*British, WW1, 1913 Pattern Sword Bayonet, by Winchester, USA, dated 1917, with Original Leather Scabbard*
43cm blade, 55cm overall.
This is the very rare the Pattern 1913 MK1, by Winchester, designed for use with the Pattern 1914 rifle. It was officially introduced into British military service on June 21, 1916, and production was contracted to American companies Remington and Winchester Repeating Arms Co. (The American domestic version are usually referred to as the M1917 first production). By the end of WW1 Winchester had produced 225,000 of these, Remington by contrast produced 1,243,000.
The bayonet features a straight, single-fullered knife blade measuring 430mm in length. It is equipped with a steel hilt that includes a muzzle ring, while the wooden slab grips have distinctive pairs of cut grooves on each slab, secured in place by two screws. The pommel and locking button are made of steel. The bayonet is accompanied by a brown leather scabbard with a steel locket, a teardrop frog stud, and a steel chape piece.
On one side of the ricasso, are markings that read ‘1913 5 17,’ indicating it is the 1913 Pattern, manufactured in May 1917, followed by a “W” for The Winchester Repeating Arms Co. On the other side, there is a ‘broad arrow’, crown inspection marks “Crown/IG/A”, “Crown/W9/A” with the ‘A’ denoting America, and an ‘X,’ signifying it passed a manufacturer’s bending test.
Originally, the experimental Pattern 1913 Enfield rifle drew inspiration from the German Mauser M98 rifle and was intended to be the next-generation British infantry rifle, firing the new .276 cartridge. However, the outbreak of World War I interrupted its development. As a result, the government decided to redesign the 1913 rifle to accommodate the existing .303 cartridge, leading to the creation of the Pattern 1914 rifle. Interestingly, the bayonet’s design remained unchanged, hence it retained the ‘1913 Pattern’ designation, in Britain at least.
*Condition*
This very rare bayonet is in excellent condition with the blade retaining some of its original blueing. The wood grip is also in good condition with some minor signs of wear and tear. The hilt, tang and pommel retain some blueing, with minor wear. The scabbard fits nice and securely. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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