RARE “SNELL” SWORD BAYONET – M1841 RIFLE, CIRCA 1855

RARE “SNELL” SWORD BAYONET – M1841 RIFLE, CIRCA 1855

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$1,495.00

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Item Code: 490-7260

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Scarce “Snell” or “ring-style” sword bayonet for the Mississippi Rifle. When it became evident that riflemen needed a bayonet to put them on equal footing with regular musket-armed infantry in close combat, several methods of attaching long saber bayonets to the shorter barreled rifles were devised. Hardin refers to this as the U.S. Rifle Model 1841 Type I. Measuring 27 ¼ inches overall with a 22 1/2-inch blade, this brass-handled bayonet was fitted with a folding ring at the pommel that could slide onto the barrel over the front sight and then permit the bayonet to be locked in place by a thumbscrew mounted at the muzzle ring. This was done to avoid extensive modification of the rifle, requiring only two notches be cut on the right side of the barrel forward of the sight to engage the thumbscrew when tightened. The rear ring on the hilt was designed to fold out of the way of the hand when the bayonet was removed from the barrel.

Only some 1650 of these bayonets were made in 1855 (precisely 1646 according to Hardin) for Model 1841 rifles altered to accept them, after which the system was changed to a more conventional stud brazed on the barrel or mounted on a split-ring adapter that was screw-tightened on the barrel.

The brass hilt is stamped “C13” and has a mellow, aged patina mixed with scattered brown spots, small dings to the ribbed grip and some roughness around the inner face of the muzzle ring. The muzzle ring finial and quillon finial are in place. The folding pommel ring is a modern copy. The side thumbpiece appears original. The blade has a dull point and nice edge with no nicks. The metal is silver gray with a dusting of darker spotting. As is correct, it is unmarked. The scabbard has a good leather body with decent finish and mounts securely in place.  A slight crease is noted in the upper third of the scabbard body, with very light cracking in the outer finished layer near the tip.

A scarce piece of weaponry for the discerning collector.  [cm][ph:L]

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