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Remembered Today:

Unusual Bayonet


Guest Johnstokes

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Guest Johnstokes

I'm sorry the I don't have a photo, but I am trying to identify two identical bayonets.

They would be around 600mm long, and the shaft is a criss-cross - looking straight up the shaft from the pointy end, like a Phillips screwdriver. The blades are far from sharp - indeed they're very blunt. Even the pointy ends are blunt.

I am told they are Turkish bayonets, captured at Gallipoli.

Any thoughts as to what these might be?

Your input would be appreciated.

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A photo is needed but it sounds like a French Lebel 1886... There is, though, IIRC, a Belgian one with a similar blade.

Trajan

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Sounds to me like you may have some French "Lebel" bayonets (Modele 1886 Epee-baionette) Google that and see if they match.

Cheers, S>S

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There are no Turkish bayonets with a cruciform blade as described. The French M1886 Lebel is cruciform, having an overall length of 638 mm, unable to be specific without a photo. Are the grips of wood, brass or an alloy like material, any markings present? There are several websites devoted to bayonet identification, could be worth trying one of them.

Mike.

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There are no Turkish bayonets with a cruciform blade as described.

I wonder if there has been a twist in the story associated with these - perhaps French bayonets captured by the Turks at Gallipoli???!!!

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Equally, they could be captured Russian bayonets used by the Turks? I wonder if the handle looks like one of the two (not very good) attached photos?

Regards,

Michael.

post-53132-0-17120100-1421316857_thumb.j

post-53132-0-14882300-1421316870_thumb.j

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Equally, they could be captured Russian bayonets used by the Turks?

True, but I have seen any evidence for Turk use of Russian weapons = which of course does not mean that they never did! I have seen a few of those M-N socket jobs n Turkey, but all except one have come with Austrian or German scabbards...

Trajan

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If they are socket bayonets how about the bayonet for the Peabody Martini which the Turks adopted in the 1870s, that has a cruciform blade?

Mike

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We can only speculate until we get a response... I can't remember what my M-H sockets are like, in all honesty (back home on Monday so I'll look!), but the Russian M-N ones have a 'regular screwdriver' point not a 'Philips' version, as with the Lebel...

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Guest Johnstokes

Thanks greatly for all the responses.

I am going from memory here (always dangerous) but I believe the ends of them are like the second photo that you have posted Michael.

The bayonets are currently in my brother's possession in a different city, and I shall ask him to photograph them, which I'll post here.

John Stokes

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Well, on what we know so far, sounds like these are bayonets for the Russian Mosin-Nagant M.i891 rifle, and this comes in two principal types: the GW-period one is a simple socket bayonet; but the inter-war and WW2 version has a spring-loaded push-button to secure the bayonet to a rifle. When you get a chance to look then compare with what is shown in a couple of good pages on these, e.g., at: http://www.old-smithy.info/bayonets/mosin%20nagant/mosin-nagant.htm, and http://www.mosinnagant.net/ussr/MosinBayonetsFromJPS.asp

Trajan

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