An angular bayonet for the M1855 .58 caliber rifle-musket and subsequent M1861 variant. The blade is approximately 18" long, 3/8" at its thickest and 13/16" at its widest, tapering along its length to a point. The blade appears to have been originally bright finished but is heavily pitted and discolored from age. A hollow ground flute is to its upper surface. The deeply ground back flutes almost come to point, but all of the edges are squared. A vertical shank connects the blade to its socket. Its 3" long socket has an "L"-shaped mortise cut into it with a rotating clasp positioned over that. The end of the socket has a raised bridge with an oval opening continuing the end of the "L"-shaped mortise. When fixed to the rifle musket, the oval opening allows the forward sight on the barrel to pass under it and unto the first horizontal arm of the mortise. The socket then twists to the right such that the sight now moves along the vertical arm of the mortise. It then slides down the second horizontal, under the oval opening of the movable clasp, which then slides to the right, locking the forward sight. In this fixed position the blade extends from the right side of the barrel. Stamped to the metal between the shank and the flute is "U S". The triangular, blackened bridle leather scabbard is 19 1/2" long, exclusive of the frog, sewn along its reverse and coming to a point with a sheet brass collar and teardrop finial. The collar is attached by two copper rivets on the reverse flat which is an indicator of manufacture by Winchester. Its thick, blackened leather, two piece frog is comprised of an approximately 2 1/2" wide piece wrapped and sewn around the throat of the scabbard and a slightly wider belt loop arching upward from where it is where it is sewn in between the protruding ends of the throat piece. An additional triangular stitch delineates the 2" opening for the belt. Most of the blackening is retained on the frog with some usage wear to the edges and on the throat piece. The scabbard is moderately cracked and exhibits chafe wear where it meets its brass collar but is still supple and appears untreated. The brass components have a moderate to heavy age patina. The bayonet is heavily pitted and discolored from age but has all the pieces and the clasp is fully functional. The bayonet in its frog would have been slung from the waist belt over the left hip.

GRADE***                             PRICE $430.00