This is a very strange plug bayonet made from a India contract Brown Bess socket bayonet blade. The blade was made in the 1797 to 1825 time period. The shank was sawn off. Saw marks are visible on the end of the cut. The remaining portion of shank was threaded to accept the handle and cross guard. The cross guard is made of sheet iron. The handle is a solid bar of brass or copper. One end of the bar was drilled and tapped to accept the threaded shank. The other end of the bar was drilled out to make it hollow. Then a saw was used to cut two slits in the hollow section. This allows for the pommel end of the handle to compress slightly. The pommel end of the handle was also tapered slightly. When assembled the result is a very crude, but serviceable plug bayonet. It is unclear if this was designed to fit into the barrel or into a tube under the barrel. I do not know the origin of this piece. I bought it in England. However, the India pattern Brown Bess bayonets were used all over Europe. It could very easily have come from anywhere in Europe or India. If you have seen something similar, please send me an e-mail. I have another plug/socket bayonet that I will put in this section on another day.
