US Model 1917 Bayonet by Winchester
Straight single-fullered blade with spear point, steel hilt with muzzle ring, wood slab grips with pair of cut grooves on each slab, the slabs secured by two screws, steel beaked pommel with oil hole and locking button. Leather scabbard painted US olive green with steel locket & chape pieces, the locket with integral brass wire belt hooks.
The blade is stamped on one side at the ricasso with the Shell and Flame (aka Flaming Bomb), the mark of the US Army Ordnance Branch, the letters ‘U.S.’, an eagle head inspection mark, and an ‘X’ indicting the blade passed a manufacturer’s bending test. It is stamped on the other side with the model ‘1917’ and a letter W within a circle, which is the maker’s mark used by Winchester. The leather of the scabbard is stamped on the rear side next to the seam with ‘F.I.C.’ while the throat and chape pieces of the scabbard are each stamped next to/under the staple on one side with ‘GF’ within a circle, indicating they were made by General Fireproofing Co. based in Youngstown, Ohio.
Due to the outbreak of WW1, manufacture of the new British P1914 Enfield rifle was contracted out to American manufacturers Remington and Winchester, including its matching 1913 Pattern bayonet. After the United States entered WW1 in 1917 the factories that had been producing for the British switched to supplying the same products to the US Army. In US service the P1914 Rifle became the ‘United States Rifle, Model of 1917’ with accompanying ‘Model 1917’ bayonet – both direct copies, now with US markings. Winchester is the rarer of the two manufacturers, producing just under a quarter as many bayonets as Remington did.
The blade retains a very good parkerised finish with only a few very small spots of light patination and a good blued band at the ricasso. The blade is sharp with no nicks or chips and its tip is intact. The hilt, and pommel have a fair amount of rubbing to their blued finish on raised surfaces exposing bright or lightly patinated steel, while the exposed tang retains full blueing. The wood grips are undamaged with no significant scratching or denting. The leather of the scabbard is very good with only a handful of tiny knocks and scratches. The scabbard throat piece has rubbing to the blueing and spots of patination. The chape piece has mottled heavy patination and speckled pitting, the latter on the rear face. The brass hooks move freely and are darkly patinated.
