Lebel bayonet with frog

[Garandrew]

Interesting piece?

[RRA227]

Nice piece. Rich A. in Pa.

[numbersix]

Very interesting and a nice example with the brass handle yet the rest as an originally designed Épée-Baïonnette Modèle 1886. French troops nicknamed the Lebel bayonet 'Rosalie'.

[Garandrew]

Possibly German reissued WW2?

[numbersix]

I don't know, the examples I have seen of the German retooled ones are without quillion, have the later sqaure button/lever and are shortened to a 13.5"/34cm blade. I do not know if the Germans added any markings and there are no markings to indicate it has been modified on your example. Also, there are other reasons for a shorter blade; sometimes the blades were repointed after the tip had broken so a short blade does not necessarily mean it's a WW2 German issue one. I believe some were shortend by the French in the 1920s/1930s for use with the 35M rifle.

[Garandrew]

This is 18” overall with 13 1/2” blade cut down 

[numbersix]

I have found out that the German modified Lebel bayonet with no quillion and the later type lug button is known as a Seitengewehr 103(f), where the (f) is for France. It was a Épée-Baïonnette Modèle 1886 Modifié 1915 in the original French nomenclature.

 

Your bayonet started out as a standard Épée-Baïonnette Modèle 1886 in the original French nomenclature, made after 1914 and possibly prior to 1917, as it is brass gripped. If yours is a German modified one it is a Seitengewehr 102(f) and would have a blade length of 342mm (13.46").

 

I am not qualified, in all fairness, to say if it is a German Seitengewehr 102(f), but the blade length you give appears to be about the length they were shortened to. However, "there are some Épée-Baïonnette Modèle 1886 and Épée-Baïonnette Modèle 1886 Modifié 1915 that have blades anywhere from 265mm (10.43") up to 400mm (15.75") and at this time it is not sure why these were done".