Do these belong together

Vadigger

Cadet
Joined
Dec 11, 2020
I found this lock plate and bayonet many moons ago on the bank of a very busy civil war river crossing. They were 3 to 4 feet apart. I’ve kept them displayed together under the assumption they came from the same gun but I do have some doubts about my assumption. Can anyone tell by the pictures that it’s possible. The lock plate is stamped R S Lawrence and Co April 12 1855

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Very well could be as some Sharps rifles had a socket bayonet.
 
While hefting the Sharp's with the sword bayonet, I realized just how nose heavy the sword bayonet made the piece and when I fitted a spike bayonet to a Spencer Rifle, it too (while not so much) also made the weapon nose heavy. Firing either one of these two rifles when fitted with bayonets must have proven to be a chore and any accuracy would have gone out the window.
 
I found this lock plate and bayonet many moons ago on the bank of a very busy civil war river crossing. They were 3 to 4 feet apart. I’ve kept them displayed together under the assumption they came from the same gun but I do have some doubts about my assumption. Can anyone tell by the pictures that it’s possible. The lock plate is stamped R S Lawrence and Co April 12 1855

View attachment 391982

View attachment 391983
The odds are that they are not related, but one never knows. There were over 100,000 carbines of the straight breech New Model variety and fewer than 10,000 rifles (straight breech) with lugs for a socket bayonet. Most likely a carbine lockplate and a discarded bayonet, but the easiest way to tell is to get the inside diameter as best you can of the bayonet socket. You might have to do some light cleaning to get as accurate as possible.

The Sharps bayonet has a taller bridge at the rear of the socket, which is necessary to clear the tall rifle front sight, and the socket diameter of .817” versus the standard M1855 socket diameter of .783”.

You could compare a M1855 bayonet bridge with the one you have if you don't want to go the cleaning route.​
 
Thank you guys so much for the interest and help. I’m leaning more to the thoughts these 2 finds aren’t related. There was quiet a bit of activity at this crossing both early and late war. You guys are great, glad I discovered this forum. I’ll probably be bugging y’all to death.😁
 
Thank you guys so much for the interest and help. I’m leaning more to the thoughts these 2 finds aren’t related. There was quiet a bit of activity at this crossing both early and late war. You guys are great, glad I discovered this forum. I’ll probably be bugging y’all to death.😁
Bug away!
 
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