Swiss 1918/55 Bayonet

[Aragorn243]

I successfully won a Swiss 1918/55 bayonet on eBay today. A bayonet I didn't even know I needed until two days ago. Didn't know they existed. To have found one that quickly is rather amazing. Amateur bidders, I was watching two of them going up $2.50 bids all afternoon. Dead giveaway neither was bidding more than that. My bid was much higher than my winning bid but that was only $2.50 over their last one.

Apparently only about 13,000 of these made which is pretty low for bayonets. It's a 1918 bayonet with a heavier hilt.

If I can find my 1918 bayonet which I could not last evening, I will post the two of them together so you can see the difference once it arrives. Delivery will be a couple of weeks so I have time. Best way to describe it is the hilt looks pregnant compared to the standard.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Which one Steve, this one?

If so, I had one of those for ages. Long gone now though. Found out it almost fits the M1 rifle, just the ears on the gas cylinder lock holding it away. Apparently they used it for the pattern for the Krag bayonet, some even were machined to fit the Krag.

[Aragorn243]

That one looks like the standard 1918 bayonet. The difference is easy to see when they are together, a little harder when not. It was the earlier bayonet that was used as the pattern for the Krag. The one that had a groove.

[Aragorn243]

Home from work so I have some time. These images are from Worldbayonets.com

This is a Swiss 1918 bayonet:



This is a Swiss 1918/55 bayonet:



They don't seem to know why they changed the bayonets so late in the production series but they started late in 1955 around 250,000 serial number. Production of the K31 stopped in 1958 around 263,000 serial number. All 1918/55 bayonets are serial numbered within this range which makes it easier to identify if they are by themselves. As I said, I wasn't aware there was a change. I thought I had all the Swiss bayonets up to the current on and minus one or two variations of the sword style saw backs.

[browningautorifle]

The one that had a groove.

Right, that's right.

the one I posted is supposed to be the '18/'55 bayonet but perhaps they got it wrong. I don't know which mine was, marked Waffenfabrik Neuhausen but was the double edge like yours. I suspect it was the 1918 blade. It was perfect and I have no idea where it went...

[Aragorn243]

This is the one that I won. Is going to take longer than 2 weeks as I was notified they are sending it by ship due to Covid restrictions.

[browningautorifle]

Nice, nice, nice...so do you have the rifle or do you need to get that next?

[Aragorn243]

I have a K31 and two K11's so I'm good. Also have the 1881, 1889, 1896/11, 1911.

[Aragorn243]

Bayonet arrived yesterday. Took a bit longer than expected due to shipping.

[browningautorifle]

Gorgeous, muzzle ring looks to have a slight backwards incline...have you tried it on an M1 to see how close they come? Mine all but fit, really close. What a nice looking piece of ordnance that is.