This French M1842 Yataghan sword bayonet made at the Chatellerault armoury in 1862. These sword bayonets were used with several variations of French carbine rifle. The M1842 is a formidable bayonet, a far more robust forerunner to the often-encountered M1866 Chassepot bayonet.
The heavy 574mm yataghan blade has a flat, T-section spine above a long, single fuller on each side and tapers to a double-edged spear point. The spine is engraved with the Chatellerault armoury details, pattern designation and the production date of February, 1862. The blade is in very good condition. The blade was service sharpened.
The ricasso bears the stamp of the Chatellerault armoury director, Ambrose Le Caruyer de Lainsecq who was director from August 1859. The second stamp is that of the armouries’ Reviseurs, Francois Antoine Schutz, an oval containing a star above the letter S. Schutz was a Chatellerault Reviseurs from July 1853.
The steel crosspiece has a rear facing quillon and a coxcomb on the muzzle ring. The ribbed brass grip is in excellent condition and the internal spring catch is in good working order. The blade is firm in the hilt.
The bayonet is complete with its rolled steel scabbard. The scabbard is in very good condition with two shallow dings at the bottom that look worse in the photos than they actually are. The blade sheathes and draws smoothly and is held firmly within the scabbard.
This is an increasingly hard to find French M1842 yataghan sword bayonet in very good condition.
