Rusty US M1917 Bayonet

[spotter]

Thanks to one of the other members i was given a very rusty bayonet as a preservation project..
When i received apart from the rust and obvious pitting the locking catch was seized and the markings were barely visible..
I started off by giving it a good spray with wd40 and after a while carefully cleaned off the loose surface rust.Once i was happy i had got off what i could manually i soaked the whole bayonet in a solution of oxalic acid,taking it out occasionally to wipe off any sludge and to check on progress..
The oxalic did a good job in removing the rust and after it was well rinsed and dried the markings had become clear.
1917
US
Remington manufacturers stamp

I could have sanded and ground and filled all the pitting in but in my opinion in this case it would have ruined it, so to preventany new rust i have coated it in a wax polish and made a simple suspension ring to hang on the wall next to the cavalry sabre which is in a similar condition.
Before n after...
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[flak18]

Brilliant. You have preserved the integrity of an historic item. Excellent to see and a job well done.
Sometimes restorations go way too far but this is perfect.....in my opinion

[Weasel]

Thats a great job, i wish i had the skill and patience to do stuff like that. What rifle was that mounted on ?
Best regards Weasel

[Dronic69]

Nice restored WW1 US M1917 bayonet for the M1917 rifle - based on the British pattern 1913 bayonet - also fitted the trench shotguns at the time.

A similar one (2 x grooves cut on handle, so not to be confused with the SMILE one) was made for the British sniper rifle - P14, manufactured by US companies for the British.