British L3A1 Bayonet.

[Time Bandit]

Daft question time...

Did the issue L3A1 bayonet and its L1A2 scabbard have any issue markings on them? I can't say I've seen one with any markings on them, no NSN, no dates, no makers details, nowt on them at all but I've no idea if these are issue items or just commercial items released onto the market by the makers for whatever reason...always seem to be a lot of near new/ mint condition ones on the market and I'm sure I saw somewhere the MoD don't release surplus weapons/bayonets onto the collectors market anymore which also made me think they are not from the MoD?

Information

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[Aussie48]

Don't know about the English ones but the Australian ones certainly didn't have any markings at all, you might have an Aussie one?

[Time Bandit]

Don't know about the English ones but the Australian ones certainly didn't have any markings at all, you might have an Aussie one?

Thanks for the reply!
However I think you might be mixed up with the older L1A1/2/3/4 type bayo for the SLR? (I do actually have an unmarked Aussie L1A2 bayonet).
I'm meaning the current issue bayonet (the ugly looking bayo!!!) for the L85/SA80. That said I know nowt about Aussie weaponery so maybe they also currently use the L3A1??

Cheers.

[Peter Laidler]

The only markings on the SA80 bayonets were on those manufactured during the trials period and the 85/86 batches which were serially numbered. However, the serial numbers were not to a rifle, just a number for control purposes on the bayonet.

Anyone out there got a serially numbered one to show the bandit?

I did manage to match one up VERY closely with a rifle by serial number once. I think it was UE86A00868 and bayonet 86/886

BUT there is something that you should be aware of. It was permitted for security reasons, for units to mark a 'rack' number in what we called 'scratchy-pen' (a sort of vibro pencil) or an electric pencil on a flat surface close to the spring loaded catch. We were not permitted to stamp or punch the number in case it dented or cracked the steel - or blunted the marker stamps! So if you see a number there, you know that it has been 'liberated' by some means....... There, another useless bit of Enfield info that not a lot of people know about!

[gsimmons]

Attachment 51048

[Peter Laidler]

I knew someone would come up trumps.......... Thanks Gary. I seem to think that these are quite rare now and highly prized. I had a drawer full of these serially numbered bayonets, taken over from the REME Capt 1/c the Trials Team section. In all states of repair and condition. Some were even ground away where the old bottle opener used to be..

I think I have mentioned it here somewhere, but the original SA80 bayonet design had a bottle opener that cost thousands upon thousands of £££££'s to develop. Major Joel put a stop to the whole stupid palava by stating the bleedin' obvious on several counts. First he said that everyone had a jack-knife that already had a tin AND bottle opener on it. b) everyone had a 'stable-belt', the buckle of which could be used to open a bottle. c) If these were insufficient, it would still cost less to give everyone a Leatherman/Gerber multi tool and d) In his years, he's never seen a report of a death, serious or even slight injury of a soldier being caused by not being able to open a bottle of water!

It was quietly dropped!

[Time Bandit]

Thanks very much for the info and the pic.

One more daft question then...

Why no markings on the 'production' bayonets? Just curious as most other UK military equipment seems to have some sort of markings on it, be it a date, a NSN (or a partial one), a makers name/code or an inspectors mark or whatever. Is it just a case of it was deemed unnecessary or some other reason?

Cheers!!

[Peter Laidler]

When something is clearly 'what it is' they decide that any further identification is an academic exercise in wasting time/money

[Time Bandit]

When something is clearly 'what it is' they decide that any further identification is an academic exercise in wasting time/money

Aye, I guess so!!

[gsimmons]

When has that ever stopped them(wasting time/money)?