Original WWI Australian Lithgow P1907 SMLE Bayonet Dated 1915 with Scabbard - Button Seized
In stock
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Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very hard to find Australian Lithgow Armory manufactured P-1907 Bayonet for the No.1 MkIII Enfield rifle, often called the SHT.LE, SMLE, S.M.L.E., "Smelly" etc. First issued for service in WWI, it is dated 1915 with an original scabbard. Unfortunately, due to the heavy wear, the button is now seized, and would not fit onto a bayonet unless the button was repaired.
The blade markings on this example are very faint, with 1907 inside a shield, under the Australian Commonwealth 7-sided star. The left ricasso is marked 1915 / LITHGOW, indicating manufacture at the Lithgow Arsenal in 1915. Later bayonets would bear the marking MA. On the other ricasso it is stamped with the seven-pointed Commonwealth Star around "A" for Australian government acceptance. There is also the large 'X' blade bending mark.
Lithgow Pattern 1907 bayonets were numbered to rifles on the pommel/crossguard. The crossguard of this bayonet shows it was matched to a rifle and is marked 4 MD 10678. There is no "R" on the hilt spine of this example, so it does not appear to have been refurbished for use in the 1950s. Blade condition is fair, though it does show a lot of heavy oxidation and wear. Grip panels show wear, as expected on a bayonet of this age. As mentioned, the attachment button is seized and the bayonet will not currently fit onto a rifle.
The scabbard is unmarked and the leather has heavy wear, but it is still solid overall.
This is a great chance to get an original WWI Australian bayonet. Bayonets such as this do not turn up often at all.
Specifications:
Blade Length: 17"
Blade Style: Single Edge with Fuller
Overall length: 21 3/4"
Crossguard: 2 1/2”
Scabbard Length: 17 1/2"
History of the P-1907 Bayonet
The Pattern 1907 bayonet replaced the earlier P-1903 bayonet, which was a double edged bayonet based on the P-1888 bayonet of the Lee-Metford rifle. The P-1903 had been developed for the "Long" Magazine Lee-Enfield, which was 49.6 inches in overall length. With the introduction of the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield in 1904, the 12 inch bayonet was no longer considered long enough for the 44.6 inch SMLE, so the 17 inch bladed 1907 was developed.
In it's original form, the P-1907 had a hooked guard (quillon), which was then removed from the pattern in early WWI due to the questionable use and increased production time. Unlike the 1903, the 1907 had a single edged blade that was less wide, but made of thicker stock.
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