French 1st Pattern Lebel M1886 Bayonet and Scabbard. BAYO 427. Bayonets

The model M1886 Bayonet was standard issue to French soldiers fighting in the First half of WW1 before1916 who were issued the Lebel rifle. This is a nice pattern Lebel bayonet with a white metal hilt, down swept quillon numbered with inspection marks and a round working button catch. This is an early model with the hilt fixed permanently to the tang, whereas later models had removable hilts with a screw nut fixing to the end of the hilt. The blade is the usual Lebel cruciform shape and the scabbard is black tubular steel which is straight and true with a smooth operation and inspection marks. This is a lovely complete example of a 1st pattern iconic Lebel bayonet. See White and Watts item no. 205 on pages 85 and 96 and Martin Brayley, An Illustrated History of Bayonets, pages 71 – 73. The price includes U.K. delivery. BAYO 427.