This bayonet was made in 1950 at Metal Industries Ltd. in Lahore, prior to establishment of the Pakistan Ordnance Factory in Wah Cantonment. M.I.L. had produced No. I Mk. II and Mk. III bayonets during the Second World War, when Lahore was still under Indian jurisdiction.

The blade profile is more rounded and the edge more crude than the British or P.O.F. No. 9 bayonets. The blade is both pinned and (rather sloppily) brazed to the socket. Prior to discovery of this example in 2016, all known examples were dated 1951.

Discovery of this 1950-dated example demonstrates that the shipment of production equipment from R.O.F. Poole to Pakistan took place earlier than believed.

No. 9 Bayonets Page

Socket (right): "No 9. M.K. l" over "M.I. LTD" over "1950"

Only a small quantity of 1951-dated examples have surfaced, so production must have been low before manufacturing ceased and the factory was relocated to Wah Cantonment, away from the border with India.

Pakistan No. 9 Mk. I bayonets are occasionally found with short P1907 scabbards as a substitute for the steel No. 5 scabbard.

No. 9 Bayonets Page

Socket (right): "No 9.M.K.l" over "M.I. LTD" over "1951"

Unlike the M.I.L. example above, the P.O.F. No. 9 is identical to the British-made No. 9 Mk. I. Nicely finished No. 5 scabbard with thick brass throat.

No. 9 Bayonets Page

This example has the M1963 spring catch. The finish is black paint.

The electropencil "RA" serial number prefix was used by the Rhodesian Army, indicating that this example was likely used in the Rhodesian Civil War. This example has a plastic scabbard with teardrop-shaped frog stud, identical to the scabbard on the South African R1 bayonet, indicating that it probably originated in South Africa. This bayonet came in a British web belt frog made in 1956.

FN-FAL Bayonets Page

Russia did not supply a scabbard, preferring that soldiers keep the bayonet fixed all of the time. However, Austria, Finland, Germany, and Romania manufactured scabbards for use with bayonets captured from the Russians.

This example is believed to have been imported from Romania.

Patterned after the French M1777 AN IX socket bayonet (AN IX represents Year 9 in the French Republican Calendar, denoting an improvement introduced in 1800), the Russian Model 1808 bayonet is unusual in having a medial locking ring on an unbridged socket. Russia adopted an improved bayonet in 1826–28 that included a bridge to prevent deformation of the socket. The unbridged socket dates this example to 1808–1825. There was no scabbard produced, the bayonet remaining fixed to the musket at all times.

The Model 1808 was the standard Russian Army infantry musket and bayonet in the Napoleonic Wars, seeing extensive combat during Napoleon’s 1812 Invasion of Russia. In response to the invasion, Tula Arsenal produced 500,000 Model 1808 muskets 1812–15. The Invasion of Russia was the turning point in the Napoleonic Wars that ended Napoleon’s invincibility. The Battle of Borodino outside of Moscow was the deadliest single day of combat during the 12-years of Napoleonic War, resulting in over 70,000 casualties. Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow during the Russian winter destroyed what was left of his Army. While Napoleon would rebuild his army and campaign in central Europe in an attempt to regain power, these attempts failed culminating in his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo and forced exile to St. Helena in 1815.

Patterned after the Swiss M1863 bayonet, the M1870 bayonet has a cruciform blade profile and the, now familiar, screwdriver point. This example is a M1870 infantry bayonet, with the socket cut so as to mount to a bayonet stud on the right side of the barrel. The M1870 dragoon bayonet was shorter, with the socket cut so as to mount to the front sight, which doubled as a bayonet stud.

Developed by American General Hiram Berdan, the M1870 rifle and bayonet were produced in large numbers at the three major Russian arms factories (Tula, Izhevsk, and Sestroretsk). The M1870 served as the standard Russian rifle until it was superseded by the Mosin-Nagant M1891. Many Russian troops were still armed with the M1870 during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905.

Although the M1891/30 had superseded the M1891 by the time Russia entered the Second World War, the M1891 was widely used during the Second World War as well.

This example was made 1930–32 at the Tula Arsenal.

Col. P.K. Panshin designed the sight hood to protect the front sight of rifles used by the cavalry. However, the government decided to make the sight hood standard on all M1891/30 rifles instead.

As a result, few hooded bayonets were produced. Most had the hood removed during the Second World War, since the hooded bayonet would not mount to a hooded rifle. Examples with the hood intact are quite scarce today.

The M1891/30 bayonet has a press stud to secure the bayonet in place, rather than the locking ring of the M1891.

This example is typical of crude wartime production, with heavy tool marks.

