u/Grascollector

Thank you for coming back to the all Gras channel, where all bayonets are Gras!

Kidding aside, I picked up 2 new bayonets that both added new info, and research avenues. The advantage of a massive collection of "duplicates" is the opportunity for comparative analysis. This popped up for me this week totally unexpectedly.

The first was from a ebay listing with poor pics and a cheap price- the pommel appeared modified, but it was not clear. When it arrived it appeared to be modified similarly to the Vetterli conversions, but with some sort of rotary grinder/dremel- and incompletely. Disappointing, but further inspection showed the infamous "arrow" in the lug slot. When I grabbed the other arrow marked ones I have- all 3 were from St Etienne. So I called my brother, because I know he has one with an arrow. Turns out he has 2... and both are St Etienne.

Anyone have a Gras with an arrow in the lug slot? And is it St Etienne?

The other, (and related) Gras bayonet is another one modified to fit a Vetterli. (A real one not the bubba one). These conversions are unique, easily discernable, and known to be done for use with guns smuggled to Ireland.

So, my most recent Vetterli conversion was built on a GREEK contract Gras bayonet. This will bear more research, to find out if or when the Greeks surplused Gras bayonets, and how one ended up as part of the shipments to Ireland. As an aside- most Greek contract Gras are quite worn, and barely legible, this one has one of the crispest inscriptions I have seen!

Pictures are of 3 arrow marked, (top to bottom or l-r) an unmodified, the bubba one, and the Vetterli modified one, with the modified Greek one on the end.

Credit to my brother for finding this one. The pommel is cut away, but the latch and muzzlering are untouched.

Unfortunately, it is not any any of the books I have on hand, and while the pommel reshape seems to fit a Gew71 PERFECTLY... except it does not latch. So, I am unsure. should it be for Gew 71? is it for something else? The 1911 ALFA catalog does list Gras bayonets that have been modified for Gew71, but I have not found any actual pictures of one.

Look closely at the first picture. One bayonet is a plain Gras, the other a scarce conversion, a surplused Gras bayonet converted to fit an Italian Vetterli, and smuggled into Ireland. Can you see the difference?

The rare one is on the left. Look closely you can see the edge of the slot chamfer has been extended.

A few days ago ebay sent me a notification "new items in your recent search" etc. I had a few minutes so I took a look. This was a BIN listing with a silly cheap number, a description that was straight up copy pasted from the Gras listing on worldbayonet's website, and a mediocre side profile thumbnail picture on a white background. It said nothing about being rare or special.

I look at a LOT of Gras bayonets. Most conversions are fairly obvious from the side- pommels shaved flat, muzzle rings shaved or replaced. This one however caught my eye, I could just see the chamfer, and it ran further back than it should. Once I clicked the listing, 4 pics in they had the slot. I have included a side by side so you can see the difference- the chamfer is lengthened, and part of the steel tang is ground at an angle to fit the Vetterli bayonet lug. (Pics of it mounted, and the lug at the end).

This has been high on my list of "need to get variants". I always hope to stumble across them, but this one has to be near the top luck wise, especially in terms of scarcity combined with the screaming deal.

Came across this recently, and had to pick it up. It has some pitting, and needs a cleanup, but is solid.

This is a T back bayonet. It is NOT a Gras conversion. These were to be made for the Greeks, but WW1 got in the way, (the Greeks ended up on the opposite side as their gun suppliers!) so the blades were instead hilted Mauser style, for use by the Bavarians. I have seen several references to how many were made, but all were 8000 or less.

Pictured with Greek 1903/14 bayonets for comparison. Side by side, the longer handle makes it less blade heavy compared to the Greek model, and it feels very light and stabby in hand.