1855 style bayonets for M-1816/20 converted muskets.

[Bill]

Gentlemen,

You often see bayonets with a M-1816/20 socket and a M-1855 blade. It's my understanding these bayonets were made for the H & P Conversions. Is this correct and were they used on other M-1816/20 conversion muskets?

Sorry if this has been discussed before. I had no clue what to search for?

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: 1855 style bayonets for M-1816/20 converted muskets.

Hallo!

There are several "variants."

IIRC, the first was done in the 1840's for the 2,000 Maynard conversions done by Nippes.

They then jump up to the so-called 20,000 "Remington" Maynard conversions done after 1854. Hewes and Phillips also did 20,000 of thier conversions and it is bleieved they used the varient bayonet. And may be Justice as well.

They are not so much M1855 blades, but closer to the post M1842 bayonets with the 18 inch blade and swept back shoulders rather than the old M1816 with square shoulders and 16 inch blade.

But then that gets messy as some of these attributed to Remington, or H & P, have the M1816 "T" style slot, M1835 bayonet style tapered shoulders and a 16 inch blade.

Curt

[Bill]

Re: 1855 style bayonets for M-1816/20 converted muskets.

Hallo!

They are not so much M1855 blades, but closer to the post M1842 bayonets with the 18 inch blade and swept back shoulders rather than the old M1816 with square shoulders and 16 inch blade.

Curt

Curt,

I see what you mean. The "base" on the bottom flute is wider on the 1855 bayonet compared to the 1840/42 bayonet. My 18" long M-1816 socket bayonet has the M-1840 shape.

Another question on the same vain. I own two bayonets with the 1840/42 sockets. The blade on the one bayonet is just over 3/4" wide at the flute, about the same as a M-1855 bayonet. The other bayonet measures just over 5/8" wide at the flute. Is this wider bayonet correct for the M-1840 flintlock/conversion? Oh yeah, the M-16 socket bayonet also has the wider blade.

Thanks for your help.

[Bill]

Re: 1855 style bayonets for M-1816/20 converted muskets.

I found a reference book that gave the dimensions for the M-1835-42 bayonet and 7/8" is the correct width of the bayonet. There was no information about my "skinny" 3/4" wide bayonet. Does anybody have any ideas?

BTW, I made a typo in my last post. A bayonet that was only 5/8" wide would be really skinny! :)