Patt 1876 Ordnance issue bayonet in scabbard bushed to fit the .303” Martini Henry rifle at the Citadel Arsenal in Cairo.
£175
A good Pattern 1876 Ordnance issue socket bayonet in scabbard bushed to fit the .303” Martini Henry rifle at the Citadel Arsenal in Cairo (See Skennerton British and Commonwealth bayonets page 378). 21 ½” tricorn blade struck with feint opposed Broad Arrow Ordnance sale mark beneath Egyptian army issue marks to the top and side flats. Blued socket with locking ring bushed to fit the smaller barrel diameter of the .303” rifles with the sight bridge ground off to allow the socket to fit over the higher foresight of converted rifles. In its WD marked brass mounted black leather scabbard. Converted to fit the new issue of .303” Martini’s on service with the British Egyptian army in the 1890’s at the Citadel armoury outside Cairo the Egyptian pattern is similar to the British Ordnance 1895 model. However the Egyptian pattern had the sight bridge removed rather than heightened and after conversion the blade still sits to the right side of the barrel when fitted rather than the British pattern on which the socket was adapted to make the blade sit under the barrel. In good condition with good well marked clean blade, working locking ring and nice scabbard with all stitching intact. A nice example of a scarce British colonial bayonet.
