Commercial Sterling SMG Bayonet Circa 1980

[Simon P]

Images of a commercial Un-Issued Sterling SMG Bayonet manufactured by Sterling Armaments in Dagenham approximatly 1980.

The only marking is "STERLING" etched in the fuller.

Attachment 14512Attachment 14513Attachment 14514

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[browningautorifle]

And there's the metal grip scales that Peter Laidler was speaking of...

[Peter Laidler]

That's them Simon and BAR. The rivets were called 'RIVETS, tubular, aircraft' but they were a pig to get right in the press so they were called RIVETS, tubular, awful. And the name stuck!

[nzl1a1collector]

Those will be L1A1 bayonet (L1A1, L1A2, L1A3, L1A4) grips used on the SMG bayonets?

The rivets look very L1A4-ish to me.

Are they using 'C'ast Pommels and cross-pieces?

[Peter Laidler]

Cast crosspieces NZ? For the strength and by the grotty sheared-off appearance I suspect that they are punch-pressed. If I see one I'll do the metallurgy for interest sake. Give me a month.....................

[nzl1a1collector]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Peter, come close and let me introduce you to a juicy tid-bit of information that you might not be aware of.

On certain parts manufactured for the L1A1 rifle and L1A3/L1A4 bayonets and various accessories you can sometimes find an impressed 'C' in the part indicating the part has been produced from a Casting. The 'C' can be found on Pommels, Crosspieces, Hythe Sight leafs, L1A1 Selectors, Bolt Holding Open feet, IWS brackets, SUIT Sight T-mounts etc. Its probably the same casting process (investment?) used to make the L85A1 bayonets.

I would take some pics but I broke my camera over the weekend.

Now I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

[Peter Laidler]

Oh yea of little faith NZ.......... I know all about the little cast C but never saw such a badge or mystic sign on a crosspiece. Maybe it's because we didn't have cast crosspieces only punched and pressed steel. Sterling used cast return spring caps on the L2A3 SMG's too but they were prone to crack around the tri-lock lugs.

[nzl1a1collector]

I thought you would of known of the casting mark

I have examples of L1A3 Bayonets with both the 'waisted' and straight crosspieces that are cast. I was wondering if they also went that way with SMG bayonet crosspieces and pommels?

[Peter Laidler]

On the subject of the straight sided crosspieces for the L1A3/4 bayonets, there was even a relaxation in standards order for these too. I seem to remember that they came about in the mid to late 70's and they were the usual relaxation criteria, to allow the manufacturer to make the best use of his resources while not affecting in any way the standard of the equipment -, in this case, the bayonet. I think about 1,300 were contracted for plus another 500 a little while later and the REME Inspectorate teams (later MAG's) issued a small note to the effect that these 'straight sided' bayonets were being introduced into the VAOS system alongside the 'norm'. No part number change either

But, while I don't think I looked very hard at them, I don't think I ever noticed a 'C' casting mark on the crosspiece. If you have an example of a 'C' mark on an L1A3 bayonet crosspiece NZ, it'd be interesting. The straight sided crosspiece didn't see the light of day on the No5 bayonets though. Certainly not in the UK Military.

Anyway all you Bayonet collecting fiends, in a roundabout way, there's the reason why and the quantities of some L1A3 bayonets have straight sided crosspieces. Another useless bit of Lee Enfield information

[nzl1a1collector]

This is the earliest L1A3 bayonet I have seen so far with Cast components on it. It has a Cast 'waisted' crosspiece. The bayonet is a 1962 Enfield.
Crosspiece marking (Right side)


Crosspiece marking (Left side)


Grip marking


Pommel marking


Blade marking



Crosspiece marking (Right side)


Crosspiece marking (Left side)


Grip marking


Pommel marking


Top to Bottom
[b]L1A3 BSA 1961
L1A3 Enfield 1962
L1A3 Enfield 1967 (short fuller)
L1A4 Hopkins? 1977 (<H> 77)