film prop but what was it before?

[timeout]

I bought this from the States from a auction house in error. As I clicked my offer I noticed it said film prop MGM. It was not much so let the offer stand. Now I have it I find that it has been over stamped with MGM but has some other marks which I am struggling with. I have Graham Priest book "Socket Bayonets" but cant find the same in there. .


On the racasso with the blade pointing up could be GH or LH or EH

Above the elbow = 771 deeply stamped, below that a three lobed crown, below that BE


on the locking ring number 5


The mouth of the socket is a little different to what I have seen before and could not see it in Graham's book.

MGM stamp


I thought it might be a Model1873 but not sure now so any help would be welcome I am away for a few days so will not be able to answer any questions until Friday.....paul.

Information

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[Flying10uk]

It looks like it could be a Martini 1876 or modified version of it but we need to know the blade length and an overall length to help identify it, please. I take it that the blade is of triangular section?

[marysdad]

The blade shoulder is not British. The markings and face flute are more consistent with something that would have been produced by the Liege, Belgium export trade. I have a U.S. M1873 that was a MGM prop.

USA - 18th and 19th Century Bayonets

[gsimmons]

It looks like a bayonet for a Belgian or French .69 cal. Musket. I have one similar that fits both my Belgian smoothbore and French rifled musket. Thousands of these muskets were imported for the American civil war.

[timeout]

As asked for by Flying10UK....paul

[Flying10uk]

It's far too short to be a Martini 1876 bayonet unless it has been significantly reduced in length. Perhaps some-one can I.D. it with the dimensions given?

[Gil Boyd]

Knowing where it was when you got it, I would have to go with the tooth pick for the Lorenz rifle which was imported into the States during the Civil War by both the North and South in hundreds of thousands of rifles coming only second to the Parker Hale Enfield Musket in .577, so in short, the numbering fits also with Belgium and also the crown IMHO.
Over to the experts!

[green]

IIRC the Lorenz bt had a quadrangular blade and a slanted locking slot.

[Gil Boyd]

What lends itself to the European shores is the deep set numbering and royal crown.
Where else can one look to see those symbols repeated around the globe?

[Flying10uk]

It seems a relatively short blade; has it been shortened or had the end broken off I wonder???