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Is this an American RW bayonet. Seems hand forged


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Yes I would agree that is consistent with Rev war or earlier bayonets and is for sure hand forged.  Should you decide to sell it, let me now and I’d be happy to make and offer.

 

thanks

Ron

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  • 4 weeks later...

Revolutionary Bayonets used by the Continental Army varied from French to British or other countries firearms along with are own.I have a book on the equipment and different muskets used during the War and is many pages of different small arms used.One way to help you figure out what you have is to measure the ID of the inside of the bayonet.That number can be helpful in figuring out possibly what diameter rifle that fits. example would be that it fits a 75 caliber or 58 caliber bore musket,the outside diameter of the rifle barrel varies in OD from model to model, etc. I can tell you that it is hand forged and looks to be like many examples I have seen from that period. hard to tell what country but looks like an 18th century Continental Army Bayonet made to fit whatever gun that soldier was carrying.

 

 

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Revolutionary Era American Continental Army Bayonets are RARE. Bayonets were in short supply for the Continental Army.According to records,only 1 in 5 soldiers had a bayonet at a certain point in the Revolution.They were Essential in combat in that era. Most were hand made items to fit the rifle they had in their possession.Of course they had muskets procured from the enemy like the Brown Bess Muskets etc.Redcoats were issued bayonets with their rifles.

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1st one is in Centimeters and the second is inches. If someone could tell what caliber it would fire based on those measurements I would appreciate it 

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Brown Bess was a .75 caliber 3/4" ID barrel...looks like that would fit given the thickness of the barrel and the space for the front sight.Looks like a Brown Bess Musket Bayonet to me from the design as well. Problem is both sides used that weapon,so determining who used that would be difficult,but is certainly a period item and because it was hand made that screams Continental Army ! Get it appraised before you sell it ,if it is Washington's Army it is museum stuff and valuable

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  • 4 months later...

If you have some context or provenance that will help.

Measurements of the blade and over length may also be helpful as this was all standardized (except that the Continental Army and the States sometimes accepted lesser quality and out of spec' material).   I know metric is popular in some professional circles, but inches are more useful and make less confusion when looking at material made in that standard.

 

It has some interesting features.  The channel pattern is reverse from a British ordnance standard.   When installed on a musket with a top lug/sight, the blade would end up on the wrong side.  Is there a wrong side?  Yes.  It would interfere with loading.   There were muskets with bayonet lugs on the bottom of the barrel - so this is probably for one of them.

 

Another point of interest is the cut reinforcing ring.   Perhaps it was made that way, but it very well may be an alteration.

 

Here's an excellent example of a bayonet for a Service Musket (British) https://emuseum.history.org/objects/78998/early-land-pattern-shield-bayonet?ctx=edb88c7fd7d634a2f404a71e52c16e84d9b3a977&idx=8

 

Here's a 1766 French musket and below it some other mid-century examples with bayonet lugs under the barrel

https://emuseum.history.org/objects/89501/model-1763-infantry-musket-and-bayonet?ctx=8c210a738e8b288bf971a3289242d7b5d0b8bbb0&idx=53

 

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