Pattern 1855 volunteer Lancaster Oval Bore Sappers and Miners or Engineers Carbine bayonet in scabbard.
£475
Pattern 1855 volunteer issue Lancaster Oval Bore Sappers and Miners or Engineers Carbine bayonet in its brass mounted leather scabbard. Brass hilt with release catch to the left rear and flat spring to the right has press chequered leather grip scales. Stamped to the rear of the pommel 301 H.B. Lancaster pattern brass cross guard with relief to the top of the muzzle ring to clear the view of the front sight when fitted to the rifle. Unique Lancaster’s pattern pipe back blade with false edge to the top front 10 inches. In its brass mounted black leather scabbard with unique pattern chape and locket with frog stud to the front of the locket. Made for sale to a volunteer Sapper / Engineer soldier of the Mid Victorian period, the bayonet is identical to the Ordnance issue arm with the unique, in British service, pattern of blade and scabbard. An impressive and graceful weapon the Lancaster bayonet was widely used by both volunteer sappers’ units and other volunteers who preferred the design to the more basic Yataghan issued to the front line army rifle regiments. They were also widely issued by colonial governments across the empire to fit the various patterns of arms purchased to arm police and military units across the world. Like all of the British sword bayonets issued in Victorian times it serves well as a bayonet but is best suited to use on its own either as a short sword in combat or for use in cutting wood to build defences or breech enemy fortifications in the case of the engineers. In good condition with good clean blade and sharply chequered scales, working catch and a nice scabbard (the top of the locket slightly crushed at some point in service). A scarce volunteer engineers carbine bayonet in good condition.
