This M1816 bayonet shows a small “US / EB” blade mark at the base of the blade that Reilly lists as an inspector’s mark, likely a set of initials, along with a small “A” underneath. The metal overall is smooth and in very good condition, carefully cleaned and shows, correctly, bright with some gray and few brown spots. This one of several showing a small number stamped near the mortise, in this case “17,” which might be a workman’s number, along with an alpha-numeric code featuring a capital letter over a lower case letter, followed by a number: here, C over f, followed by 51. This is likely related to bayonets being numbered in batches of 2,400 according to Reilly, though he only mentions single letter prefixes.

The model 1816 bayonet is a collecting category of its own. Nominally measuring 19 inches overall with a 3-inch socket and 16-inch blade generally with a blunt “slash” point (in Reilly’s words,) its production extended into the 1840s and its use extended well into the Civil War, with some replacements made as well. There were variations in the presence or absence of face flutes and the shape of the point up to about 1822, but the pattern is readily recognizable by the T-shaped bayonet lug mortise (which may have started about 1813) and integral bridge, that would keep the bayonet on the muzzle of the musket even if pulled forward when withdrawing the blade from a target or jarred by the recoil of discharge. They were generally finished in the bright, with some possible browned exceptions from 1822 to 1831, and a few tinned examples. Careful inspection resulted in high degree of uniformity, but there is a lot of variety in blade markings, where in addition to a “US,” the initials of an inspector, maker, or state may be found.    [SR] [ph:m]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS.

THANK YOU!