French Model 1892 Second Pattern Bayonet

As I mentioned in my last posting, this bayonet is about half the length of the firearm it was made for. The musketoon alone is only 37 inches long. The bayonet is 20 inches long and the blade adds 15 ½ inches to the total length of the weapon. Understandable when you consider the weapon’s short reach.

The little notch in the fuller of the blade engages a catch inside the scabbard to keep it from sliding out. The hooked quillion is a hold-over from 19th century bayonet design that remained with this bayonet even after the French removed quillions from their Lebel rifle bayonets. The bayonet connects with the firearm via a lug in the gun’s nosecap and a hole in the end of the bayonet’s pommel. The muzzle ring has a cut-out that slips around the front sight for additional stability.

Originally these bayonets were made with composite grips. At the start of WWI the grips were changed to wood as this one has. My bayonet is referred to as the second pattern, which differed in that it has a longer muzzle ring that more completely surrounds the front sight.