Bayonet ID...

[Western Blue Belly]

Attached I have some pics of a bayonet I own. I never really looked into it's history/origin much. I'm having trouble making out the maker of the bayonet. All I can make out is a few letters...SA*T*P. I'm not sure thats a P on the end, and it may be an L or an I between the A and T. Under this there is an inverted J. Anyone have a clue?
Another thing is that the bayonet has been cut off behind where the locking ring should be. My only thought here is that the socket was damaged or it was cut off to fit onto another rifle. Your guess is as good as mine.

[tarheelmilitia]

Re: Bayonet ID...

The makers name I believe is going to be "Salter". British maker I think.

[Jimmayo]

Re: Bayonet ID...

Looks like an enfield or other similar type English make.

[jhuether]

Re: Bayonet ID...

What is the best book out there that covers 19th century bayonets, both in photographic evidence and histories? I don't know anything about this area, but would love to get a good look into it.

[Western Blue Belly]

Re: Bayonet ID...

Looks like an enfield or other similar type English make.

It is an Enfield type bayonet, but the maker is what is stumping me.

[Enfield]

Re: Bayonet ID...

Yes, the maker was Salter. I don't have references here and can't look them up, but they are mentioned in C.H. Roads' Enfield book as being among the suppliers of parts for the first P53 contracts. I have seen a coule other Salter-marked bayonets. Don't know what this bayonet is, though - it looks cut off.

Geoff Walden

[Todd Watts]

Re: Bayonet ID...

Yep, It is a SALTER "BSAT". There is probably a crown under the word "SALTER" if it is like the original Craig barry has that I am now copying for de-farb work. On his, the stamps were obviously separate because the crown is fairly centered but the name "SALTER" is cock-eyed and off-center slightly, and raised a bur in the top of the crown when it was struck, meaning the name was struck after the crown. Just an observation I made when studying his to have my copy stamp made.

[LeatherHead]

Re: Bayonet ID...

The "BSAT" stands for Birmingham Small Arms Trade, which was a consortium of a dozen or more rifle-musket manufacturers and bayonet makers in and around Birmingham, England. They banded together for a larger voice in deliberations affecting the gun business while retaining a market competitiveness among themselves.

The bayonet in question has had the locking ring removed and the socket cut off below the locking ring reinforce. A major reason this was done was to allow it to fit (if loosely) a variety of Hollywood prop guns in the 20th century. Another approach was to remove the ring and cut a slot in the socket running the full length in order to adjust it to a larger or smaller diameter for whatever gun it was to go on for a particular film.

Dean Nelson
1st MD Infantry, CSA, N-SSA

[Enfield]

Re: Bayonet ID...

I didn't see a BSAT mark on this bayonet, but you're right - the markings aren't easy to see.

The members of the BSAT were gunmakers, not bayonet or appendage makers. Although some of the full-fledged gunmakers did also make bayonets, or did at least put their names on bayonets (R&W Aston was one example). If this bayonet has a BSAT mark on it, I'd expect that mark was put there by the gunmaker of the Enfield that the bayonet was fitted to, not by Salter.

Geoff Walden

[VMI88]

Re: Bayonet ID...

Anybody know how to get in touch with Bob Hoyt? An internet search turned up nothing . . .

[Western Blue Belly]

Re: Bayonet ID...

I have looked over this thing from every angle and in every light I can, and there is no "BSAT" stamp. There is no crown. Below is the best example of the stamp...

SALTER

......J


Turn the J upside down and that is the whole thing (nevermind the ...... I just did that to center it about where it is under the salter stamp). "SALTER" is not stamped too deep and as a result the E is gone and the R looks like a P.

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Bayonet ID...

the stamps were obviously separate because the crown is fairly centered but the name "SALTER" is cock-eyed and off-center slightly, and raised a bur in the top of the crown when it was struck, meaning the name was struck after the crown.
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NOTE:
For what it is worth, Todd has it opposite, the name is string straight and the BSAT stamp is cock-eyed. The name "SALTER" appears to have been on the blade and then BSAT stamped rather carelessly on top of it. Good bayonet, fits the barrel of my Parker-Hale like a glove.