Handles on a M1917 Bayonet

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CampbellAr2
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Joined: Wed Jul 10, 2019 12:00 am

Handles on a M1917 Bayonet

Post by CampbellAr2 »

I recently got the bayonet bug……side effect of Remington collecting

In short, I bought what I believed was a cut down Remington M1917 to a combat knife configuration (possibly French mod). Overall length is 12 inches, with blade length of 7 inches.

While I think the markings look ok, the handle is throwing me off. Every M1917 I have seen has handles with 2 grooves in the center, and my knife has flat wooden slabs

Any thoughts to whether this is a fake, or possible background?

Thanks
Ed
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zzyzzogeton
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Re: Handles on a M1917 Bayonet

Post by zzyzzogeton »

The ones with 2 grooves in the handles were made for the US.

The ones with flat (no grooves) were made for the UK.

Is there any stamp on the side opposite of the 1917/REMINGTON stamp.
CampbellAr2
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Re: Handles on a M1917 Bayonet

Post by CampbellAr2 »

Thanks!

Sorry I didn’t post pics of the other side, but the other side has the Ordnance bomb and the Eagle readily visible ….I’ll clean it up a bit more before I post that pic tonight
CampbellAr2
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Re: Handles on a M1917 Bayonet

Post by CampbellAr2 »

Here’s the other side of the bayonet
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CampbellAr2
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Re: Handles on a M1917 Bayonet

Post by CampbellAr2 »

CampbellAr2 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:55 pm Here’s the other side of the bayonet, that appears to be an “8” under the Eagle, which I interpreted as month of August production
cottage hill bill
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Re: Handles on a M1917 Bayonet

Post by cottage hill bill »

"The ones with 2 grooves in the handles were made for the US. The ones with flat (no grooves) were made for the UK."

True but not quite a complete answer. The British used two different but very similar bayonets for two very different rifles. The Pattern 1907 bayonet was for the Rifle, Short, Magazine Lee-Enfield aka SMLE, the main rifle used by the Brits during WWI. The Pattern 1914 bayonet was for the Pattern 1914 rifle which was manufactured only (except for small pre-production numbers) in the United States by Remington and Winchester at three different factories. When the contract for P'14 rifles was filled the US modified the design from .303 to .30-06 and produced the rifle as the Model of 1917. The M17 actually armed more US troops in WWI than the '03 Springfield. It was also known as the American Enfield. The US also continued production of the bayonets.


Back to the bayonets. The P1907 and the P14 bayonets use the same blade and pommel. The difference is the distance from the muzzle ring to the spine of the blade, the P1907 being shorter. The P1907 has smooth grips. Since the two look alike at a glance it was decided to put two grooves in the grips of the P14 to make a way to identify the bayonets quickly, even in the dark. All P14 and M17 bayonets left the factory with two groove grips. Some one has simply replaced your grips with a set from a P1907 bayonet. Both styles are the same profile, P1907 grips are readily available and they are a bolt on replacement. Your bayonet is a legit M1917. It is possible to find M17 bayonets with British inspection marks, canceled out and overstruck with US inspection stamps. That came from blades left over at the end of the British contract that were used up at the beginning of the American contract. Both bayonets take the same scabbard. British scabbards have only a stud on the mouthpiece to fit a web frog. The American scabbards had the mouthpiece modified to include a wire hanger to fit the M1910 web gear.
CampbellAr2
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Re: Handles on a M1917 Bayonet

Post by CampbellAr2 »

Thanks for the background!
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