What rifle would this bayonet go to?

Grant 14 · June 16, 2020, 09:38 PM

My wife inherited a bayonet that was supposedly from the Civil War, but what little I could find on the internet says it is a French model 1866 "Chasseport". Wondering how 1866 could be Civil War, and what rifle it would have been used on? It is a large saber type bayonet, not the spike type that I have seen before.
Any little bit of information would be appreciated. Grant.

Centurion · June 16, 2020, 09:56 PM

Maybe it belongs to a Chassepot rifle...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anto...onse_Chassepot

Grant 14 · June 17, 2020, 08:11 AM

So much for the family lore that it was from the civil war. I had not looked at wiki, so I will look up french rifles now. Thanks, Grant.

OldManMontgomery · June 17, 2020, 02:57 PM

My understanding is the Confederacy used a lot of rifles they had or could get. If the particular Chassepot is of the correct time period, not a shock.

mr bolo · June 17, 2020, 11:48 PM

they did use the FRENCH M1842 sword bayonet during the CIVIL WAR

it looks very similar to the French M1866 Chassepot

is it possible you have the earlier French M1842?

The French M1842 model had a distinctive recurved blade, based on the North African Yataghan swords.

the top bayonet is the M1842 (blade dated 1855)

the second one is the M1866 (blade date post civil war 1870's)

Hawg · June 18, 2020, 08:14 AM

Not every sword(Yataghan)bayonet was for a Chassepot. England made several rifles that used them and the Confederacy made some. I had a few English made Yataghans from The Civil War but sold all but one.

mr bolo · June 18, 2020, 02:20 PM

here is the type of rifle used during the Civil War , it's a French M1842 Percussion Musket , used by both the Union & Confederate forces

Grant 14 · June 18, 2020, 05:38 PM

Thank you MR BOLO, it is clearly the lower of the two photos. It must have sounded better to the family to say Civil War Relic. This has a serial number on the sheath and hilt , (AB 63185) but the stamping on the hilt looks just a little different from the sheath, so it might be somebodies try at making it more valuable. If it was used by the U.S. army after the war, would it have been on a trapdoor? Grant.

Grant 14 · June 22, 2020, 09:22 PM

I looked on EBAY and there was a surprising amount of these bayonets for sale. They must be pretty common. Were they ever U.S. issued? Grant.

Hawg · June 23, 2020, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Were they ever U.S. issued? Grant.

Yes they were U.S. issued. Some were even made by the Confederacy. Do a google image search on yataghan bayonets.

June 16, 2020, 09:38 PM	#1
Grant 14 Senior Member Join Date: February 10, 2018 Posts: 167	What rifle would this bayonet go to? My wife inherited a bayonet that was supposedly from the Civil War, but what little I could find on the internet says it is a French model 1866 "Chasseport". Wondering how 1866 could be Civil War, and what rifle it would have been used on? It is a large saber type bayonet, not the spike type that I have seen before. Any little bit of information would be appreciated. Grant.

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June 16, 2020, 09:56 PM	#2
Centurion Senior Member Join Date: May 9, 2016 Posts: 270	Maybe it belongs to a Chassepot rifle... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anto...onse_Chassepot

June 17, 2020, 08:11 AM	#3
Grant 14 Senior Member Join Date: February 10, 2018 Posts: 167	So much for the family lore that it was from the civil war. I had not looked at wiki, so I will look up french rifles now. Thanks, Grant.

June 17, 2020, 02:57 PM	#4
OldManMontgomery Member Join Date: May 31, 2020 Posts: 24	My understanding is the Confederacy used a lot of rifles they had or could get. If the particular Chassepot is of the correct time period, not a shock.

June 18, 2020, 08:14 AM	#6
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	Not every sword(Yataghan)bayonet was for a Chassepot. England made several rifles that used them and the Confederacy made some. I had a few English made Yataghans from The Civil War but sold all but one.

June 18, 2020, 02:20 PM	#7
mr bolo Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2012 Posts: 432	here is the type of rifle used during the Civil War , it's a French M1842 Percussion Musket , used by both the Union & Confederate forces

June 18, 2020, 05:38 PM	#8
Grant 14 Senior Member Join Date: February 10, 2018 Posts: 167	Thank you MR BOLO, it is clearly the lower of the two photos. It must have sounded better to the family to say Civil War Relic. This has a serial number on the sheath and hilt , (AB 63185) but the stamping on the hilt looks just a little different from the sheath, so it might be somebodies try at making it more valuable. If it was used by the U.S. army after the war, would it have been on a trapdoor? Grant.

June 22, 2020, 09:22 PM	#9
Grant 14 Senior Member Join Date: February 10, 2018 Posts: 167	I looked on EBAY and there was a surprising amount of these bayonets for sale. They must be pretty common. Were they ever U.S. issued? Grant.