possible sneak bayonet or contract bayo

[Frogprince]

That different batches (or contracts) are seen is not in question. But without a physical work order (or contract) to look at were changes part of a continuous process, or an entirely different new order from whomever was actually paying to have the work done?

Briefly, (along with some pistols) when I was a more serious Mauser rifle collector it was with the Spanish Civil War that I concentrated some of my efforts. And the bayonet pictured, besides no number has an internal WaA 253 Waffenamt as did some virtually identical “clones” that sometimes had the Spanish P.R. 8 on the crossguard and/or other Spanish end user indications. And a friend who was also more into Spanish (a world collector) and myself once spent several evenings examining a number of different examples. And some (as was mentioned) had the erased or partially erased inner markings.

I also had some fairly scarce versions of ex-Wehrmacht rifles that had not been converted to the “k” pattern that were mixed in with Spanish rifles that came from Spain (and ex-Russian rifles as well). With my point being that I don’t think that the different Spanish factions at the time really cared about markings irrespective of the source, and were not really prone to adding additional markings. And if you look at how they (the Spaniards) made their own rifles at that time you don’t see a “Germanic” type of end product from a manufacturing perspective.

But unlike the Portuguese contract pieces which included pistols, rifles, machine guns, and a number of other items that had many Waffenamts. The Spanish bayonets only had the one not visible from the outside marking - which may have been for internal factory purposes? As for blued versions I would have to see them first. Because after the war was over they refurbished not all, but quite a few of the different arms that they had in inventory. With some Spanish weapons ranging from near perfect original condition to heavily reworked and reissued - but needing to be examined in detail to sort them out. Best Regards, Fred

[AndyB]

Like mentioned by Fred and Sleepwalker a most probably a spain export piece, made from Wehrmacht prepared rohlings, but not proofed by WaA.

[Frogprince]

Like mentioned by Fred and Sleepwalker a most probably a spain export piece, made from Wehrmacht prepared rohlings, but not proofed by WaA.

It has been over 10 years since we looked at them, but that was our general conclusion as well. With some that might have been arguably newer (?) manufacture for Spain not having discernible Waffenamts, and at the immediate period of time for their manufacture possibly no longer considered necessary. With my best recollection being that my friend and I traded my almost identical condition Waffenamted P.R. 8 example for his unmarked (other than the hidden Waffenamt) bayonet to add to his “world” collection. And at the time we also contemplated the exported Standard Modell rifles as possibly companion pieces, but did not do any further serious research. Best Regards, Fred