Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

Bayonet - 1888 Pattern Magazine Lee-Enfield

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Subcollections

Edged Weapons, Swords, Bayonets, Knives and Tools

Overview

The Pattern1888 Bayonet is designed to mount to a lug underneath the Magazine Lee-Metford and Magazine Lee-EEnfield barrel, and slides over the cleaning rod.The bayonet has a wooden handle retained by brass rivets, and has a spear point hollow ground blade.

Historical information

The British Pattern of 1888 bayonet was made originally to fit the Magazine Lee–Metford (MLM) rifle, first introduced in 1888. This rifle had been designed to use a .303 Black Powder cartridge, however smokeless powder was later introduced for a new .303 cartridge, and the Metford rifling proved to be wholly unsuited for the more powerful propellant. As such, a new rifle was introduced in 1895, the Magazine Lee–Enfield, or MLE, which was almost identical to the MLM, but with a new barrel and sights. The stock and fittings were the same, and it took the same bayonet.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-54-502

Inscriptions and markings

The blade ricasso is marked CROWN / VR / 4 ' 97 on the blade ricasso,.

Contextual Information

This bayonet is displayed in the Pre 1914 Galley as part of the stories of British military detachments in Western Australia from 1826 to 1870. All edged weapons, including bayonets, knives and swords in the collection of the Australian Army Museum of Western Australia are physically secured within locked display cases.

Links to additional resources

Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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