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Knife bayonet for use with the 7 mm. M1899, M1899/07, and M1910 Mauser rifles.
According to noted Yugoslavian weapons expert Branko Bogdanovic, M1899 bayonets were made 1899-1906 by Simpson & Co. of Suhl, Germany; 1907-1910 by Oesterreichsche Waffenfabrik-Gesellschaft, Steyr, Austria; and, 1910-1915 by the Fayette R. Plumb Co. of St. Louis, MO.
Plumb’s bayonets made for Serbia were marked with "Plumb" and the year of mfr. on the ricasso. However, additional bayonets were made in 1915 by Plumb for commercial sale, using the left over parts from the Serbian contract. The absence of any markings identifies this example is one of those made in 1915 by Plumb for commercial sale.
The Serbian M1899 bayonet is one of the only double-edged Mauser bayonets. The grips are secured by high-domed rivets, with washers. The crosspiece is also secured by high-domed rivets. The metal on this example was blued, although many are found in the white.
The Serbian M1899 rifles were almost identical to the Chilean M1895 Mauser rifle, which was chambered for the 7 x 57 mm. cartridge. Serbia went for this design, because DWM already had the production line in operation and could begin delivering rifles right away. That's how they ended up using the 7 mm. cartridge, which was not at all the norm on the European Continent.
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