[/COLOR]I collected bayonets for 20 years and have spent the last 50 years trying to match up my bayonets with each's rifle. THAT'S how I wound up with 5 #4s. THEN, I realized that 2 of my 1017 bayonets were Mk III bayonets.[/QUOTE]
Mark,
Thanks for your query, it does help with knowledge sharing.
I'll help you with one little piece of advice: Despite the United States' preference for that hash mark (#) it means nothing in the world of British
Commonwealth Military equipment. Pedantic? Maybe. Correct? Quite.
So the SHT.L.E (or Short Lee Enfield Rifle) became the Rifle, No 1 Mk III and the Mk III*
The Pattern 14 became (post 1926 nomenclature) the Rifle, No 3 Mk 1 and the Mk 1*
The next 'in service' rifle was the Rifle, No 4 Mk 1 The North American produced rifles were called the No 4 Mk 1* (both Canadianand US)
The subtle, but important element of each of these naming conventions is the use of No and never #
So while you're on a steep learning curve and diminishing your apparent 'ignorance' there's another little criticality that arms you with superior knowledge to the mob.
Hope that is of interest to you and others.![]()