How similar are the 1873 bayonets?

[31stWisconsin]

Ok, I recently acquired an model 1873 bayonet.

It is my understanding that after the war, the Springfield Armory had tons of 1855 bayonets extra. So they put them in storage, and when they needed them, made them a bit wider in the socket, blued them, and issued them. Is this correct?

Because the other day I attempted to fix it to my Armi Sport Springfield. It fit, save for the fact that the sight base was too wide for the bayonet.

Knowing how low quality the India bayonets are (it looks quite a bit different, side by side) I have a mind to use the 1873 Bayonet in its place. What are your opinions on this? And how similar is the 1873 to a 1855?

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

There were two types of M1855 socket bayonets, basically near identical.

There were three types of M1873 socket bayonets (plus the M1873 Cadet Bayonet):

1. M1855's that were sleeved to the smaller diameter M1873 .45-70.

2. True M1873's with bore diameters of about .730 inches.

3. Identical to NO. 2 but made from M1855's with a socket compression process that reduced the M1855's bore of about .781 inches down to about .730. (and saved the Government mucho dollars)

M1873's were blued.

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt