A German-made M.95 bayonet

[trajan]

Not in the best of conditions, but I am pleased to have acquired an unmodified example of one of the rarer and unusual German Imperial bayonets, an Ernst Busch of Solingen made M.1895, dated W/17, which I'd like to share with you.

It seems that when Prussia sent 'Reich' units to help the Austrians, these were supplied with Mannlicher rifles, the M.1888/90 and the M.1895, and also German-made bayonets to go with these, so German-made versions of the M.1888 and M.1895. E.&F.Hörster supplied (it seems) sawback versions of the M.95, but Ernst Busch of Solingen apparently won the contract for supplying the plain version.

Carter (vol III, 182) points out that some 85% of the Busch examples he recorded were dated 1917, the remainder being 1918. These came in a regular Mannlicher-type scabbard except that there were no markings on this, unlike the regular Mannlicher's, which were marked OEWG or FGGY, and so it seems I have an original one of those also. These bayonets also have three 'frakturs', a Gothic 'C', one on the blade spine; one on the pommel, just visible on my example, and one on the crossguard above the blade spine, barely photographable with my limited skills, but certainly there!

As noted at the start, this is not in the best of conditions, but many of these bayonets were later surplussed to Bulgaria and so have electro-penciled 'serial' number on them, but this has escaped that fate! I'll start with the general views, including a large one of the scabbard to show the unmarked frog-stud, and continue next post with details...

Trajan

[trajan]

And here are some details, the 'fraktur' over the blade spine being the last...

[trajan]

I thought I'd put this photograph up to show how most of the good condition examples of this bayonet turn up - with an electro-pencilled serial number... This is from: http://www.hungariae.com/Mann95a.htm

The ones that didn't go Bulgaria-way and so escaped electro-pencilling seem to generally be in poor condition - see, e.g.,: http://www.ebayonet.com/bayonetsg.htm, item no: 11499.

[sawdoc34]

Nice one mate, hard to find examples that aint been refurbed

Nearly sure mine is one of the bulgarian refurbs, will check when I finally get back home.

Where are you finding these wee gems? Thought bayonets were thin on the ground over in turkey.... you are having a lot better luck than I have lately, hope it keeps going as you must have amassed quite a collection by now

[trajan]

Nice one mate, hard to find examples that aint been refurbed

Nearly sure mine is one of the bulgarian refurbs, will check when I finally get back home.

Where are you finding these wee gems? Thought bayonets were thin on the ground over in turkey.... you are having a lot better luck than I have lately, hope it keeps going as you must have amassed quite a collection by now

Thanks Aleck! Yes, good bayonets still thin on the ground here but I was lucky enough to find another collector who keeps an eye out for me - his interest is Ottoman ones, so no conflict of interest there. Yes, the collection passed the 100 mark sometime ago, but I am now downsizing, off-loading the spares (all the really battered ones!), partly to raise cash but mainly as part of concentrating my efforts on what's really needed, such as this one.

Julian

[jscott]

Hey Trajan - thats a really nice bayonet. Interesting to hear the detail about these being used by German soldiers assisting the Austrian army; I've seen these before but haven't really known how to place them. Anyway a good un-messed with example.

100+ bayonets is certainly good going - I'll need to go and count mine now! (Suspect more in the 60-70 region as I did some offloading before moving home from the UK).

Cheers, Jonathan