ERA Fatboy & 1917 Bayonet

[StAubyns]

Yesterday I purchased an ERA P14 fatboy and it came with a 1917 bayonet. It also came with 50 rounds of ammunition to try it out with

It has not been through the Weedon process as it is complete with its windage sights.

Here are some photographs

Bayonet

The rifle

Any information to be gleaned from the photos would be much appreciated.

regards

Geoff

[4thGordons]

I think the volley sights are probably a restoration Geoff.

The six pointed star and U stamp on the bottom of the pistol grip is a "Weedon" mark - it is the letter code for Purdy and Son (the famous gunmaker) who processed about 35,000 pattern '14 rifles (by then No3 rifle) to the Weedon standard.

The furniture of the rifle looks to be in good condition nice to see the stamping on the side of the buttstock so clear. So it is a Pattern 1914 MkI*(E)

Chris

[StAubyns]

Hi Chris

Thanks for the info re the windage sights, as you say, if it has the Weedon marks,it must have been restored at some time.

Its good to have a P14 again, I should not have been parted from the previous one, they certainly shoot very well

Geoff

[trajan]

That star on the butt...

It has not been through the Weedon process as it is complete with its windage sights.

Here are some photographs

20150208_132852.jpg

Any information to be gleaned from the photos would be much appreciated.

That star mark... I do not know anything about rifles... But when that mark is found on bayonets it almost certainly indicates a weapon formerly owned by Charles Dangre, the inter-war curator of the Brussels Army Museum.

Trajan

EDIT: Just seen 4G comments on the star mark that came in as I was posting this ... Well, it is a dead ringer for the Dangre mark - see this example on my Belgian M 1916 bayonet and I have seen it on other bayonets also

[4thGordons]

I think we're talking about two different marks here:

The six pointed star and U is the Weedon Mark for Purdy and Son.

The asterisk stamped in the wood, on the receiver ring and and bolt handle and several other places is the standard British marking indicating a change of specification but not one that warrants a full model change (as in MkIII/MkIII* with the SMLE)

On the Pattern '14, relatively early in the production cycle it was decided to enlarge the lugs on the bolt (and therefore also the recesses in the receiver) so the Pattern 1914 MkI became the Pattern 1914 MkI*

The mark you show on the bayonet handle is indeed similar to the latter. BTW this asterisk mark is also used on shortened/short Indian P1907 bayonets to indicate the change (stamped into the metal of the ricasso)

Chris

[trajan]

I think we're talking about two different marks here:

Thanks! The star I showed on the bayonet has not been confirmed as Dangre's but it has been found on bayonets that are believed or are known to come from his collection.