Pictures

Type

Description

Blade Length

Overall Length

Muzzle Ring Diameter

Markings

Prototype No. 4 Mk. I Scabbard - Brass Throat

Mk. I tapered steel body with thick brass throat piece.

This scabbard is featured in Graham Priest’s book, Spirit of the Pike - British Socket Bayonets of the 20th Century.  According to the author, the example in my collection is the only brass-throated scabbard reported.

Speculation is that it may be a prototype from a design proposal that was not adopted.

n/a

8.25

n/a

None.

Experimental Mk II Scabbard

This uncommon scabbard has parallel sides and is made of very lightweight steel tubing.

According to Skennerton, this scabbard is one of only 25,000 experimental Mk II scabbards manufactured by the Franco-British Electrical Company, Tempel Park, Hurley.

n/a

8.25

n/a

Scabbard (Throat):  broad arrow proofmark

Scabbard (Bottom):  "S191"

Sheffield No. 4 Mk. I Scabbard

Mk. I scabbard made by: Sheffield Steel Products, Sheffield, Yorkshire.  Sheffield Steel Products reportedly produced approximately 670,000 Mk. 1 scabbards.

Sheffield was the place where steel was invented and became renowned for producing fine cutlery and swords.

n/a

8.25

n/a

Scabbard (Mouth): "No. 4 Mk. I" and "S.S.P. 1943"

Mine-Probing Equipment for No. 4 Bayonet

Entrenching tool with helve (handle) that accepts the No. 4 spike bayonet. With the bayonet fixed, the helve was used as a mine probe. Somehow, having that extra 18 inches of reach isn’t very comforting.

The entrenching tool was made by  William Hunt & Sons, The Brades, Ltd., Brades Steel Works, Oldbury, near Birmingham.

The cover was made by a firm called Princess Silk Shades, who made webbing during the war.

Tool:  "BRADES" over "1944" over broad arrow proofmark

Helve: "M.H.B." "1951" and broad arrow proofmark

Cover (Inside): "P.S.S. broad arrow proofmark 1943" over "CAT. No. AA5081"

No. 4 Mk. I

First pattern spike bayonet with the cruciform blade. For use with the Lee-Enfield No. 4 .303 caliber rifles. These rifles saw extensive use during WWII and into the 1950s, when the Lee-Enfield was superseded by the FN-FAL assault rifle.

Only 75,000 of this type were made, all by the Singer Manufacturing Co. (the famous sewing machine maker), at their Clydebank, Scotland plant.

Mk. I scabbard has early pattern blued steel throat.

8.00

10.00

.595

Socket (L. Side): "G (Crown) R" over No 4 Mk I" over "S M"

Socket (R. Side): "???"

Spring Catch:  "SM" over "41"

Scabbard:  "No. 4 Mk. I" and "S286" and broad arrow proofmark.

No. 4 Mk. II

The No. 4 Mk. II was a simplified version with a plain blade.

This example was made by the Savage-Stevens Co., Chicopee Falls, MA, USA. According to Skennerton, Savage made approximately 1.25 million bayonets for shipment to Britain under the Lend-Lease Act. 

The U.S. M5 scabbard was made by Beckwith Manufacturing Co., Dover, New Hampshire, USA.  Popularly known as the "Victory Plastics" scabbard, it was unique in design compared to all other No. 4 bayonet scabbards in having an integral web belt frog.  These too, were supplied to the British under the Lend-Lease Act.

7.875

9.875

.595

Socket:  No 4 Mk II" over "s"

Spring Catch:  "s"

Scabbard:  "VP" on reverse.

No. 4 Mk. II

Alternate marking used by the Savage-Stevens Co.

7.875

9.875

.595

Socket:  No 4 Mk II" over "S" inside a square and "8096"