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What's this Enfield bayonet please?
Hi everyone,
I'm a newbie here and this is my first post. I'm embarrassed to say I joined just to ask about this bayonet but having looked about the site I might try and find the time to stay a member. Any how to the bayonet.
Known history is that it belonged to my Granddad who fought in the army and royal flying corps (observer) in WWI. Where he got it from I have no idea. I first saw it about 35 yrs ago & after he'd died and it was then as it is now. It came to me about 10yrs ago.
I've googled ' Enfield bayonets' and am none the wiser. It has some similarities with the P1903 lee enfield and what I've gleaned from the few markings they support this. One side is marked E.R. beneath a crown which supports an Edwardian date. No other marks this side. The other side is marked EFD beneath the broad arrow and just above the grip is a small crown with C6 or CG or G6 below and another? undecipherable mark just below that. Other marks are an L (land forces?) on the back of the tang and on the scabbard (on the leather) a crown over ER over 7. There are a couple of other marks on the leather but too faint to make out. The throat of the chape has a serial number? 1167 X. That's it marking wise. I have no idea if it ever had a cross guard. The scales have some age & extend over the area it should occupy. Unfortunately the pommel end has been saw off. The shape of the grip and scabbard chape fit well with the P1903 as does the centre ridge part of the blade, but the drain hole is rather too near the wood, from what I've seen so far and that clipped point! This isn't a P1903 that's had a nose job, lease ways not a cheap grind on one anyway. Why not? I hear you ask. Look at the centre ridge line, it curves up following the cutting edge. There's not the metal to do that by grinding from a straight centre ridge.
I did, tentatively, try to the grips off to look for more markings but the screws wouldn't budge. I'll try again if you chaps think it might be worth it. Well that's it. I'm all ears - well eyes then.
Now lets see if I can do the pic's. Gosh, success?
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06-17-2014 05:03 PM
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Looks like a very chopped pattern 03 to me from the shape of the blade. But give a soldier a hacksaw and anything is possible
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Legacy Member
It's a fighting knife made from a model 1888 bayonet.
---------- Post added at 04:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:27 PM ----------
He beat me to it
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Advisory Panel
I tend to agree with an 1888 pattern. But, who knows? When it was made they may still have been everywhere? And an armorer may have done it for him...
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Contributing Member
I will back Peter L on this it one is a cut down somewhat 03 as the 1888 had brass riveted hand grips and not the cross bolt and nut through the handle guess they modified it out the of need to get close and personal with the enemy in the trench or at night yikes:
Last edited by CINDERS; 06-19-2014 at 01:16 AM.
Reason: deleted wording
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Advisory Panel
Cinders is right, that Peter is right...I went to look at Old smithy's site and he has the 1903 there and the 1888 above it... BAyonet Collection Presentation This page. Kind of a rough job though. I'd have left the quillon there...and pommel...
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Thanks everyone. Consensus is that it's a chopped P '03. I find BAR Jim's suggestion that it was done by an armourer most interesting. The point clip, if that's not it's original shape, has been done very well and the armourer route is a convincing explanation for what appear to be it's original extended scales. The sawn off pommel could have occurred at any time later. I'll try and get the scales off soon and see what's beneath.
Thanks again all.
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Advisory Panel

Originally Posted by
Buntline
Jim's suggestion that it was done by an armourer
I was being a smart @rse...that was a toss at Peter, but he didn't bite. Hard to say who did it. But realisticly, the work would be done by armorers or somewhere in workshop...
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Interesting idea, no matter how it came about. I'll try and get those scales off over the weekend, see if that tell me more.
Jim.
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grips away
Got the scales off. Here's the pic's. I've had a much more careful look at it again & am sure it's what it looks like & has been telling me - a chopped '03. Who ever did it went to a lot of trouble blending that mid rib into the point not to mention getting a snug fit of the custom scales around the step in the metal where the quillon was removed. Then someone (surely not the same person?) hacked the pommel off! New markings found are 1 & 03 beneath the crown & ER (under the scales in front of the quillon scar) & 6 (or 9) near the rear scales screw hole. I'm taking 03 as 1903. 1 is ? On the other side & dotted about under the scales are N, Q, O, U and a circle (near the Pommel). There are also, smaller and fainter, a small crown (?) over a 2 over M. Above the quillon scar but under the wood is an X (bend proof?) and the other letter in the group C6 or CG etc is an E (Enfield inspection mark?). Comments if you will? Thanks again. Jim.
Last edited by Buntline; 06-22-2014 at 01:08 PM.