Edged Wpns Model 1861 US Navy Rifle Bowie knife type bayonets.

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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The Whitney Model 1861 Navy "Plymouth" Rifle had two styles of bayonets, the Model 1861 US Navy Rifle saber bayonet and the the Bowie knife type bayonet. The Bowie knife bayonet was 12 inches long, so kind of short for a Civil War bayonet. Were these Bowie knife bayonets really used as bayonets?
 
Collins and Co. made the saber bayonets, the problem with them was that each one was hand fitted to a specific rifle, so the serial number on the Collins bayonet matched the serial number on the Plymouth rifle it was fitted for. They were not interchangeable, if either the bayonet or rifle was damaged or lost, its counterpart was useless.

The Dahlgren "Bowie" bayonet solved that problem. They were interchangeable, and much more practical as a bayonet. But they were short enough to be used as fighting knife as well. The actual use of either was probably minute at best, except maybe by the occasional naval shore party. The most advantageous use of the bayonet would have been to repel boarders, of which the Saber bayonet would have worked best, as it could also be used as a short sword.
 
What Adm Dahlgren actually wanted was a bowie-style side knife, but the ordnance folks couldn't get the money for such an arm. They could, however, get funding for a bayonet, so as a work-around that is what they did. And like the sword bayonet, not all the Dahlgen knife bayonets will fit all the Whitney rifles.
 
So how long does a bayonet need to be to be useful? While in the army I used two bayonets. One had a blade a mere 6.75 inches long and the other had a blade 17 inches long. The 6.75 would go all the way through most enemy soldiers but be an inch so so short of going all the way through a chubby enemy. The 17 inch blade would have penetrated even chubby enemies. The 17 inch blade bayonet was almost long enough to be used as a short sword.
 
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Here you go.
Manufactured by Ames---stamped USN ---with Daniel Reynolds initials on the pommel.

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Collins and Co. made the saber bayonets, the problem with them was that each one was hand fitted to a specific rifle, so the serial number on the Collins bayonet matched the serial number on the Plymouth rifle it was fitted for. They were not interchangeable, if either the bayonet or rifle was damaged or lost, its counterpart was useless.

The Dahlgren "Bowie" bayonet solved that problem. They were interchangeable, and much more practical as a bayonet. But they were short enough to be used as fighting knife as well. The actual use of either was probably minute at best, except maybe by the occasional naval shore party. The most advantageous use of the bayonet would have been to repel boarders, of which the Saber bayonet would have worked best, as it could also be used as a short sword.
It's my understanding that they never, ever were used as a bayonet attached to a rifle. Way too heavy. Just like post #3 stated, the USN wanted a bowie and a bowie they got.
 
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