This example was refurbished at the 1st GRAU Arsenal at Balakleya (in present-day Ukraine). GRAU is an abbreviation of Glávnoye rakétno-artilleríyskoye upravléniye Ministérstva oboróny Rossíyskoy Federátsii (Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation).

Some of the factories represented by refreshment marks have been identified by Russian researcher, Ruslan Chumak.

Russian Refurbishment Markings

The mark on this example is a less common type, with the arrow pointing downwards, rather than the proper (and more common) upwards arrow. Although observed on various equipment, it is not known how the downward arrow mark came to be used.

No. 9 Bayonets Page

The bayonets were made by Armaments Corporation of South Africa (ARMSCOR), Lyttelton Engineering Works, in Pretoria. ARMSCOR is the State-owned arms manufacturer in South Africa.

According to Skennerton, the bayonets were made up in the 1960's using blades salvaged from FN-made Uzi submachine gun bayonets (known in So. Africa as the S1 bayonet). However, it has not been conclusively documented whether old S1 blades were actually used or whether the S1 blade was just copied. The blade attaches to the socket with two steel pins.

I was able to acquire an unassembled Uzi bayonet blade from a seller in Tel-Aviv, Israel, to compare with the S.A. No. 9. The Uzi blade is dimensionally identical to the blade of my S.A. Pattern No. 9, as shown in this comparison image. A close study also demonstrates that, if the blade were used for the S.A. No. 9, the forward grip hole would need to be welded and ground flat, then two new holes machined for pinning the Uzi blade to the No. 9 socket. This comparison demonstrates that it is entirely plausible that salvaged Uzi blades could have been used for manufacturing the S.A. No. 9 bayonet.

The British No. 5 Mk. I scabbard would not work with the So. African No. 9 blade. There was no dedicated SA No. 9 scabbard. Instead, scabbards from the M1 (FAL Type A), R1 (FAL Type C), and S1 (Uzi submachine gun) bayonets were used. This example came in a M1 scabbard, which is longer than necessary for the SA No. 9 blade.

No. 9 Bayonets Page

The South African "M" inside a "U" property mark represents "Union (of South Africa) Military."

This example has an early FN-produced steel-bodied scabbard, as evidenced by the Belgian proofmark on the throatpiece.

FN-FAL Bayonets Page

Scabbard (throatpiece): "[1]"

This example is parkerized, with black paint over the parkerizing on the socket only.

Early R1 bayonets, like the example above, were purchased from FN. South Africa later began producing R1 bayonets and scabbards at the State-owned arms factory, ARMSCOR.

The scabbard is an early pattern manufactured in South Africa. It is unusual in having a shiny plastic body, a transverse leg-tie hole in the ball finial, and a steel frog stud.

South African-made R1 scabbards have the throatpiece oriented so that the socket faces inward when carried. Other countries' FAL Type C scabbards had the throatpiece oriented so that the socket faces outward when carried.

FN-FAL Bayonets Page

Scabbard (body): "66" in an oval

Note how this scabbard also has the transverse leg-tie hole in the ball finial.

FN-FAL Bayonets Page

Dating from the Mid-Late 1700s, not much is known about these scarce socket bayonets. This bayonet could be for a hunting musket or, perhaps, an officer's fusil.

Sturdy 3.30 in. (84 mm.) socket with a crude hand-cut two step slot for a bottom stud. Wide double-edged blade with a flattened diamond profile. Blade width is 1.50 in. (38 mm.). Neat arrow terminal where the elbow joins the blade.

This example has a couple of holes in the socket probably from mounting to a display. The socket has been flared at the rear, so perhaps, was mounted to a flagstaff.

In his book, Socket Bayonets of the Great Powers, Shuey indicates that M1871 bayonets made in the USA had 2.625 in. sockets, where the Spanish-made bayonets had a 3.00 in. socket. This is corroborated by Juan L. Calvó in his 2003 article (in Spanish), 24 Tipos de Cubo en Bayonetas Encontradas en España (24 Types of Socket Bayonets Found in Spain). This example has a 3.00 in. (76 mm.) socket.

Calvo also indicates that the blade width of Spanish-made bayonets was 19.5 mm., where the USA-made bayonets had blades 20.5 mm. wide. The blade width of this example is 0.77 in. (19.5 mm.).

Leather scabbard with a securing tab and brass endmount.

It is not known when these conversions were done. The most likely period seems to be during the Spanish Civil War of 1936–39. However, this is speculative. The number produced is unclear. Little is known about this uncommon socket bayonet.

