Can Anyone Help With ID of Socket Bayonet?

[spilogale]

Hello Folks. Please excuse my limited knowledge of bayonets and I hope my post is an easy one for the experts. I recently purchased this socket bayonet at an estate sale in the Shenandoah Valley. I was hoping it might be a Civil War relic and even looks like it spent some time in the ground or weather. Despite my best online research efforts, I've come up blank with an ID. I was hoping someone in the forum could help.

The bayonet has an overall length of 20 1/2". The socket length is 2 5/8" and the blade length is 17 7/8". The blade width is just under 13/16". The bore diameter appears to be 11/16" and the muzzle length is 15/16". There are no visible markings.

Here are some photos. If anyone can help me identify the model of this bayonet, I would be very grateful. Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

[Misfit 45]

Hi,

Sometimes these bayonets are tricky to identify. Thank you for including the measurements. That goes a long way in the identification process. The first thing I noticed is the bayonet has rounded shoulders, i.e. the blade near the shank does not have sharp corners as it tapers into the shank. That places it not too much earlier than 1860s. The second thing I noticed is the retaining ring has almost parallel sides. The 1855 bayonet which was the most dominate US produced bayonet during the Civil War, had rounded shoulders, but the retaining ring is markedly tapered. Plus its socket is three inches long while yours is 2 5/8". That rules out the 1855. The third thing I noticed is how close the beginning mortise is to the bridge. That is very unusual and allows us to rule out the vast majority of US Civil War bayonets.

Since the bayonet is well pitted many small markings that may have been present are now gone. I first thought that your bayonet might be a foreign import used during the civil war. Those bayonets have heretofore been a mystery until David Noe and Joseph Serbaroli, Jr. came out with their book: European Bayonets of the American Civil War. Alas, I could not find anything that matched your bayonet.

Since the rounded shoulders were a standard feature on US socket bayonets from about the 1860s till the 1880s, I went back to Robert M. Reilly’s book, American Socket Bayonets and Scabbards. On page 111 Figure 135, I found a Remington Model 1871 New York State bayonet. It has all the features of your bayonet and the measurements are correct or accounting for age and abuse, very close.

Again, it is not an exact science, but I think this closely resembles your bayonet. Your bayonet would have fit an 1871 rolling block rifle and could have been used by the New York National guard.

 

I Would appreciate and expect a differing opinion about this bayonet because I am still learning too.

Marv

 

 

[spilogale]

Hello Marv. Thank you very much for your informative reply. I greatly appreciate your time. Apparently, this isn't an easy one. I don't feel quite as guilty for not being able to figure this out myself! I did spend quite a bit of time on the internet trying to ID this bayonet before I sent out this plea to the experts. Everything seems to match up well with the M1871 New York bayonet. However, I did notice that the taper of the blade edge near the shank looks slightly different. I found a M1871 New York bayonet listed at an online dealer site that has good photos for comparison (J&J Military Antiques). I can't seem to post the link, for some reason. Thanks again!

[Misfit 45]

I'm glad you found that J&J reference. I wish they would give all the measurements. As far as the "H" on the socket is concerned, Reilly mentions that many of these were completely unmarked. The taper does look a little different, but it has a lot going for it being an 1871 New York.

Marv