Enfield No9Mk1

While perusing at my favorite local antique store this weekend I came across this No9Mk1 bayonet. Two things caught my attention on this bayonet. First, it was British manufactured and not Pakistani (most what we find in the Pacific Northwest). And 'B', it had a scabbard! Never seen a No9 with a scabbard out here. The blade was well covered in a greasy preservative much like axle grease and the outside had a harder sticky preservative much like a thin layer of cosmoline. There is no wear on the finish, almost like it was never issued. Enfield stamp and dated 1954. Well, it followed me home and here's some pictures.

BEAR
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Awesome find!

It looks good. That has been hiding somewhere for a while. Nice find.

A good buy, in a very desirable condition.

The reason why you usually find zillions of these No7 and 9 bayonets WITHOUT scabbards is because when the unit was issued with its compliment of L1A1 rifles in the late 50's until the mid to late 60's, they were also issued with the bayonets too. The existing No7 or 9 bayonets were returned but the scabbards were used for the new-issue L1A1 bayonets. So the No7 and 9's were returned to Ordnance for disposal - scabbard-less!

But there was a problem that took a couple of years to remedy. That's because a LOT of the smaller units only had No4 type bayonets......, without No5 scabbards! So for a few years these small units had L1A1 rifles without scabbards until production was upped to cater for them. In the meantime, an order was issued that the No5 bayonets and scabbards issued with the L2A3 Sterling guns were to remain.

It wasn't that simple either........ Because neither were there sufficient L1A1 Energa grenade launchers available either! Later, a similar situation arose when the No4 launcher was fully withdrawn.......except that the leather case remained for the L1A1 type.

But t all worked out well in the end. What the confusion DID ensure was that Armourers managed to squirrel away '..... one or two....' as a form of '..future currency...'

There, another view of things as they really were

As a matter of interest, even while I was attached to an Infantry unit in the mid 60's, while the L1A1/No4 replacement programme was almost at the end, while we were knee deep in No4 and 9 bayonets, There were very few No7 bayonets in the system. The attrition/failure rate of the rotating pommel mechanism had seen to that. I did find a few that others had mistakenly set aside because they thought that they were for the L2A3 Sterlings! Naturally, I set them aside....... for a rainy day!

Bear; that's a good looking bayonet.
I have a couple of No9 Bayonets with scabbards that I picked up in a small collection of bayonets a few years ago.
I did not realise that they were dificult to find with scabbard.

Maybe not so hard in Europe but in the Pacific Northwest, USA I have never seen a scabbard with a No9 until this one came along.
This particular bayonet will be a Christmas present for my son since he collects Enfield rifles.

BEAR

Just trying to go off of memory and that's often not a good idea but aren't the South African No9's shaped different with a different shaped scabbard? I never took photos of mine and have no idea where it is at the moment. Bowie blade verses spear tip and a round ball on the end of the scabbard.

I have a Poole No.9 with brass throated steel scabbard.
Here is a link on then for those that may wish to have a guide as to types and manufactured No.s.
The British No. 9 Bayonet and Foreign Copies

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

aren't the South African No9's shaped different with a different shaped scabbard?

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Yes, they used the FN FAL blade and scabbard. Spear point blade and false edge with small scabbard, ball finial and long frog stud.

What is interesting about the S-African No9 is that at Warminster we had an UZI with the barrel machined to accept a No9 bayonet. Never seen -or heard of one - since. But clearly, it was a factory job and not a saw-and-file job. I just assumed that it was South African because I had seen SA No9 bayonets and realised that SA used the Uzi It also seemed like an obvious choice for SA too, being prolific users of No4 type bayonets too

Like this?

My Poole No 9, has a brass throated scabbard these have crept up in price now.
Poole made 200,000 No.9's so not overly rare but still the type is not often seen in any great numbers.

Apparently I have a twin to bears original post. I've had this forever can't remember exactly how long. Picked it up where I purchased most of my web gear. I grabbed it for little more than pocket change not long after picking up my Maltby. I figured it was a good match not realizing it was 13 years newer. Seems to be in unissued condition. It looks like the mouth of the scabbard is made of copper and the scabbard is definitely directional. It's been on display with my other bayonets since.
Just noticed with the photo from underneath that there's still some cosmolene in it.

Edit: I'm on the other side of the US from him and yet we've found the exact same thing in virtually the same condition decades apart, strange.

I never really understood why the No9 blade was attached to the socket by 2x rivets over a large area and always remained as tight as a drum, whereas;
The No7 bayonet blade was attached to the sleeve (to which the pommel was attached and rotated) was attached by 4x rivets over a relatively small area and were constantly loose. A real PITA

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

The No7 bayonet blade was attached to the sleeve (to which the pommel was attached and rotated) was attached by 4x rivets over a relatively small area and were constantly loose. A real PITA

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That whole thing acted like a loose assembly. All of it. I can only imagine how the bayonet attack course would loosen things up.