Socket Bayonets.

Any bayonet without a handle, includes plug and socket type

(more to come) Note:- click on image for larger version of images

ARGENTINA

FN FAL bayonet picked up at Port Stanley after the Falklands conflict

 

3/4 view

 

AUSTRIA

1799 socket bayonet. blade has numbers on socket and is a non equal cruciform style, I know of the location of a scabbard and may put them together

 

1849 sword bladed socket

 

markings on the blade are on the shank of the bayonet

 

 

Locking ring is missing the bolt

During WWI Austria captured large  numbers of Russian 1891 Mosin Nagants and produced their own copy of the 1891 bayonet for them, (as well as using captured bayonets). They used a straight slot instead of a dog legged one and are marked with the Austrian eagle and M.A.IX for the makers mark. These were issued in the German style ersatz scabbard  or one of several other variations to the scabbard available

 

BELGIUM
Belgian made and issued version of the UK No4 MkII spike bayonet for the No4 rifle, crown over J indicates Belgian issue

added 24/5/03

belgian FN FAL.jpg (54188 bytes) FN FAL 

 

CANADA
No 4 with ball added for flag party. normally chromed this is left in unplated finish

Long branch made No4 MkII, chromed and used for dress, this one shows wear commensurate with use, unlike many that have pristine chromed finish

 

Markings are visible along with 4 digit weapon number

 

Original frog

No4 chrome plated for parade use, this example has the original Canadian serial crossed out.

Long Branch made No 4 marked by Canada, only about 8000 No4's were kept by the Canadians for training and use in Canada, the markings on these blades are actually rarer than the No4 MkI

UK No4 with Canadian marking on the spike using a vibro pen to mark the C and arrow

Canadian marked No4
No 4 with ball added for flag party. normally chromed this is left in unplated finish

Long branch made No4 MkII, chromed and used for dress, this one shows wear commensurate with use, unlike many that have pristine chromed finish

 

Markings are visible along with 4 digit weapon number

 

Original frog

canada no4 CA made serial.jpg (148706 bytes) 

canada no4 CA made general.jpg (331891 bytes)

canada no4 CA made.jpg (176100 bytes)

No4 made at time of Korean war, shows the CA mark of the Canadian Arsenal manufacturer

 

CHINA

Fixed folding bayonet

 

CYPRUS
 
Total length = mm                  Blade length =  Blade width =  MRD = 
c Czech scabbard, Yugoslavian Frog and UK No9 , markings EOKA indicate use by a Greek Cypriot group fighting the British in the 1960's


EIRE / SOUTHERN IRELAND
UK produced No9 issued to Irish troops with No4 rifle post WWII. Blade and scabbard have matching serials which match those of the rifle0

 

 

Matching serials

 

Makers marks and acceptance marks on press stud

 

 

EGYPT

UK 1876 modified to fit a Lee Enfield 303

 

 

Scabbard is brown leather with brass mounts

 

Egyptian markings on the blade

 

 

Egyptian markings on the blade two faces are marked

 

Bushed socket to fit 303

 

 

UK markings on the top of the blade

 

FINLAND

Scabbard for the Russian M91 Mosin Nagant, this has a stitched belt loop which is not normally seen

 

FRANCE

Chassepot Gendarmerie Socket, apparently the rarest of the three versions

Early MAS 36 bayonet without the later hole added to allow "joined'" rifles to be separated. The hole was added after trainees linked two rifles by using the bayonet catches

 

GERMANY

Russian 1891 Nagant bayonet with WWI  ersatz scabbard made for captured bayonets

 

Brass stud and separate throat

 

HOLLAND

 

First pattern Beaumont, 2nd pattern have a double ring

(thanks to Graham and Joop for the identification of this one 

 

INDIA

No4 made by the Northern Irish Baird company, the crown over IG is for Indian Government acceptance

 

Baird marking

 

Cancelled serial or is it an Indian serial

thanks to Michael Curran for pointing out the IG mark

 

IRAQ

US Savage made No4 with Iraq markings

 

ITALY

On of various fixed folding bayonets used by the Italians between 1916 and WWII, this one with the lever lock  is apparently one of the rarer types. The small hole in the ring that goes around the barrel is for a rivet to fix the bayonet on the barrel.

 


NEPAL

Modern copy of a Nepalese Kukhri bayonet, this is based on the real bayonet and not the fantasy piece found in Watts and White etc. Be wary of these coming on the market aged.

