Bayonet - Forgotten Weapons

Japanese Last-Ditch Pole Spear Bayonet

September 8, 2025 Ian McCollum 41

Japanese bayonets followed the same trend of simplification as Arisaka rifles towards the end of World War Two, culminating in what is today called the “pole bayonet”. Abandoning even the fittings to mount to a […]

Soviet World War Two Swords? The Cossack M1927 Shashka

November 10, 2023 Ian McCollum 1

Cossack forces have long been a key cavalry element of the Russian military, and this did not change during the Soviet era. The Cossacks had their own rather distinctive style of sword, the shashka, and […]

Revolver with a Bayonet: Luxembourg Model 1884 Gendarmerie Nagant

June 10, 2022 Ian McCollum 16

I previously filmed one of the Model 1884 Luxembourg Gendarmerie Nagant revolvers, but I got my hands on one with the original bayonet, and I wanted to show you that. These are extremely rare revolvers, […]

Reject Modernity; Embrace Tradition: The Type 95 Shin Gunto

April 28, 2022 Ian McCollum 9

“Swords of the Emperor” still available for discounted preorder – get your copy today! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/swords When Japan opened up to the outside world and began to industrialize in the late 1800s, it instituted major military […]

Bayonet Development for the Lee Enfield No4 Rifle

July 22, 2021 Ian McCollum 32

Having wrapped up our series on the major development of the Lee Enfield rifle in British service, I figured it would be a nice addendum to talk about the bayonets developed for the No4 rifle. […]

Bowie Knife Bayonet and Bolo Bayonet for the US Krag

September 2, 2020 Ian McCollum 47

Lot 164 (Bolo bayonet) and Lot 165 (Bowie bayonet) in the September 2020 RIA Premier auction. When the US adopted the Krag rifle in 1892, a remarkably efficient and simple decision was made regarding its […]

M44L: The Experimental Midlength Folding-Bayonet Mosin Nagant

June 10, 2020 Ian McCollum 12

Courtesy of The Mosin Crate, we have a Soviet “M44L” today. This was an intermediate length (24 inch barrel) pattern of the Mosin Nagant rifle with an M44-style permanently attached folding spike bayonet. Developed in […]

Trials Soviet M91/30/43 Mosin – Semin’s Folding Bayonet

May 20, 2020 Ian McCollum 19

As World War Two developed, the Soviet Union found that bayonets were frequently lost from its M91/30 Mosin Nagant rifles. The standard bayonet, as adopted all the way back in 1891, was a long spike […]

The French Finger Trap: Because Soldiers Will Be Soldiers…

August 10, 2019 Ian McCollum 27

Soldiers will be soldiers…give them something that *can* be screwed up, and they *will* screw it up. Haven’t ordered a copy of Chassepot to FAMAS yet? You can place your order right now!

Forgotten Weapons Short: Yataghan Bayonets

February 22, 2018 Ian McCollum 19

What is the explanation for the odd recurved Yataghan-style bayonet popular through the second half of the 19th century? It may have been named after a Turkish sword, but it doesn’t really match that pattern […]