US Model 1917 Enfield Bayonet

Like the rifle in my last post, my M 1917 bayonet has a British twin, but it also has a British parent.

When the British Pattern 1914 rifle was produced (see my last post), the War Office decided to copy the pattern 1907 bayonet it had used on the Short Magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE). Since the dimensions on the SMLE are different from the P-14, requiring a longer cross guard, they are not interchangeable. Therefore, to quickly tell them apart (even in the dark), two grooves were cut into the handles of the bayonets intended for the P-14.

When the Americans chose to produce a copy of the P-14 rifle and name it the M1917, they also reproduced the bayonet, right down to the two grooves. I have photographed my US Model 1917 and British Pattern 1907 bayonets side by side in the last picture for comparison.

Of course my American version has American markings. Some other US M1917 bayonets have British markings crossed out and American markings applied. Those are bayonets that were originally intended for the British P-14 rifle, but obtained by the US and issued for the M1917 rifle.

On bayonets manufactured for US issue, one side has a circlet with the manufacturer’s name. (mine is “Remington”). Over the circlet is the bayonet model number, “1917”. (The custom previously was to stamp the year of manufacture. Even the manufacturer got confused by the change of regulations, so there are Model 1917 bayonets erroneously marked 1918.)

On the other side is a mess of markings. There is the Ordinance Department’s flaming bomb proof mark, overlapped by an eagle head, which is the acceptance stamp with the inspector’s number beneath. Also visible is the “X” mark indicating the blade has passed the bend test.

The M1917 bayonet would have a longer service life than the rifle, becoming the issue bayonet for a variety of military shotguns which have been used in every US conflict since then. (During Vietnam, another production run of M1917 bayonets used plastic grips).