The conversion entailed removing the bridge; widening and lengthening the mortise; and adding a wide locking ring; all to accommodate the broad Mauser front sight base. The modifications are apparent in this comparison image.

This bayonet is historically significant as one of only two socket bayonet types ever used with a Mauser rifle. Both were conversions, there never being a socket bayonet actually designed for use with a Mauser.

The socket measures 2.50 in. (64 mm.) long, with a straight slot and basal locking ring. The heavy blade measures 1.00 in. (25.4 mm.) wide and has a crude face flute.

This bayonet was originally made as the m/1815–26, with a 27.25 in. (695 mm.) overall length, for use by the Infantry Jaegers. Jaegers were light infantry, whose role was similar to today's special forces. The Jaeger musket was shorter than the infantry musket, so required a longer bayonet for defense against mounted cavalry.

According to Per Holmback, noted authority on Scandinavian bayonets, in 1854 the Swedish Crown ordered 2000–3000 m/1815–26 muskets provided to the Navy. m/1815–26 bayonets were shortened 1855–56, to go with the Navy muskets. This example appears to be one of them.

This example carries the mark of Johan Mellberg, inspection armourer at the Götaland artillery regiment, stationed in Jönköping beginning in 1816.

The m/1855 bayonet's medial locking ring represents a departure from the use of basal locking rings on Swedish socket bayonets. The socket length measures 2.625 in. (67 mm.).

According to Per Holmback, 5000 bayonets were made for the army, with another quantity (unsure, perhaps 4000) for the Navy. This example is an Army bayonet, as it lacks a Navy (Flotten) property mark.

The crown-M ricasso mark identifies this example as having been made by the Liege, Belgium, firm of P. J. Malherbe (who also made the m/1855 rifles).

The leather scabbard is missing the endmount. What is present measures 20.75 in. (527 mm.) long.

Elbow (left): "I 2 77"

Elbow (right): illegible mark

Scabbard (body): "P"

This example was made in 1864 at Husqvarna Vapenfabrik. The m/1860 bayonet's heavy construction and long triangular blade simply dwarfs the U.S. M1873 socket bayonet, as shown in this side-by-side comparison image. The socket length measures 2.562 in. (65 mm.).

Only about 20,000 m/1860 Wrede rifles were manufactured prior to adoption of the m/1864 Hagström needle-fire breech loader. About 4,000 Wrede rifles were altered to the Hagström breechloading system from 1864–66. Many of the m/1860 Wrede rifles and m/1860–64 Wrede-Hagström conversions were subsequently altered to the Remington rolling block system, using "kits" supplied by Remington. These were designated m/1860–68 and m/1860–64–68.

The "AC" ricasso marking identifies Adam Carlsson, who was a Bayonetmaker/Master (Bajonettsmeder/mästare) at Husqvarna in the 1860s. As a Bayonetmaker/Master, he would have supervised the forging, welding, and grinding operations associated with bayonet production. Carlsson was born in 1807. He was a master of pistol production at the Jönköpings Factory in 1833; so had a long career by the time this piece was made.

Elbow: "GG" and "PJF"

According to Per Holmback, noted authority on Scandinavian bayonets, M1867’s were manufactured in quite large quantities by both Husqvarna and Carl Gustaf Stad. They also bought 10,000 bayonets from Remington Arms. Co. of Ilion, New York, and this is one of those.  The Remington order was delivered on September 2, 1868.  The Remington made bayonet is recognized by the steel blade and iron socket. The Swedish-made bayonets were all steel.

The iron socket has a more porous surface than the steel of the elbow and blade. The weld line between the steel and iron is clearly visible in the lower photo.

102,000 M1867–89 conversions were done 1889–1894 at Carl Gustafs Stads Gevarsfaktori (Carl Gustafs City Rifle Factory) in Eskilstuna. Based on the inspection markings, this example was produced during 1893 or 1894.

The conversion entailed removing the old socket and brazing a new socket in place. The join is plainly visible. The M1867–89 socket bayonet is historically significant as the only socket bayonet to incorporate a coil-spring press stud. The socket measures 1.875 in. (48 mm.) long.

The unit marking "27 RB No. 275" is an abbreviation for: Beväringsvapen Nummer 275, 27th Regementet (Weapon No. 275, 27th Infantry Regiment).

The inspectors whose initials appear on this example are: Wilhelm Pontus Bruno, an inspection officer with Carl Gustaf Stad from 12/31/1892 – 1/19/1896; and, Gustaf Emil Miller, who worked at Carl Gustaf Stad from 6/20/1891 – ca. 1920.

Elbow (left): "7574"

Elbow (right): "PB" Crown-C "GM"