P1907 Bayonet

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	Weapon: P1907 Bayonet Type: Sword Bayonet Country of Origin: United Kingdom Year Adopted: 1907 Overall Length (mm): 550.0 Overall Length (in): 21.65 Weight (kg): 0.60 Weight (pounds): 1.32

The Pattern 1907 (P1907) bayonet was designed for use with the British Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle, adopted by the British Army in the early 20th century. Featuring a long, 17-inch single-edged blade with a fuller, it was intended to compensate for the relatively short length of the SMLE when compared to the long rifles of other nations. Its crossguard with a muzzle ring and a steel pommel with a spring catch allowed it to be firmly mounted on the rifle, transforming it into a formidable spear-like weapon for bayonet charges. The design drew inspiration from earlier Japanese bayonets used on the Arisaka rifle, which had impressed British observers during the Russo-Japanese War.

Production of the P1907 bayonet began in 1908, with initial manufacturing carried out by Wilkinson, Sanderson, and other major British cutlery firms. Over the course of World War I, millions of bayonets were produced in Britain, the Commonwealth, and later in India and Australia to meet the enormous demands of trench warfare. The bayonet remained in service through World War II, though shorter bayonet patterns were introduced later as battlefield conditions changed. Its large-scale production ensured that the P1907 became one of the most widely issued bayonets in British and Commonwealth military history.

The P1907 bayonet became iconic during World War I, symbolizing the brutal reality of trench fighting and the emphasis on close-quarters combat. Its notoriety was tied to the devastating bayonet charges that became emblematic of the conflict, even as modern warfare increasingly shifted to machine guns, artillery, and chemical weapons. Despite its eventual obsolescence, the P1907 remained in use for decades and today is a prized collector's item, valued for both its historical significance and the role it played in some of the most defining battles of the 20th century.