Rare Maker**No4 MkII Bayonet and Scabbard by Baird of Belfast. BAYO 6292. Bayonets

The No. 4 Bayonet was created to replace the current bayonet at the time in service which was the World War I vintage Pattern 1907 bayonet. It was the result of the British search for a new bayonet to replace the Pattern 1907 which began just after World War I which came to the conclusion around the beginning of World War II that the best replacement for the pattern 1907 bayonet would be a Spike type bayonet. This was then implemented which lead to the No. 4 becoming a Spike type bayonet. The design of the No. 4 Bayonet is said to have been taken from Swiss socket bayonets. The No 4 bayonet was accepted into service alongside the No 4 rifle. During the course of World War II the design of the No 4 bayonet changed over time. The first variant the No 4 Mk I bayonet much like other weapons at the beginning of World War II was high quality. Hence relatively few of this variant of the No 4 bayonet were produced. The next variant made in 1942 and the most produced one is the No 4 Mk II bayonet which saved production time by omitting milling the blade in the production process but had no other design changes. After the No 4 Mk I bayonet the design was further changed in 1942 to save costs and disperse production by making the blade and socket separately and this became the bayonet No 4 mk II*. The final variant of the No 4 bayonet is the bayonet No 4 Mk III which further reduced the cost of a bayonet by making the socket out of welding stamped steel pieces instead of as a single piece. This example was made in Northern Ireland by Baird Manufacturing from Belfast. Stamped near the socket with ‘No4 MkII’ in good overall condition. The locking catch works as it should. The price includes UK delivery. BAYO 6292.