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I think that neither Long Branch nor Stevens-Savage made any of the cruciform bladed bayonets for the No. 4 Mk. I rifles that they they were producing in 1941-1942. I have two British made cruciform examples in my collection, but have never seen or heard of examples of Stevens-Savage or Long Branch made cruciform bladed No. 4 MK. I bayonets. Can anyone confirm that it was ONLY the British who made the cruciform blade?
Only Singer were awarded the contract and supplied 75,000 of the Mk 1's the contract was signed on 9th June 1941 but it was certain that the work started before this date Source Skennertons Small Arms Series The British Spike Bayonet (Page - 12) the official approval for the MKI was 15th Nov 1939 (Page - 18) this figure does not include the 1050 trials Cruciforms made for the Mk VI rifle at RSAF (Page - 19)
Yep the one I owe says Singer on it....wish I would have bought more "back in the day"
There you go Colin, like we talked about, like we thought...
Apparently India 'made' some early this century. They were a special hybrid mix based on Mk2's and Mk2/1's - for the collectors out there! Buyer beware once again
There's a photo or two that shows them fitted to MkI Long Branch rifles IIRC.Quote:
Originally Posted by Seaforth72
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...Branchvi-1.jpg
As a side note to this, I had the good fortune to pay peanuts for a British mk2 spike for my Maltby from a UK Militaria business, only to have one of the rare Canadian Arsenals post war example delivered, result, only 5,000 made, it's by far the rarest of the bunch!
Some of the fake No4 Mk1 bayonets that have been made out of MK2 or MK2* versions are so poorly done that they are comical to look at. The most amusing example that I have seen so far, offered for sale on a well known internet auction site, had clearly been made from a MK2* bayonet. The cruciform blade had been carefully "hand crafted" with an angle grinder with apparently a few slips/mishaps with the said angle grinder which perhaps added a little character and patina. Unfortunately, the "craftsman" had made the school boy error of forgetting to change the designation stamped on the socket and so it still read No4 MK2*.
Incredibly, this bayonet was actually sold, perhaps to an unsuspecting collector, and if I remember correctly I think it was in the region of £70.
I picked one up from a pile of junk at the War and Peace show. I was approached by some wannabe SS trooper who said it was no good as it had been messed about with. He did not have a clue about the Mark 1. He said it was mine for a fiver. Someone who walks around dressed like those thugs deserves no mercy, so I gave him the money and ran. It is pristine and genuine.
Are postwar Canadian examples marked differently, either by markings or finish?Quote:
Originally Posted by mrclark303