forging in that the swaged metal is cold worked, and the output of the swaging operation is usually the finished shape. The term swage can apply to the process of swaging (verb to swage), a die used for swaging (noun swage), or a tool used to swage (noun).

What does that mean in layman's terms?
I pound on it with a hammer????

 

[bob bowie]

You've got to strip the thing down, then hammer whatever #4 is in that manual. They want you to peen/flatten(swedge) whatever #4 is so that it forces itself against the guard thus tightening it.

You could just learn to live with it.