SIG 540 / SIG 542 bayonet France

[Reibert]

Hi mates,
would like to introduce you to a bayonet "in (formerly) French service".

The history of this:
As an interim solution, France needed a suitable replacement for the already outdated MAS 49/56 and found this in a Swiss export model of an assault rifle.
The Swiss-designed, French-made 540 (5,56x45) and 542 (7,62x51) pattern assault rifles were then produced under license by Manurhin (Manufacture de Machines du Haut-Rhin) and put into limited service as a temporary solution in the late 1970s by the French Army, French Foreign Legion, the Fusiliers Marins, RAID (a French police unit) and by the National Police Task Forces (GIPN).
The S.I.G. Assault rifles 540 and 542 were replaced by the FAMAS, (Fusil d’Assaut de la Manufacture nationale d’Armes de St-Étienne), in France in the early 1980s.

A corresponding socket bayonet was developed for the "French" assault rifles of Swiss design (Swiss pattern).
This is a so-called "Type-C" bayonet with a half-round (crescent-shaped) blade cross-section.

The blade is parkerized, the pommel is made of alloy, (press catch is magnetic).

Scabbard and handle are made of molded plastic.

The dimensions:
Blade length: 178mm
Handle length: 100mm
Total length: 278mm
Blade width: 19mm
Blade Thickness: 4.4mm
MRD: 18mm "front" / 22mm "rear"

Attached is a picture of soldiers who are equipped with the assault rifle 540/542 and you can see the fixed bayonet.
By the way, this unit was stationed in Lebanon.

This pattern bayonet has no markings or stamps.
However, the press button is stamped with:
SHB
(Schaeffer-Homberg G.M.B.H., Druckknopf- und Metallwarenfabrik, Wuppertal-Barmen).
So, a German manufacturer.
I can't say with certainty where the bayonet was manufactured, but I would assume the manufacturer Eickhorn.

[Reibert]

This is not a bayonet that is very rare to obtain and years ago hunting outfitters in Germany and Austria still had plenty of these bayonets in their sales range.
At that time, all of them were sold in new, untouched, ("mint"), condition.

In my opinion, these bayonet were manufactured in much larger numbers than the SIG540 and SIG542 assault rifles were actually produced in France.
It is very likely that the bayonet manufacturer already had his sights set on the "civilian" market and, under certain circumstances, sensed a sales market among bayonet collectors.

I have not been able to find this bayonet in any thread here in the forum, so I am showin´ it here and now in a little more detail.


By the way, I would be very interested in further information from you about this bayonet / this pattern bayonet.

As already mentioned, this is not a rare bayonet, but (in my opinion) quite interesting and unfortunately a little neglected among collectors...

[Rescue190]

Great information and pics. Thank you for posting. It is great to have good reference examples for future use.
John

[Reibert]

...
Attached is a picture of soldiers who are equipped with the assault rifle 540/542 and you can see the fixed bayonet.
By the way, this unit was stationed in Lebanon.
...

Probably members of the
11th Parachute Division (11e DP) (1971–1999)

On December 1, 1963 the 11th Division was created by merging the 11th Light Intervention Division and the 9th Brigade 9e B.D.E.
On April 1, 1971, the 11th Division became the 11th Parachute Division (11e DP).
In June 1999 the 11th Parachute Division became the 11th Parachute Brigade (11e BP).

[Reibert]

Yesterday I picked up a package sent to me from Lithuania.


Also included in the package was another, interesting, bayonet, which was actually also not introduced in the Baltic States!


Bayonets of France

[Reibert]

Some patches

Armée française en tissu de corps et insignes de division French Army Cloth Parachute Division Badges

[Alex W]

Hi Reibert,

I just got one of these bayonets with the same SHB marking in the press button. Thanks for the info on the maker.

Alex

[CrashD]

Good morning.

It looks like replicas of this bayonet are coming out of Pakistan. Check out this eBay listing:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/296091538765

Unfortunately, last week I purchased one of these that was not labeled as a 'replica' from what appears to be a reputable seller who was using the same pictures.

I have sent a message to the seller asking for pics of the inside of the snap. Waiting for a reply.

Any suggestions on how to tell the difference between an original and a fake other than the SHB marking?

Thanks

[Reibert]

Hi,
My pictures should actually be informative and be warning enough about commercial products of non-military provenance!

[Alex W]

Crash, without digging too deeply into it I don't think the pictures are of a replica made in Pakistan. The bayonet in the eBay pictures is very well made and looks identical to Reibert's example, mine and the example on: Bayonets of France

What would be the point of making such a good replica? Original examples are not particularly hard to find and don't seem very expensive.

I feel like this is more likely to be some sort of eBay seller scam where he's stolen the photos and you will either receive nothing or something that will look substantially different when it turns up. The eBay seller only has 1 feedback score, only has one of these bayonets listed for sale (hard to believe if he's churning them out in a factory) and if you look at the rest of his item for sale they all look like cheap Pakistani / Indian made edged weapons in stark contrast to this bayonet.