Indians For Guns

Here is a Bayonet with lots of questions...
1) For which gun would this bayonet been made ?
2) How old wud this one be ?
3) Although I've been able to restore the handle (metal portion), I don't know what to do with the wooden part... any suggestions ??
4) The scabbard was rusted badly, which i've scrubbed with fine sand paper... wud automotive paint (black) be a suitable restorative finish on it ?

Olly";p="29448 wrote: Gosh, hope this is not OT... !!
If so, the mods may move it to a new thread... AND sorry in advance ....

Done...

Cheers!
Abhijeet

I am not knowledgeable about bayonets but here's my 2 Cents worth...

1) For which gun would this bayonet been made ?

Considering its blade length is short of the artillery model (20" or so) and more than that of the regular WW2 Wehrmacht bayonet (approx. 9.5"), it could be a WW1 model for the Mauser M98.

2) How old wud this one be ?

If it is a WW1 model, then it could have been made anytime between 1898 to 1918.

3) Although I've been able to restore the handle (metal portion), I don't know what to do with the wooden part... any suggestions ??

Sorry to say but you have actually buggered up the metal finish on the handle. They were never shiny silver. Suggest you cold blue it at the very least.

To redo the wooden scales you can oil finish them in-situ or drill out the rivets and do them seperately.

4) The scabbard was rusted badly, which i've scrubbed with fine sand paper... wud automotive paint (black) be a suitable restorative finish on it ?

That should work.

BTW, the point on that bayonet may have been re-profiled.

Mack The Knife

Sorry to say but you have actually buggered up the metal finish on the handle. They were never shiny silver. Suggest you cold blue it at the very least.

Mack The Knife,
Well there were rusty patches in the metal part of the grip which had eaten away the metal... ugly depressions so to say... so this metallic silver coat has actually covered them up and given an even finish... I haven't touched the blade though... and also don't know what to do with it...

Olly";p="29476 wrote:I haven't touched the blade though... and also don't know what to do with it...

Since it has already been worked on partially, I suggest you go the whole hog and make everything spick and span. M98 bayonet blades were frequently blued, though I am not sure if your vintage was.

There is a lot of information on the net. Do a search and once you find one in excellent condition, try and reproduce the finish on yours.

This is a real shot in the dark but did you by any chance get this bayonet from one Pavan Chib? He used to live in Defence Colony in the 70's.

I think Mack The Knifes right about the date - unless there are any markings to the contrary it would appear to be a WW1 example. The original finish - pommel, cross piece and blade would have been blued ( black ) - almost certainly rust blued. I reckon that even deep pits would look better than that garish silver.
And yes, I`d say that about a 1/4 inch has been lost from the point.

NO... Got it from Col. Suresh Chand. He read the TOI article and decided to gift this one to me... he said it was WWW I vintage...

Hello Anupam

Here's a photo of the actual bayonet..

Please do not do anything drastic to the bayonet.. A phosphate finishing would be just what the doctor ordered!! (Dr. Asif??) If you are 'handyman' (Nutthin to do with being gud w'i youre hands like someone we know here!) I have posted a simple 'DIY' article on phosphate finishing.. It gives a very military finish..

Jonah

Thanks Jonah !
I intend having a small writeup about the bayonet, just for record and the pic u've posted is just fine for the record....

I have posted a simple 'DIY' article on phosphate finishing.. It gives a very military finish..

Do give the DIY... i'll try working on it... hope the materials mentioned are readily available...