French Mle. 1873 Chassepot Sword Bayonet

Allied Forces > France > Edged Weapons >

Here we have a French Mle. 1873 Chassepot Sword Bayonet! It was manufactured for use on the French 11mm 1866 Chassepot Rife. The 22 ½ inch blade on this one looks fair. It shows age spotting and surface scratches throughout. The engraving to the back is nicely executed reading: Manufactured at the Armory Saint-Etienne November 1868. The tip has been sharpened. The steel based black painted scabbard has several pressure marks throughout and continues to hold 75% paint coverage. It is stamped 45582 and sits tightly against the crossguard. The ball is stamped as well. The steel crossguard/quillion is proofed marked and stamped 12963. The brass hilt looks good. It appears to have been yellow painted. The press-catch locking mechanism doesn’t work. It is profusely stamped. A long bayonet!