SMGN-1036 WWI REMINGTON US PROOFED 1917 BAYONET

A nice looking, likely unissued bayonet due to the original factory edge and lack of any signs of use. The blade shows some oxidation, but its pretty light and the blade is actually real nice. The leather scabbard is undented and in good lightly worn condition.

Straight single-fullered blade with spear point, steel hilt with muzzle ring, wood slab grips secured by two screws, steel beaked pommel with oil hole and locking button. Olive green painted leather scabbard with steel locket & chape fittings, brass webbing hooks, brown leather frog with belt loop and retaining loop.

The blade is stamped on one side at the ricasso with the Shell and Flame (aka Flaming Bomb), the mark of the US Army Ordnance Branch, below which is ‘U.S.’, as well as an eagle head inspection mark and an ‘X’ indicating that it passed a manufacturer’s bending test, and on the other side with the manufacture date 1918 and a Remington roundel manufacturer’s mark. The leather of the scabbard is stamped on the rear side with ‘F.I.C.’ and the chape piece is stamped next to the staple with a faint oval maker’s mark. The frog is stamped near the retention loop rivets with ‘E’.

Due to the outbreak of WW1, manufacture of the new British P1914 Enfield rifle was contracted out to American manufacturers Remington and Winchester, including its matching 1913 Pattern bayonet. After the United States entered WW1 in 1917 the factories that had been producing for the British switched to supplying the same products to the US Army. In US service the P1914 Rifle became the ‘United States Rifle, Model of 1917’ with accompanying ‘Model 1917’ bayonet – both direct copies, now with US markings.