WW1 M1907 BRITISH BAYONET 1917 DATED MKI WWI

WW1 British M1907 Bayonet with Scabbard Dated 1917 by Wilkinson in excellent condition. Design The Pattern 1907 bayonet consisted of a one-piece steel blade and tang, with a crossguard and pommel made from wrought iron or mild steel, and a wooden grip usually of walnut secured to the tang by two screws. The entire bayonet was 21 3/4 inches (550 mm) long and weighed 16 1/2 ounces (470 g), although the weight of production models varied from 16 to 18 ounces (450 to 510 g). Originally the bayonet featured a hooked lower quillion, intended to be used to trap and snap enemy bayonets when grappling, this was later deemed impractical and replaced with a simpler design from 1913, often unit armorers subsequently removed the hooked quillion when the bayonet went for repair, although there is no evidence that this was officially directed. The Pattern 1907 bayonet's blade was 17 inches (430 mm) long, it had a shallow fuller that was machined into both sides of the blade to save weight and add strength, the fuller was 12 inches (300 mm) long that extended to within 3 inches (76 mm) of the tip. The Pattern 1907 bayonet was supplied with a simple leather scabbard flitted with a steel top-mount and chape, it was usually carried from the belt by a simple frog. The Pattern 1907 bayonet attached to the SMLE by a boss located below the barrel on the nose of the rifle and a mortise groove on the pommel of the bayonet. The combined length of the SMLE and Pattern 1907 bayonet was 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m). Markings Official marks were stamped onto the Pattern 1907 bayonet's ricasso. On British manufactured bayonets the right side included an 'X' bend-test mark, a broad arrow government acceptance mark, and one or more Royal Small Arms Factory appointed inspector's marks, on the left side was the date of the bayonet's official inspection and the maker's name and the reigning monarch's crown and royal cipher, 'ER' (Edward Rex) and after 1910 'GR' (George Rex). Indian bayonets were marked similarly to British bayonets except the royal cipher read 'GRI' (George Rex Imperator) and the manufacturer's mark was 'R.F.I.' (Rifle Factory Ishapore). Australian bayonets differed in the manufacturer's marks, with 'Lithgow' (Lithgow Small Arms Factory), 'MA' (Mangrovite Arsenal) and 'OA' (Orange Arsenal). The wooden grips of World War II era Australian bayonets were often marked 'SLAZ' for Slazenger, who made the grips during that war. History When the British military adopted the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield rifle and its barrel was shortened to 25.2 inches (640 mm), 5 inches (130 mm) shorter than the preceding Magazine Lee-Enfield. British military strategists were fearful that the British infantryman would be at a disadvantage when engaged in a bayonet duel with enemy soldiers who retained a longer reach, bayonet fighting drills formed a significant part of a contemporary British infantryman's training, soldiers were drilled in various stances and parrying techniques against an enemy also armed with rifle and bayonet. The combined length of the SMLE and the in-service Pattern 1903 bayonet and its 12-inch (300 mm) blade was 4 feet 9 inches (1.45 m), shorter than the contemporary French Lebel Model 1886 and bayonet at 6 feet (1.8 m) and the German Mauser 1898 at 5 feet 10 inches (1.77 m) and bayonet. In 1906–7 the British Army conducted trials to find a new longer standard issue bayonet, experiments were conducted with a number of foreign bayonet designs, including a modified version of the American Model 1905 bayonet and the Japanese Type 30 bayonet. The trials resulted in the British Army adopting its own version of the Type 30 bayonet, the new design was designated Sword bayonet, pattern 1907 (Mark I) and was officially introduced on 30 January 1908. Approximately 5,000,000 Pattern 1907 bayonets were made in Britain during World War I, the makers were Wilkinson Sword, Sanderson Brothers & Newbould Ltd, James A. Chapman, Robert Mole & Sons and Vickers Ltd, additionally Remington UMC produced approximately 100,000 during the war. The Pattern 1907 bayonet was manufactured in India from 1911 to 1940 at the Rifle Factory Ishapore and in Australia from 1913 to 1927 then again between 1940 and 1945 at the Lithgow Small Arms Factory, Mangrovite Arsenal and Orange Arsenal. The Pattern 1907 bayonet was adopted by most of the British Commonwealth along with the SMLE, it saw broad front line service until 1945, seeing service in both World War I and World War II, it remained in Australian and Indian service for some time after 1945. In 1926 the 1907 bayonet was reclassified as the 'Bayonet, No.1, Mk.1'