Realized i have collected quite a bunch Over the years and just how many variants there are .    Guessing a lot !

So wondering if anyone documented everything on one page/forum.

Ty

Google Gary Cunningham Knife Pages something or other.

I think that's the guy's name.

ETA I got his name right and the site name wrong so......

Edited again.

Here's the M7 page. Gary's pages are primarily WWII ish.

M7 Page.

Here you go.

Maker's marks, sheaths, sub-contractors, production numbers, blah.  Not a rabbit hole; this is the warren.
Happy trails.  We'll see you in a few months.

Omg.   My eyes are gonna fall out.    That is a overwhelming reference site.

Thanks guys...

This is information I have saved. It is 10 years old now...Bill

Warren.....The Colt stamped M7's are about the rarest M7's there are except for the early green and brown handle types and some even rarer prototypes. You just happen to be able to get a mint original now for a really good price. Once these dry up on the market they will go back to their $175-250 price range. Remember they only made 30,000 of these Imperial Colt's......and for M7's that is a very small contract considering during the Vietnam War around 3,000,000 M7's were produced. *They are great collector's items and you won't loose money on it. I know a lot of collector's that bought up 20 or more of these bayonets and are holding on to them til the prices go back up!!! In my collection I have 123 different varieties and variants of the M7.......that is all I collect. I saw a prototype M7 on EBay this year that sold for $5,500. That is the highest price I have ever seen a M7 go for!!! I am still at work but when I get home I will check out the photos you sent. **Thanks. *William
I found a company in colorado that is selling new old stock Colt M7 *bayonets that are stamped Hartford Ct. I know it's not a rare bayonet, *I just thought I would ask someone with a vast knowledge about them to *see if there were any knock offs made. They seem legit! It even says *in the add that they are not the ones produced in Germany. That is *some collection you have there! Very impressive! I recently found a *mint 1905 bayonet dated 1910. I am still amazed at the condition it is *in. The blade has never been used. Not a ding or scratch in it no rust *or anything. I think it's the find of the century! I pocked it up in *Durham NC it was squirmed away by a gent that was in the navy that *retired in the early 60's. He claims it was unissued, I find that hard *to belive but judging from the condition it's in he may very well be *right. Best part is I got it for a very fair price. Thanks for your *help, I'll send a pic of my 1905 so you can check it out.
On Oct 21, 2010, at 12:00
.....this is the story on the Colt marked M7's, excluding the *
very early (1961-62) green handle versions made by Universal Ind. on *
a Colt contract. *In 1964 Colt had contracted with Imperial Knife Co *and MilPar to make M7's for their M-16 rifles for the government. *
Imperial is said to have made 30,000 M7's stamped with "COLT 62316 *
Hartford,Conn. USA" and the Colt rampart horse logo on the blade and *
only "US M7" stamped on the crossguard. MilPar made an unknown *
amount of M7's with the same blade stampings as the Imperial's, but *
their crossguards were stamped "US M7 **MILPAR". The MilPar Colt's *
came with any standard issue USM8A1 scabbard. The Omperial Colt's *
came with a crinkle finish OD green scabbard that only had " USM8A1" *
stamped on the throat with no maker's name. Leg lanyards were *
standard issue with all scabbards, but over the years they are taken *
off or replaced.....they don't help identify a scabbard as original *
at all. The German Colt M7's are not rip offs. Colt sub-contracted *
with Eickhorn in Germany to help keep up production numbers with the *
M7 bayonet. *Most of them are stamped with "COLT 62316 Hartford, *
Conn USA Made in W. GERMANY" and the Colt rampart horse logo. There *
are some short crossguard versions (made to fit the M-16 as well as *
the G-3 rifle) that has the same blade stampings as the Imperial *
Colt's. The original German Colt's were made in 1975-76 on a Colt *
contract. In 2000-01 Eickhorn had an M7 version that had the same *
stampings as the Imperial's did, but it was laser etched into the *
blade. Altogether there are 22 different Colt stamped M7's that I am *
aware of and have in my collection. The price for the original *
Imperial Colt's up until about 2 years ago was around $175-250. *
There has been an influx of these originals on the market since then *
because several hundred mint condition ones were located in storage *
and dropped on the market. You should be able to pick up an original *
mint Imperial Colt with the correct scabbard for around $75. MilPar *
Colt's will cost you around $350-500. German Colt M-7's, depending *
on version, will cost you around $90. As for there being any *
original remakes or rip-offs, I can honestly say I have not seen *
any. I had seen some of the mint copies found in storage a couple *
years ago and it is my oppion and that of other collector's I *
communicate with that they are original pieces. I hope I have *
answered your questions and if I can help with anything else just *
let me know. *****William

I have dozens and dozens of reference books on bayonets.
Are you asking about ALL bayonets, or just those specific to the AR-15 family?

So correct me if I am wrong, but from what I gathered from this post and the articles attached is:

Colt model 62082 was the first variation, green handle

Colt model 62916, made by colt, black handle

Colt 62316, made by general cutlery and imperial, black handle

Am I correct?

* Correction I followed up on the info and I seen an Ebay listing for an m7 and the seller had mentioned in the info that the blade was marked colt with 62916, so that's where I got that, but on further review the number was the standard 62316 on it

Small extract credited to the website I referenced above:
Note:  The standard M7 - done up in the millions by a variety of sub-contractors - are simply marked US M7.

Bayonets are sometimes fun (or frustrating) rabbit holes to go down.  :)

http://imageevent.com/willyp/firearmsalbums/uscoltarmalitem16ar15556/m16accessoryitems/bayonets?w=4&x=0