Pattern 1876

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	Weapon: Pattern 1876 Type: Socket Bayonet Country of Origin: United Kingdom Year Adopted: 1876 Overall Length (mm): 635.0 Overall Length (in): 25 Weight (kg): 0.75 Weight (pounds): 1.65

The British Pattern 1876 Socket Bayonet was designed for use with the Martini-Henry rifle, which had been adopted by the British Army in the mid-1870s. Featuring a triangular blade approximately 21 inches in length, the P1876 was the longest socket bayonet ever officially issued to British forces. Its design provided significant reach when fixed to the rifle, giving infantrymen an advantage in close combat and when facing cavalry. The triangular cross-section was intended to strengthen the blade and create deep puncture wounds, making it an intimidating weapon of its era.

Production of the Pattern 1876 began shortly after the Martini-Henry rifle entered service and continued well into the late 19th century. Hundreds of thousands of bayonets were manufactured by the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield and by contractors across the United Kingdom, ensuring widespread availability to British and colonial troops. It was carried in campaigns throughout the British Empire, from the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 to the Sudan campaigns and beyond, making it one of the most widely used socket bayonets of the Victorian age.

The P1876 Socket Bayonet gained notoriety for its imposing size and fearsome appearance, often described by soldiers as a "sword on the end of a rifle." Though effective, its length and weight also made it somewhat cumbersome, and as military tactics evolved toward shorter rifles and more maneuverable bayonets, its practicality diminished. By the end of the 19th century, the P1876 was gradually replaced by knife-style bayonets, yet it remains one of the most iconic symbols of British colonial warfare and Victorian military power.