Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. Now these are extremely rare! The British No.8 "Bowie Knife" bayonet was developed at Royal Ordnance Factory Poole in 1946 for the Self Loading Experimental Rifle (SLEM). This rifle was not adopted, and as a result only 2,400 of these bayonets were ever produced. The design is very similar the the well known no.5 jungle carbine bayonet, and in fact many of the same parts were used. The experimental bayonets were however fitted with a smaller muzzle ring of .576", with a crossguard slightly farther from the pommel.
The no. 8 was never officially adopted and the prototypes, such as this one, bare no markings. Clearly quality manufacture shows it to have been an original government prototype. Please see Watts & White, The Bayonet Book, page 403, illustration item 850. For text see same book page 239, top paragraph.
The bayonet has a 7 3/4 inch "bowie" style clip-point blade, with a wide fuller running down each side, with an overall length of about 12 inches. Unlike most bayonets, the wooden grip scales wrap completely around the tang. Comes complete with a correct post-war brass throated scabbard.
In very good condition, this bayonet still has the original bright finish on the blade, with the hilt blued. The hilt has however been repainted at some point, and the grips were probably replaced with arsenal spares at that point.
A great example of a rare bayonet, ready to add to your collection!
Specifications:
Blade Length: 7 7/8"
Blade Style: Single Edged "Bowie" with Fuller
Overall length: 11 7/8”
Crossguard: 2 1/2”
Scabbard Length: 8 1/2”
- This product is available for international shipping.
- Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle
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