The bayonet for the US M1835/40 flintlock musket essentially set the pattern for socket bayonets for the rest of the century. The musket went into production at Springfield in 1840 and in addition to other innovations introduced a socket bayonet with a locking ring to keep it on the barrel, something long used by the French, and a long, precisely ground flute on the face of the blade, both of which continued in use on subsequent US socket bayonets. The M1835/40 musket was soon outmoded by the percussion M1842, but the socket bayonet remained unchanged until the introduction of the 1855 series of arms. This has the early form of the blade with scalloped shoulders rather than shoulders that taper like the 1855 series. It is thought M1835/40 bayonets with those shoulders were made after 1855 for the older .69 caliber muskets being rifled and sighted or as general replacements during the Civil War. This one also has a projecting lug on the locking ring to hit the stop pin on the socket, pointing to an early date.

The metal of both socket and blade is smooth. The blade shows as muted silver gray with some darker gray shadowing. The socket is correctly mortised for a bottom mounted bayonet stud and, being exposed to the air more, has oxidized a bit darker. The locking ring is complete and functional. The blade is marked US at the base, with a small “c” overhead.

The scabbard is also the early style, made without fixed belt loop, but provided with a hook for wear in the pocket/frog of a shoulder belt. It is in very good condition, with no bends, breaks or wrinkles, showing some crazing to the finish and a few rubs, but nice black finish overall and never treated with polish, preservatives or leather dressing. The throat and drag are in place and secure with the pins in place.  The brass shows a medium aged patina with some darker age stains and some light brown, likely from old lacquer. The drag shows some shallow dents and a little verdigris. The upper mount has the frog stud in place. These were initially carried on bayonet shoulder belts, but were switched about 1844 to a frog worn on the waist belt, the frog sometimes being part of a converted shoulder belt, though whether this alteration was officially sanctioned or arsenal-made is unclear.

This is a very good example of key U.S. bayonet in any collection. [sr][ph:L]

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