Pattern-1903 Bayonet

[TomcatPC]

Hello

I have this Pattern-1903 Bayonet that I found last year. I think this was converted from a Pattern-1888 Bayonet. I heard that some of these were converted in India shorty before the War?, do this appear to be this case with mine? I tried to get a decent shot of the markings "left over" from the pre-converted blade and I could not get a decent shot of it. From what I can tell, it is 9?, but the markings are very shallow.

Also, do I have the correct scabbard? I got the bayonet and scabbard at different times.

Thanks

Mark

An attempt to get the markings of what I think is the Indian Broad Arrow and bend test marking.

And the photo of the dates, that turned out badly. Still getting used to taking photos.

Thanks

Mark

[smleenfield]

Look on the end of the pommel below the slot and see if there is a RFI stamp. Many of the Indian conversions has this marking. The scabbard is a correct land pattern scabbard.

[shippingsteel]

It is an Indian P1903 as it has the inspection marks on the ricasso, and looks to have been converted from an existing P'88 blade (I agree it has a '9X date mark)

I don't believe they made any new P1903's in India so all of those you see now have been converted and reworked at some time, with the blued blade a good sign.

The scabbard is also an Indian pattern so I guess it probably is correct for an Indian P1903, but you couldn't really say the same if it was for a British issue bayonet.

Cheers, S>S