Pictures
(click to enlarge)
Type Description Blade
Length
Overall
Length

Muzzle
Ring
Diameter

Markings
      in. mm. in. mm. in. mm.  
Thumbnail image of the Austrian M1799 socket bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian M1799 socket bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian M1799 socket bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian M1799 socket bayonetThumbnail image of the Austrian M1799 socket bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian M1799 socket bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian M1799 socket bayonetThumbnail image of the Austrian M1799 socket bayonetThumbnail image of the Austrian M1799 socket bayonet M1799 Socket bayonet for use with the 17.5 mm. (.69 caliber) M1798 flintlock musket.

Although the Austrian M1798 musket was closely patterned after the French M1777 Charleville musket, the M1799 bayonet is uniquely Austrian. The M1799 socket bayonet was the first to feature the flattened cruciform blade profile that was characteristic of 19th Century Austrian infantry socket bayonets.

The socket has no mortise, instead using a notched, eccentric basal collar to engage a spring catch protruding from the front of the musket stock. This was later copied by Prussia, who used it on their M1809 socket bayonet.

The scabbard body is made of wood with a black leather cover. The throat, frog stud, and finial are steel.

18.00 457 21.125 537 .864 21.7 Socket: "N: 977."
Thumbnail image, overall view of M1854 socket bayonetThumbnail image of M1854 socketThumbnail image of partial unit marking on M1854 elbowThumbnail image of inspection markings on M1854 elbowThumbnail image of M1854 blade, overhead viewThumbnail image of M1854 blade, bottom view M1854 Socket bayonet for use with the 13.9 mm. (.54 caliber) M1854 Lorenz rifle. This bayonet was also used with the M1854/67 Wanzl breech loading conversions.

The M1854 bayonet is easily identified by the helical mortise and flattened cruciform blade profile. The socket length measures 3.187 in. (81 mm.).

The Lorenz was imported in quantity by both sides during the U.S. Civil War. The Union imported over 225,000 and the Confederacy perhaps as many as 100,000, making the Lorenz second only to the .577 caliber Enfield rifle-musket, as the most common imported firearm.

 

19.00 483 22.187 564 .755 19.2 Elbow (left): Starburst and circle-L

Elbow (right): "61.280."

M1871/84 knife bayonet made by Steyr in Austria.M1871/84 knife bayonet made by Steyr in Austria.M1871/84 knife bayonet made by Steyr in Austria.M1871/84 knife bayonet made by Steyr in Austria.M1871/84 knife bayonet made by Steyr in Austria.M1871/84 knife bayonet made by Steyr in Austria.M1871/84 knife bayonet made by Steyr in Austria. M1871/84 Export Knife bayonet for use with the 8 mm. M1888 Commission Rifle (Gewehr 88).

These are believed to have been produced by Steyr around the turn of the Century for use with Gewehr 88's manufactured for export (mainly to China and So. America). Some of the Gewehr 88's and M1871/84 bayonets remaining in Steyr's stores may have been used by Austro-Hungarian forces during the First World War. This example has only Steyr's trademark and no Austro-Hungarian markings, so was probably an export piece.

A similar bayonet was produced by Steyr for the Romanian, Portuguese, and 8 mm. M1904 Export Mannlicher rifles, however, the muzzle ring dimensions are different.

Steyr obtained large German Gewehr 88 contracts and the right to commercially-produce the Gewehr 88 in settlement of their patent-infringement lawsuit against Germany for incorporating the Mannlicher magazine in the Gewehr 88 without license (Steyr owned Mannlicher's patents).

9.75 248 14.625 371 .690 17.5 Ricasso (left): "OE" over "WG"

Crosspiece (right): "8544"

Grip (right): "156"

Scabbard (frog stud): "OE" over "WG"

Thumbnail image of Austrian M1888 knife bayonet.

Click on the image to view information and additional images on the Siam Page.

M1888 Knife bayonet for use on the 8 mm. M1888 Mannlicher rifle.

 

9.75 248 14.75 375 .655 16.6  
Thumbnail image of Austrian M1895 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian M1895 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian M1895 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian M1895 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian M1895 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian M1895 knife bayonet.
M1895
Knife bayonet for use on the 8 mm. M1895 Mannlicher rifle, which was produced in great quantities prior to and during the First World War.

Made at Oesterreichsche Waffenfabrik-Gesellschaft (Austrian State Weapons Manufacturing Company) in Steyr. This firm is still in business today, known simply as, Steyr.

The M1895 bayonet was the first knife bayonet to feature an inverted blade profile, where cutting edge faces upward when fixed.

9.625
244
14.00
356
.590
15.0
Ricasso: Austrian (Hapsburg) Imperial Eagle and "OE" over "WG"

Crosspiece:  "32 30"

Pommel:  "7"

Scabbard:  "OE" over "WG"

Thumbnail image of Austrian M1895 ersatz bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian M1895 ersatz bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian M1895 ersatz bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian M1895 ersatz bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian M1895 ersatz bayonet. M1895 Ersatz All-metal ersatz (substitute) bayonet for use with the 8 mm. M1895 Mannlicher rifle.

These twisted steel ersatz bayonets were produced as an emergency measure during the First World War.

The blade has an inverted single-edged profile as used on the M1895 bayonet. No special scabbard was produced for these. They used the standard M1895 scabbard.

The significance of the chevron mark on the crosspiece is unknown. However, it is often observed on period examples produced for use on the Mannlicher M1895 rifle.

Variations of this design were also produced for use on the Mannlicher M1888 and M1890; M1867, 1870 & 1873 Werndl rifles; and the German M1871, M1871/84, and M1888 rifles.

