Original British Napoleonic Wars / War of 1812 Era India Pattern 46th Regiment of Foot Marked Brown Bess Bayonet by Osborn Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Many variations and modifications of the standard pattern musket were created over its long history. The earliest version was the Long Land Pattern of 1722, 62 inches (1,575 mm) long (without bayonet), with a 46-inch (1,168 mm) barrel. It was later found that shortening the barrel did not detract from accuracy but made handling easier, giving rise to the Militia (or Marine) Pattern of 1756 and the Short Land Pattern of 1768, which both had a 42-inch (1,067 mm) barrel. Another version with a 39-inch (991 mm) barrel was first manufactured for the British East India Company, and was eventually adopted by the British Army in 1790 as the India Pattern.

The “India Pattern” musket was the standard infantry musket used from 1797 to 1854 and many variations of the socket bayonet used for these muskets were produced, the main supplier was Osborn, just like this example here. This is the conventional socket bayonet for the India Pattern, having a base ring and three-step mortise in the socket and a triangular blade. The blade has good unsharpened edges and the tip of the blade appears to have been shortened. The socket is fitted with a spring catch, which is occasionally seen on earlier bayonets, but becomes more common in this period.

This example was made by Henry Osborn, who produced India Pattern bayonets from 1796–1808, when he entered into partnership with John Gunby. Osborn’s name was stamped in a distinctive copperplate script on the ricasso with the usual acceptance and proof marks. The lock is engraved with the number “46” and we believe this to be for the 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot, who saw extensive service during the Napoleonic Wars.

This is a lovely example of a socket bayonet for the beloved Brown Bess musket. Comes more than ready for further research and display.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 16 1/2″
Blade Style: Triangular
Socket Length: 4″
Overall length: 21“

46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
The 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1741. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot to form the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in 1881, becoming the 2nd Battalion of the new regiment.

The regiment embarked for the West Indies in November 1794 and helped suppress an insurrection by caribs on Saint Vincent before returning home in November 1796. It returned to the West Indies in April 1804 and, fighting alongside the 1st West India Regiment in February 1805, defended Dominica against a French force for over a week until the French abandoned the attack; hence the regiment’s first battle honour “Dominica”. The regiment took part in another action when in May 1806 when 40 of its soldiers boarded the packet boat Duke of Montrose and set out in pursuit of the French privateers Napoleon and Impériale: they captured the Impériale and its crew. The regiment took part in the invasion of Martinique in February 1809 and then returned to England in December 1811.