Socket bayonet identification

[paladin1919]

Greetings,

I purchased this bayonet last weekend at a flea market. The gentleman insisted it was a US civil war bayo which I am almost certain it is not. (Of course any socket bayonet must have been used in the civil war don't you know...). Anyhow I think it is a British 1876 Martini-Henry Socket Bayonet but it doesn't exactly match the length specifications and I cannot find any British proof marks. Mine does have characters on the elbow (see pics below) but I can only guess at the country of origin. I have seen a few of these bayonets online that say they were Egyptian or exported to Egypt but many of them had British proofs as well. Could the characters be Arabic?

The blade measures 540mm (~21.25inches), total length 630mm (~25inches), the socket internal diameter is 20mm at one end and 19mm at the other, socket length 77mm (or ~3inches). The reference I have has the 1876 about 7mm longer and the diameter at 17.9mm...

So what you y'all think? As always any help is appreciated.
Pal

[ph3s]

Very interesting item. I couldn't find anything in all my 3 books of bayonets. the writhing looks Nepalise (imo) hence I guess some kinda local produced to fit english rifles

[paladin1919]

Thanks for the info... It pointed my in this direction:

Nepal

and

Devanagari alphabet


There are definitely a few of these characters here but still some others I am not sure about. But I think you are correct and I will consider it Nepalese until proven otherwise. Didn't even know Nepalese bayonets existed until today.

Pal

[lithgow]

There was a large assortment of Nepalese weapons imported into the US a few years ago-they had never disposed of anything and the collection ran from the mid 19th to mid 20th century stuff, some British made and others Nepalese copies.

[Battery Command Post]

I have a feeling it might be Gujarati, which might make some sense as this area of India was semi-independent but British influenced for nuch of it's history.

Just a thought

Rob