No.7Mk1/L Bayonet with Black Grips?

[bearhunter]

Thanks Peter, I should have checked out that information on the cut down further. I've seen others with the same set up. I will look further into it as I also remember a pic of the combination. Maybe it was on an EE.
I checked a few sites and there is no mention of the cut down scabbard on any of them.
Thanks again

[bearhunter]

all right, check out collectorssource.ca

They have the same scabbard on a No7 bayonet I'm talking about. They call it a No7L Land Use. That's a new one on me too. They have a couple of others there as well. They also have pics of what they sell

[Douglas Kerley]

collectorssource.ca says," Lee Enfield No. 7 bayonet, Black Handle, with frog, BA323 $295.00
Add to Cart
No. 7 bayonets with black handle are uncommon and were used for dress or parade use by specific regiments. This one is EXC condition and includes wide web frog coloured white." Comments? Thanks Doug

[Peter Laidler]

The black and brown paxolin grips were issued under the same part number and it really was just pot luck as to whatever colour came through the Ordnance system. It was nothing to do with whatever unit they were issued to....the UK Military really doesn't work like that!

The No5 bayonet grips were another good example. You got boxes of left side one-hole grips and two-hole right side grips and vice verca because the part/stock number was the same. You just had to match them up. It was OK when thimgs were plentiful but when times were hard and spares short, you just patched up the wood grips and made do.

Black No7 grips might be more scarce outside in civilian life but in the service, while there were less, they certainly weren't rare by any means.

There was a bit of a myth that the black early 80's eye caps for the L42 were a special issue for Marines................ NOT so. Just another batch that came into the system, allowing a manufacturer to make the best use of his materials.

[bearhunter]

The pics didn't come with it but if you go to their site there is a pic. Note first item of 3 and prices.

Mine obviously isn't the only one set up like this. Is there any reason for this to happen? Besides being the work of bubba? The French cut down a lot of P17 scabbards and bayonets to make crude fighting knives, is this a possibility, or was the British system rigid about their issue?


Lee Enfield No. 7 bayonet $235.00 Add to Cart
British No. 7 Mark 1/L, for LAND USE. For Lee Enfield No. 4 Rifle, rotating red fibre bakelite handle. Shortened Pattern 1907 steel mounted leather scabbard. VG+
BA 238 Lee Enfield No. 7 bayonet, BA238 $205.00 Add to Cart
British No. 7 Mark 1/L, for LAND USE. For Lee Enfield No. 4 Rifle, rotating red fibre bakelite handle, steel scabbard. VG condition with traces of original military black paint. EXC condition scabbard
BA 323 Lee Enfield No. 7 bayonet, Black Handle, with frog, BA323 $295.00 Add to Cart
No. 7 bayonets with black handle are uncommon and were used for dress or parade use by specific regiments. This one is EXC condition and includes wide web frog coloured white.

[Douglas Kerley]

Anybody want to trade one of these for Axis or Central Powers stuff I like? Mine is excellent, unsharpened, but maybe 5% staining on the blade. Doug

[Peter Laidler]

The very reason why the No7 and No9 bayonets were sold scabbardless is because we kept them to use with the L1A1 bayonets that were replacing them. In much the same way as the leather Grenade Launcher frogs were scarce....., because they were retained for use with the L1A1 rifle grenade launcher and when the new webbing came out, with a small pocket for it, they languished in quartermaster stores and were then scrapped locally!

Anyway, that's the reason why the big retailers try to sell you these bayonets with cut down SMLE and other scabbards. It's a load a bxxxxxxs. No7 and 9 bayonets only come with No5 scabbards

If I remember rightly, there were two sorts of scabbard. The Mk1 variant that was made on cycle frame rolling machinery that needed a small oval end to be brazed in place. I won't go into why, but.............. And the much later 50's era Mk2 type that was hot rolled all the way down and didn't need an end stopper. There was also two types of mouthpiece. The brass and folded steel type. The 6BA hole in the steel version would strip easily and so was immediately unserviceable but the stripped brass version was brazed over, redrilled and re-tapped

There, another useless bit of Lee Enfield rubbish.

[Douglas Kerley]

Not Useless Information! You were there. You saw it in operation. Who would know better that you of the minutia of this stuff? I am deep into the minutia of the Axis and Central Power stuff. I always found it weird that all Japanese T30 bayonets fit on all weapons from 1897 to 1945 but all scabbards did not fit on all bayonets.

Anybody got a clue as to what these markings are supposed to be and mean? Thanks Doug

The very reason why the No7 and No9 bayonets were sold scabbardless is because we kept them to use with the L1A1 bayonets that were replacing them. In much the same way as the leather Grenade Launcher frogs were scarce....., because they were retained for use with the L1A1 rifle grenade launcher and when the new webbing came out, with a small pocket for it, they languished in quartermaster stores and were then scrapped locally!

Anyway, that's the reason why the big retailers try to sell you these bayonets with cut down SMLE and other scabbards. It's a load a bxxxxxxs. No7 and 9 bayonets only come with No5 scabbards

If I remember rightly, there were two sorts of scabbard. The Mk1 variant that was made on cycle frame rolling machinery that needed a small oval end to be brazed in place. I won't go into why, but.............. And the much later 50's era Mk2 type that was hot rolled all the way down and didn't need an end stopper. There was also two types of mouthpiece. The brass and folded steel type. The 6BA hole in the steel version would strip easily and so was immediately unserviceable but the stripped brass version was brazed over, redrilled and re-tapped

There, another useless bit of Lee Enfield rubbish.

[Douglas Kerley]

I guess that nobody does. Nobody here wants this either. So, off to Ebay. Last hour of the auction and it's up to $170. 35 watchers 18 bids We will see what the last min. snipers come up with. Sarco sent me two pig sticker spikes with scabbards instead of the scabbards for these I ordered. I called them and asked about the scabbards and they said that they had them and would ship them to me when I returned the dumb spikes. They would not allow me to buy two scabbards and have them sent out next day and just have the money reposted to my account when they got the return back. I give up. I'll just talk it out with the winner.

Anybody got an extra No.1 Mk3 1907 pattern bayonet grip screw they want to sell to me? I just hate to give Sarco any more business. Thanks All, Doug

[Douglas Kerley]

Nobody here has a loose screw? Doug