Description
French WW1 M1874 Gras bayonet dated 1880, original metal scabbard. All parts are intact, great overall condition, considering the age.
Original French M1874/1878 Gras rifle bayonet made in 1879 with original uncut blade. The single-shot Gras rifle and its extra-long bayonet were outdated by the time France entered WW1, so during the Great War “the Gras” was mostly provided to the second-line formations and colonial troops. As for the long and clumsy M1874 bayonet – a large quantity of them were cut-down and converted to fighting knives in order to meet the demand for fighting knives early in the war. Many thousands of M1874 bayonets were cut-down to be used by the French infantry during the trench warfare. These modifications were done by numerous private enterprises, as well as at some French arsenals.
This 1880-dated bayonet is about 25-1/4″ / 64.3 cm overall; the blade is about 20-1/2″ / 52 cm. Original arsenal prof marks on the handle and all-metal scabbard are clearly visible. This French WW1 M1874 Gras bayonet is in very good overall condition, considering the age; all parts are tight with no play; typical contact marks on the bronze pommel and some light surface rust on the blade are noted for accuracy. Original metal scabbard is in excellent shape, considering the age.
This French WW1 M1874 Gras bayonet has not been cleaned or tampered with in any way, the set is in 100% original “as is” condition. These are the actual photos. I have a few more European WW1 era military knives and bayonets, as well as several scarce WW2 fighting daggers and trench knives from other countries available for sale – please take a look in the store’s Militaria section.
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USPS PRIORITY MAIL SHIPPING WITHIN THE U.S. WILL BE $32 FOR THIS ITEM
International shipping for this item will be $99 and up to most countries on our “ship-to” list.