France, III Republic. An M1874 Gras Rifle Bayonet by Paris-Oudry

This bayonet features a 520 mm long steel blade, magnetic, incorporating a semi-sharp blade and a dull tip, the wide spine engraved in running script "Paris-Oudry - 1880", with an indistinguishable mark within an oval frame on the reverse ricasso. The blade is embedded into the heavy steel crossguard that was originally designed with an upward facing hooked quillon, however, it has been severed but still exposes the partial number "3741" on the obverse of the crossguard, the first digit of which has been lost to time on the severed portion, as are the inspection marks it was issued with, the other end with a ring for placement upon the barrel of a rifle. The handle with wooden walnut plates with a dark finish embedded onto either side and held in place via two rivets, marked with a "g" and numbered "188" on the steel portion between the plates, the pommel in brass with knob and mortise slot to receive the rifle, the bayonet measuring 643 mm in length overall. The bayonet is housed in its magnetic black-finished metal scabbard, the end point finished in a ball finial, the throat marked with a "B" within a diamond-shaped frame and secured in place by two rivets, with a band nearby stamped "FG" in running script beside the number "58088" on the obverse (indicating that the scabbard is likely not original to the accompanying bayonet, as the number should match that on the crossguard, even allowing for the fact that the first digit is missing, the remaining four do not match), the band housing a u-shaped bracket on the reverse, the scabbard measuring 533 mm in length. The blade exhibits scratches overall, common to extraction and return to the scabbard, along with moderate surface wear, the aforementioned crossguard having been cut off, the wooden plates with nicks, contact marks on the pommel, the scabbard with some surface bubbling and is free of dents. Fair.