1577

RARE 1986 PHROBIS III VARIATION I "CHEVRON" M9

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:250.00 USD Estimated At:500.00 - 1,000.00 USD
RARE 1986 PHROBIS III VARIATION I  CHEVRON  M9
BAYONET SIGNED BY CHARLES T BUCK, OWNED BY GLENN MATTOX & RICHARD NEYMAN. Per "M9 BAYONET AN AUTHORIZED HISTORY" by Richard Neyman, In 1986 Phrobis III won the U.S. Army's XM9 trial for new wire cutting bayonet/cutting knife. In October 1986, the contract was officialy awarded in the newly adopted bayonet was designated the "M9". This was the first new US bayonet since the M7 of Vietnam The first 50 5X M9 bayonets that Phrobis delivered to the Army Trials at Fort Benning were virtually handmade on machine tools, not manufactured on the production line. Buck was a subcontractor to Phrobis for variety of middle parts including blades for the Army's new bayonet. Despite given the Army's Technical Data Package (TDP), Buck, with out consulting or notifying Phrobis, applied the company's "CHEVRON" stamp with it's point facing to the right of the "U.S.A." marking ( > ). This error went unnoticed by the inspector's at Phrobis as the majority of the initial 1,200 shipment went the US Army. The Army quickly replied on January 16, 1987 with a Material Review Report notifying Buck & Phrobis of the production discrepancy "Unauthorized marking on the blade" despite the report also saying "Marking does not affect form, fit or function". Buck quickly corrected the error on all military blades, while the chevron could be kept on all commercial M9 bayonets under a licensing agreement with Phrobis. This production "error" is first & rarest model of the M9's bayonets delivered to the US Army. This bayonet is 12 1/4" overall. The blade is 7 1/8" overall of 425M Stainless steel with 57 plus RC hardness & coated in a "Media Blasted" finish. The left ricasso is stamped "M9 / PHROBIS III / USA >". Magnesium Phosphate finished crossguard, latches & latch plates. Top side of crossguard has small Phrobis logo stamp. Underside of crossguard has scratched Serial Number "126". OD Green Zytel handle. OD Green Zytel scabbard w/ black label with Serial Number "126". Green web front pouch, web frog, Bianchi belt hook & FA Stex buckle. Sharpening stone present under web latch. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: a signed photo of the Phrobis XM9 bayonet by Douglas Olsen of Quac-A-Tec, Charles T Buck, & others. Copies of pages pertaining to this bayonet & scabbard from the M9 Bayonet book. CONDITION: bayonet blade has very good appearance showing wear from scabbard contact. Crossguard shows wear from scabbard contact, wear from contact of web straps of frog & spots of oxidation. Handle very good w/ scattered marks. Latch has good fading finish. Scabbard body has wear & numerous marks throughout, but appears intact. Webbing shows wear in contact areas. PROVENANCE: From the Lifelong Collection of Glen E. Mattox. (02-18468/MD). $500-1000.