Description
Physical description
CONTROL.
Steel bayonet (blade and socket forged separately).
Socket form: straight tubular socket with a narrow, 3 mm wide, 'split' or aperture running the length of its underside terminated at rear by broad end reinforce and at fore-end by blade welding. A flat steel spring plate is located on the back of the socket. The fore-end of the spring plate, held by two tabs, is curved up to form a crude guard. The plate gently arcs towards the socket's rear, its end, bearing a partially sheared lug, being housed in a cap welded on to top of rear reinforce. Method of attachment to Sten Mark II is not immediately apparent and is described in the 'List of Changes' dated 23 September 1942, quoted by Skennerton, as follows - 'When assembled on the barrel of the carbine, the lug on the spring engages one of the front holes in the barrel locking nut, the front end of which abuts the rear end of the spike' (See 'The British Spike Bayonet', by I D Skennerton, 1982, Skennerton, Margate, Australia Small Arms Series No.2, p.25).
Blade form: slender, circular section 'spike', tapering to narrow flat sided screwdriver tip. The cylindrical rear section of the 'blade' is attached to the underside of the socket by two large and unsightly welding joins. Total length of blade, including section beneath socket, 279 mm.
Bayonet finish: well blued, surface of socket textured.
Label
The Sten Machine Carbine bayonet was introduced in 1942, for use with the Sten Gun. It could be used only with the Mark II Sten (see FIR 6260), as the socket of the bayonet fitted inside the barrel nut of the gun - being held in place by a spring which extended along its top.
There is little evidence to suggest widespread use of this bayonet, of which 75,800 were made.
History note
Spike socket bayonet, circular section, for the Mark II Sten sub-machinegun (also known as the Sten spike socket bayonet Mark I. Exhibition history: removed from display in the Army Gallery sometime during 1982. Original handwritten caption accompanying piece reads "Bayonet, Sten, Machine Carbine, Mk II. This rather crude bayonet has a spike welded to the socket. Blade 8 inches long. Weight 9 1/2 ounces."
History note
Skennerton, I D 1982 (The) British Spike Bayonet, Skennerton, Margate, Australia, Small Arms Series No 2, pp 24-26 Watts, J & White, P 1975 (The) Bayonet Book, Watts and White, pp 327 and 399 (ref 836)