A friend gave me this today. I'm pretty sure it's a bayonet from a Lee Enfield or a British rifle, probably from WW2. The blade is 12 inches long. The blade is stamped "Wilkinson" at the hilt. The picture isn't great but I feel this is an easy one to identify. The handle is wood with brass fittings. There are no other markings on the blade. Am I right on my ID of this bayonet? Thanks, Steve
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Wow, you're good. Lee Metford. Haven't heard of it. When you say 1888 do you mean it's that old? When was it used? The story is my friends mother found it on the windshield of her car one night. Strange. Any info on the age of this would be great. Is it rare? Worth anything? There is no scabbard.Comment
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Enfield Bayonet?
Hello Steve,
Yes, your bayonet is British. Its actually a Pattern 1888, and was designed to be used with the Lee-Metford Service Rifle in 303 calibre. This particular bayonet was predominantly manufactured by: Enfield, Wilkinson, Mole and Sanderson.
Along with the Long Lee-Enfield Service Rifle (303 calibre) which also used your pattern of bayonet; they were the two main service rifles of the British Army during the second Boar War / South African War of 1899 - 1902.
The bayonet scabbard was of leather with metal fittings = chape & locket.
A VG example of this particular bayonet + scabbard normally will fetch in the high double figures, eg; 70.00 GBP.
Treat it to a little TLC - NO ABRASIVES - and you'll find that you have a decent bayonet on your hands. Spare scabbards do appear for sale occationally.
Your item has brass rivets to the handles, so appears to be a Mk.2.
Hope this helps?
Seph
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Thanks guys. That's what I love about this forum. You find an old bayonet in a basement and you have the information on it that very day. So these weren't even used in WW1? They pre date that war even? Wow.Comment
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Enfield Bayonet?
They were used in WW.1, but as a stop gap till enough Enfield SMLE Service rifles and Pattern 1907 bayonets were available. From 1915 onwards, both the Long Lee-Enfield and Lee-Metford rifles were used for traing in the UK.
However, great numbers of both rifles were re-worked to resemble Enfield SMLE's.
Also, in 1903, a stop-gap bayonet was produced (now becoming rare) until enough P1907's were available. Called, the Pattern 1903, it was basically a hybred. It had the blade of the P1888 and handle of the P1907.
Seph
Last edited by findabetterole; 01-04-2007, 01:22 AM.Comment
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Thanks. A great pick up. Must have been used for troop training locally. Maybe by the Blue Putees or at least the NFLD Regiment.Comment
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Hi Steve,
Check out this site for more info on your bayonet.
http://www.arbeia.demon.co.uk/collec...s/file010a.htm
Kind regards,
AndyComment
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Thanks, that's great. I'm posting a seperate thread now on my Fairbairn Sykes Commando knife.Comment
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