10.25 260 15.062 383 .605 15.4 Hilt (upper): "44"

Crosspiece: chevron mark

Thumbnail image of Austrian M1895 belt frog.Thumbnail image of Austrian M1895 belt frog. Belt Frog Tooled brown leather belt frog for carrying the M1895 bayonet.

Measures 8.50 in. (216 mm.) long by 2.50 in. (64 mm.) wide at the widest point.

Carter classified this frog as #29.

Bayonet Belt Frogs Page

n/a n/a n/a None.
Thumbnail image of Austrian Special M1895 bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Special M1895 bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Special M1895 bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Special M1895 bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Special M1895 bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Special M1895 bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Special M1895 bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Special M1895 bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Special M1895 bayonet. Special M1895 Special version of the M1895 knife bayonet.

This bayonet is a reworked M1895, where the M1895 bayonet’s domed crosspiece rivets are ground flush, the metal blued; and, the grips replaced and secured with screwbolts. A distinctive serial number is stamped into the pommel and also on the scabbard body. Serial numbers observed have been under 500, suggesting that the quantity of bayonets produced was likely very small. In any case, these specially-made bayonets are scarcely encountered today.

These were once thought to possibly be for the Steyr MP 34 submachine gun. However, this attribution has been discounted.

9.75 248 14.125 359 .590 15.0 Ricasso: Austrian (Hapsburg) Imperial Eagle and "OE" over "WG"

Pommel: "0161"

Scabbard (frog stud): Austrian (Hapsburg) Imperial Eagle and "OE" over "WG"

Scabbard (body): "AM" and "394"

Thumbnail image of Austrian Zeitler knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Zeitler knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Zeitler knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Zeitler knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Zeitler knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Zeitler knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of Austrian Zeitler knife bayonet. Zeitler Bayonet-knife for use with the 5.56 mm. NATO caliber Steyr AUG (Armee Universal-Gewehr) assault rifle.

These bayonets were prototypes made 1976-77 by Ludwig Zeitler of Vienna for trials of the Steyr AUG assault rifle.

The bayonet has a polymer grip with a socket in the pommel to engage a bayonet adapter that can be fitted to the rifle. The crosspiece has a tab on one side that serves as a bottle-opener. The scabbard is comprised of a plastic body attached by four screws to a steel belt hanger with a nylon hilt strap.

The Zeitler bayonet was not adopted. However, Austria adopted a variant produced by Glock with manufacturing simplifications as the Feldmesser 78 (Field Knife 1978).

6.50 165 11.25 286 n/a Blade: "Zeitler 77"

Scabbard (reverse): "Zeitler" and * inside a circle

Thumbnail image of the Austrian military issue Feldmesser 78 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian military issue Feldmesser 78 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian military issue Feldmesser 78 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian military issue Feldmesser 78 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian military issue Feldmesser 78 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian military issue Feldmesser 78 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian military issue Feldmesser 78 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian military issue Feldmesser 78 knife bayonet. Military Feldmesser 78 Bayonet-knife for use with the 5.56 mm. NATO caliber Steyr AUG assault rifle.

A socket in the pommel (covered by a plastic cap) engages a bayonet adapter that can be fitted to the rifle. Early Glock marketing materials show the bayonet mounted to an AUG rifle.

The little tab on the upper crosspiece serves as a bottle opener. The grip and scabbard are olive green. The scabbard is one-piece of molded plastic, with a belt hanger and a device that securely locks the bayonet into the scabbard.

The Feldmesser 78 Field Knife 1978) was produced by Glock Gesellschaft mbH of Deutsch-Wagram. This example was actually issued in the Austrian Army. It bears the Österreichisches Bundesheer (Austrian Federal Army) roundel and the early round Glock trademark.

The Feldmesser 78 was also adopted by Denmark, West Germany, and several other nations' military or paramilitary units. The Feldmesser 78 was also sold commercially in large numbers for civilian use.

 

 

6.50 165 11.375 289 n/a Ricasso (left): "B' (circle with inverted triangle) "H" over Glock trademark and "78"

Grip (left): Glock trademark

Scabbard (side of body): Glock trademark

Thumbnail image of the Austrian commercial Feldmesser 78 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian commercial Feldmesser 78 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian commercial Feldmesser 78 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian commercial Feldmesser 78 knife bayonet.Thumbnail image of the Austrian commercial Feldmesser 78 knife bayonet. Commercial Feldmesser 78 This example is a current production commercial version of the Feldmesser 78. It is identical to the Austrian military version except for the coloration and markings.

Commercial Feldmesser 78 are found in olive, black (pictured), and tan colors. It bears commercial (export) markings and the later, more common, oblong Glock trademark.

A variant, designated Feldmesser 81, incorporates a sawback blade.

6.50 165 11.375 289 n/a Ricasso (left): "made in" over "Austria" over Glock trademark and "78"

Grip (left): Glock trademark

Scabbard (side of body): Glock trademark

Back       Next
Return to Bayonet Identification Guide Index
© Ralph E. Cobb 2010 All Rights Reserved       Top

Bayonets of Austria

Header image of Brazil comblain cadet yataghan bayonet
Home Navigation Button
 
Want List Navigation Button
Bayonet Collecting Navigation Button
 
Bayonet Identification Guide Navigation Button
 
Researching Your Finds Navigation Button
 
Library Navigation Button
 
Links Page Navigation Button
 
For Sale or Trade Navigation Button
 
BCN Certified Logo
 
Bayonet
Collectors'
Network
 
Society of American Bayonet Collectors logo  
Society of American Bayonet Collectors  
Christian logo