Long Lee Enfield P1888 bayonet

[rayg]

Picked this bayonet up for $35 at the SOS show for my Long Lee with the cleaning rod. I cleaned it up a bit but needs a little more work but I just spotted a couple of M1888 bayonets for sale on another site and noticed they didn't have a hole in the handle like the one I have. I'm guessing this is a drain hole for the extended cleaning rod hole. Is there a 1st and second pattern of these bayonets? One with the cleaning rod hole and one without the hole or was this hole added later? Ray

Information

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[jona]

There were 3 main types of the P-88 bayonet. The one you have is the most common and the one correct for the Long Lee with a clearing rod.

[rayg]

Thanks jona. I guess I was just lucky as it was purely by accident that it was the one for the cleaning rod as I didn't know there were different models.
I really wanted one with a scabbard but for $35 I figured it would do until I find one with a scabbard, Ray

[bigduke6]

Picked this bayonet up for $35 at the SOS show for my Long Lee with the cleaning rod. I cleaned it up a bit but needs a little more work but I just spotted a couple of M1888 bayonets for sale on another site and noticed they didn't have a hole in the handle like the one I have. I'm guessing this is a drain hole for the extended cleaning rod hole. Is there a 1st and second pattern of these bayonets? One with the cleaning rod hole and one without the hole or was this hole added later? Ray

Looking at the markings on the pommel, idicate it was issued to the Royal Artillary, RGA (Royal garrison Artillary) am looking for one with Royal Artillary or Royal Engineers markings to go on .303 Martini Henry carbine i picked up the other day.

Going by memory yours is a Mk1 second pattern, The Mk 2 had the oil/clearence hole in the Pommel because the cleaning rods became redundant , the one you realy want is a Mk1 first pattern this had three rivots for the handles would cost a bit more than $35.

[rayg]

My rifle is a Long Lee Enfield MkI, 1896 not a Metford, sorry I didn't make that clear. Because it's an later Enfield, would the MkI 2nd pattern bayonet then be more correct? Ray

[bigduke6]

Rayg,
Sorry for the confusion, I understood your rifle is a Long Lee, and you do have the correct bayonet.

I am just after another 1888 bayonet with the Royal Artillary markings or Royal engineers as the type of Martini i have is a carbine (.303) but has the full stock without the middle band and the same nose cap as the Long Lee.
From what i read it was issued to Engineers and Artillary even during WW1, and uses the 1888 style of bayonet. see pics below.

[Terrylee]

The Pattern 1888 bayonets. Top to bottom:

Mk. I, 1st Model

Mk.I, 2nd Model

Mk.II

Mk.III

Mk.III, South African - note absence of clearing hole and rough finish.

[bigduke6]

Nice collection Terrylee, if you ever feel the need to part with Mk 1 Patt 1, let me know.

[bizonsd10]

I have a long lee from 1896. It is a Lee Metford. It is complete with cleaning rod and I'd like to find a bayonet for it. Does anyone know where I might find one? I'm new to the Enfield Rifle world and this site

[Fred G.]

You want a MkI 2nd model for your rifle. Whether it has Enfield rifling or Metford rifling, it was made in 1896 and therefore was made with the clearing (not cleaning) rod and so will require the bayonet with the clearance hole in the grips. This hole intersects with the end of the channel within the bayonet's handle that allowed the clearing rod to slide up into when the bayonet was mounted. the hole is meant to push somethiing through in order to clear out any built up soil or obstructions that accumulate in the channel. After May something of 1899, this channel within the bayonets was left out because the rifles made after this date (now designated MLE Mk I* or CLLE Mk I* or CLLM Mk I*) were no longer made or issued with the rods. All rifles that had clearing rods had them removed shortly thereafter (and thrown away. Sigh...). So, a Mk II or Mk III bayonet wouldn't fit on your rifle unless you first removed the clearing rod. The Mk I 1st and 2nd model bayonets were meant to fit onto the Early unmodified Metfords and the later updated pattern MLE Mk I. However, they could and were also mounted on any rifle that didn't have or was never made with a clearing rod. Now, about the clearing vs cleaning rod thing, The early Metfords had a much longer rod with a different head that was actually a CLEANING rod. When the rifle design was changed, the rods were shortened to 17 inches and were intended to be used only for driving out stuck cartridge cases from the rifles by screwing two together and ramming it down the muzzle against the stuck case. At this time, the head was altered to facilitate grasping and turning with the fingers and was no longer designed to hold a cleaning patch. You probably already know this but someone else might not and so I wanted to cover it here. Fred