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I acquired a No.5 bayonet with scabbard that does not have the hole in the pommel as in the British version. I'm not sure if this Indian version is legit even though it's condition appears to be a valid RFI bayonet and marked as such. Any thoughts about the non-drilled hole in the pommel.
Any chance of posting some photos?
It looks/sounds like one of the Indian made ones, produced for the repro/fake market. They were available quite cheaply in the UK a year or so ago and the nearest they've been to RFI is that they both originate from somewhere in India!. The blade steel seems to be made from old bicycle tyres!
From wha tI have seen the lack of a cleaning hole is pretty indicitive of a fake No5. also the bluing is very black and not consisitent with any other RFI made bayonets, at least those I have seen.
I am not sure if I have ever seen a real No5 made by RFI
I was thinking about these Indian No.5 Bayonets after seeing one on another board marked RFI-77 and that got me wondering. Could these bayonets in fact not be for the No. 5 Lee Enfield but in fact made solely for their version of the Stirling SMG !
All of these would then be late production bayonets and very possibly be simplified with the oil hole missing and different finished compared to any 'original' WW2/Post War British bayonet.
Just a thought.
The 'oil hole' that runs across the end of the mortice slot in the pommel isn't an oil hole as such but just a hole that you can push an old wire coathanger through to clear the old gunge/rubbish/sand that prevents the bayonet being clicked into place.
Hear what you're saying above KtK, but the No5 and Sterling are both still (?) in service in India and both have identical fittings so the bayonets are the same. The RFI bayonets are usually good quality steel. It's the non marked bayonets made for the repro marked that seem to have blades made from old tyres!
Possibly a Windlass Steelcrafts product:
Jungle Carbine Bayonet
They do a number of repro bayonets.