Reference # 107

Model 1841 Rifle Bayonet

Type I - Ring Attachment - S Guard

Information about this bayonet

This bayonet was made by Harper’s Ferry and has a very unique brass hilt. The hilt is 123 mm long and the grip is molded in a ringed pattern that completely encircles the grip. The S shaped guard has a forward swept cylindrical finial on top of the muzzle ring and the lower guard terminates in a rearward swept disk finial. The muzzle ring inside diameter is 22.9 mm.

The large 566 mm long yataghan blade has stopped fullers creating 8.1 mm wide ricassos. The top edge of the blade next to the hilt has a small cylindrical tenon forged into the blade that fits into a mortise on the barrel. This bayonet is unmarked except for rifle mating numbers sometimes stamped on the front of the muzzle ring finial.

The right center of the guard has a spring loaded thumb screw which, when its left extension is depressed, rotates180 degrees to present a round shoulder inside the lower surface of the bore. This surface engages a slot cut unto the rifle barrel.

A large flat head screw passes through the center of the pommel and retains the rotating rear retaining steel ring. A small hump is forged into this ring to allow it to pass over the front sight. A small spring loaded button is set into the lower backward surface of the ring that, when depressed, allows the ring to rotate up or down 90 degrees.

Other bayonets with this blade style

Information from other sources

There are several sources of information on this bayonet; Albert N. Hardin, The American Bayonet 1776 – 1964, Rollin V. Davis, Sword Bayonets 1847 – 1865, George D. Moller, American Military Shoulder Arms – Volume III, and Richard A Berglund, The S.A.B.C. Journal, Volume 54, Winter 2005.

With the adoption of the new Model 1855 arms, authority was given to update the current stores of arms to the new standards. The addition of sword bayonets was one of these standards. Harper’s Ferry was charged with the task of developing a sword bayonet to update the Model 1841 Rifle which was originally designed to not have a bayonet. In July 1854, two different bayonets were adopted. Due to the excessive work required in adapting existing rifles to a stud and guide bayonet, the so called “ring bayonet” was chosen to be made for rifles that were already made (Type I). New rifles were to be made to use a stud and guide bayonet (Type II). 1,649 Type I ring attachment bayonets were produced by Harper’s Ferry in 1855. At least 590 rifles, possibly as many as 1,628, were modified to use them. A memorandum made by Chief of Ordnance Colonel Craig on April 27, 1855, stated that 1,128 rifles had been altered or made with “ring bayonets” and another 500 rifles were in the process of being fitted with these bayonets. The memorandum also stated that all rifles hereafter to be prepared with stud attachment. The ring attachment bayonet was found to be to complex, fragile and costly, all possible reasons so few rifles were fitted to this bayonet.

Speculation and questions