Need Help with Lee Enfield No 5 Jungle Carbine Bayonet - UPDATE

Andy

Andy

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I have what looks like an unissued No 5 bayonet, but two things cause me to pause:

1. the paint (if it's paint) looks a bit thick for an original application, and a painted blade seems unusual, but if it's been repainted it was over a very nice bayonet and scabard and was done carefully; and
2. there are a few markings, but they're spomewhat obscured by the paint - the scabard has a "Broad Arrow" and the bayonet was "WRL" and somethig else on one side, and a "W-like" mark and "Broad Arrow" on the reverse, all near the hilt.

Is this typical?

British Bayonet I presume.

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Looks like one of the Sterling bayonets imported by Collector's Source several years ago.
 
It doesn't look like mine from a finish perspective. The paint is not present on my unsharpened unissued bayonet.Also the makers mark is very small, but clear and sharp. Not sure if this is helpful. Perhaps if someone has access to the bayonet makers codes they could tell you which suppliers had a W prefix. As an example mine is N79, the N for Northern area and the number 79 being the maker's ID number.
 
Upon closer look, the marking on the ricasso is not "WRL", but "WSC" (Wilkinson Sword Company?) and there is a Serial Number above that. I would have to remove paint (phosphate?) to be able to read it, which I am relucant to do.

I am inclined to think that it's a refurbished bayonet.
 
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I sold my rifle and bayonet but this is from my notes.

BAYONETS: For the No.5.Mk1 Lee-Enfield Rifle.
I found this info somewhere.
Wartime production was carried out by four manufacturers: Wilkinson Sword Co, London - 188,354; Viners Ltd., Sheffield – 42,000; Radcliffe – 75,000; and Elkington & Co. Ltd., Birmingham – 10,768.
An unknown quantity was produced post-war at the Royal Ordinance Factory, Poole.
Wilkinson marked their No. 5 bayonets with the initials “W.S.C.” and/or their dispersal code “S294”.
Viners marked theirs with “VNS” or their dispersal code “N79”.
Radcliffe (about which very little is known) marked theirs with their dispersal code, “N187”.
Elkington marked theirs with their dispersal code, “M78”.
Post-war ROF, Poole bayonets are marked with a “P” inside a small circle.
 
sail32 said:
There may be more information on these sites.


World of Bayonets
http://worldbayonets.com/index.htm

Bayonet sites, plus other related sites
http://worldbayonets.com/Links/links.html

Old Smithy, bayonet site
http://www.old-smithy.info/

Bayonet Identification Guide
http://worldbayonets.com/Bayonet_Identification_Guide/bayonet_identification_guide.html
Click to expand...

Thanks you!

This will assist me with the other 30+ other bayonets I have, some of which are not yet fully identified.
 
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