Points of note are machine cross hatching and welding on the shank 

 

PAKISTAN

Only a couple of these No9 were known about but recently there have been a couple on EBAY. The marking was un identified until it was pointed out that the mark was the same as on 1907's and it was noted that the old Indian MIL factory is now in Pakistan and is now the site of the POF. These must be early production as most blades are marked POF

UK No 9 made in the Pakistan Ordinance Factory after partition, identical to UK model except for markings

 

P.O.F.59 marking on locket

 

RHODESIA

FN FAL "Apple corer" web integral frog indicates its use by Rhodesia

 

SOUTH AFRICA

UK No4 MkII spike issued to South African forces, this bayonet was manufactured by the Long branch company of Canada

South African Mk9.jpg (111392 bytes)

UK Mk9 knife blade issued to SA forces blade still has original grease cover (not rust) 

SOUTH_AFRICA_No9.jpg (67331 bytes)

 A true No 9 South African with UZI style blade 

R4 bayonet, a modification of the FN FAL to fit the Gallil series of assault rifles, this is possibly the rarest of the production versions with only 1000 reputedly made

 

Modification consists of a new locking method using an extended bar locking approximately half way down the tube. Note South African acceptance mark on the "pommel"

 

A steel sleeve in the tube covers the flash ports in the original tube

 

SWEDEN

One of 224 FN FAL trials bayonets tested by Sweden in the 60's. This blade came with provenance showing it is one of the bayonets imported into the UK by Anthony Carter and sold in 1977, these blades are unmarked except for the frog wear

 

UNITED KINGDOM

Original Brown Bess socket bayonet

 

 

Blade is marked

 

early form socket without any locking ring as used on later sockets

UK constabluary.jpg (91866 bytes)

Constabulary Bayonet

uk 1843 blade marks.jpg (208123 bytes)uk 1843 blade socket marks.jpg (242840 bytes)uk 1843 blade socket.jpg (313767 bytes)

1845 F type Socket for the East India Company. the markings indicate it was:

2          2nd Quarter
1848    Year accepted into arsenal
GA       Grand Arsenal Bombay
 
28        28th Native Infantry
8          8th Company
54        Sepoy No.54

Many thanks to Jeff for the translation of the markings

UK P1853 enfield socket.jpg (49023 bytes) P1853 Enfield socket

 

1876 socket

 

Ricasso markings

 

 

Socket

 

Sold from Service mark on socket

1895 socket with 95 date, on ground ricasso, original marks have been removed

 

Actually a 76 modified (new made 95's are not common), you can just see the filled original slot

 

 

Much clearer slot filling on another 95

 

This one a 87 made 76 with a 96 conversion date

 

 

Difference in 76 (L) and 95(R) sockets

 

Scabbard leather is brown, with brass fittings

UK No4 MkI.jpg (73043 bytes) No4 MkI
UK No 4 MkII spike.jpg (58848 bytes) No4 MkII
UK No 4 MkII.jpg (55754 bytes) No 4 MkII
UK_No4MkII_by_savage.jpg (77085 bytes)

Another No4 MkII but this one made by Savage in the USA (1.25 million made so not rare, but the first I'd seen 

UK No 4 Mk11star.jpg (54499 bytes) No4 MkII*
UK No 4 MkIII spike.jpg (58831 bytes) No4 MkIII

Standard joke with the ball tipped No4's is "now to find scabbard" (HaHa) This has been got around on this item by using a much smaller ball and modifying the throat of the MkII scabbard to allow it to fit. Original bayonet is one of the Indian Government marked Baird made examples. It is not known when this was done or if it was for a military unit at all but makes an interesting discussion piece.

UK spike for Sten.jpg (53259 bytes) Sten Gun
uk no9 poole marking 1949.jpg (104409 bytes)

No9 MkI by Poole 1949 - close up on markings 

Victoria Plastics scabbard for No4, this is the riveted version, there is also a version with press stud attachment of the frog

 

Side view of VP scabbard
Chromed No9 for ceremonial work

 

 

Is the 1949 the date of chroming?

 

Heavily blancoed frog

 

 

Is TOPP 840 the troopers name and number?
UK_No9.jpg (95209 bytes)

No9 MkI Enfield made version 

UK Kukri.jpg (52357 bytes)

Kukri style bayonet (fake)

 

URUGUAY

UK 1853 modified to fit the German 1871 rifle. Conversion entails shortening the socket and adding a new locking ring (unfortunately this has been broken on this example). A similar conversion is also seen for Japan. The Japanese version uses a UK leather and steel scabbard, whilst the Uruguayan uses an ersatz style triangular metal scabbard

 

USA

Russia Mosin Nagant.jpg (51639 bytes)

Replica of Remington Socket

 

USSR

Sweden for Krag.jpg (45688 bytes)

1891/30 These usually come without scabbards as once fitted they were never removed from the rifles

WWII Ersatz socket bayonet uses the 91 Mosin Nagant socket with the SVT blade. reputedly these were made in Leningrad or Stalingrad during their respective sieges

 

Blade has a serial number and the Iveshk arsenal arrow mark, which may indicate that they were production items rather than cobbled together items

 

This blade has obviously been buried since it was lost in WWII and shows heavy pitting, the damage to the end of the socket includes loss of the locking ring