Does anyone sell a Brown Bess bayonet for a 0.86" barrel?

[Aldarith]

I bought a Belgian clone of a Brown Bess and am trying to find an appropriately sized bayonet.>

It's a .69 cal bore with a 0.86" outer diameter.
A Charleville style bayonet would probably fit but wouldn't be technically correct for the musket.

 

[PathfinderNC]

I don't think .69 cal is tecnically correct for a Bess either.

 

[Artificer]

I bought a Belgian clone of a Brown Bess and am trying to find an appropriately sized bayonet.>

It's a .69 cal bore with a 0.86" outer diameter.
A Charleville style bayonet would probably fit but wouldn't be technically correct for the musket.

I've never heard of one that would fit your musket "as is," unless it was sold with the musket. However, you could take one with a larger diameter socket, that generally agrees with the position and width of the front sight and saw it down the length of the socket so it would close up enough to fit. Then hold it closed in a vise and a seam of weld run down saw cut to once more close it up and make it whole. Then grind/file the outside and inside of the socket smooth.

Gus

 

[Aldarith]

I don't think .69 cal is tecnically correct for a Bess either.

No, but you can't outwardly tell the caliber. You CAN outwardly tell a French bayonet from a British bayonet though!

I've never heard of one that would fit your musket "as is," unless it was sold with the musket.

This is very true, I would ideally like less work than that as I don't have a workspace to do any of that labor in with my current living situation.

 

[rudy43norvelle]

I think Loyalist Arms might be able to help you. They would ask for some outside measurements of the barrel and they might have one that would fit.

 

[FlinterNick]

The Rifle Shoppe has bayonets for a .72 caliber Dutch, french or English Musket. That should work on your musket.

 

[Eterry]

The Rifle Shoppe has bayonets for a .72 caliber Dutch, french or English Musket. That should work on your musket.

Plus 1 on The Rifle Shoppe. I was there Wednesday and saw rows of bayonets for sale.

 

[LongWalker]

I was in a similar situation once, and had I thought of it I'd have used the solution offered by Gus. Not being a welder, I instead sleeved the socket and re-cut the slot for the front sight with a file.

 

[Artificer]

I was in a similar situation once, and had I thought of it I'd have used the solution offered by Gus. Not being a welder, I instead sleeved the socket and re-cut the slot for the front sight with a file.

That's another good way to do it. May I ask how you did it? Did you perhaps use shim stock as a sleeve material?

Gus

 

[Stantheman86]

Could you not just get a Pedersoli Bess bayonet and open it up with a Rat Tail file?

Or use a Plug bayonet?

 

[LongWalker]

That's another good way to do it. May I ask how you did it? Did you perhaps use shim stock as a sleeve material?

Gus

Gus-

I found a piece of tubing in the scrap pile that fit the barrel, turned a mandrel, then turned down the sleeve. Tinned the sleeve and socket, press fit, then heated it up. Soldering in a shim stock sleeve would have been a nice solution, but my way was quicker than waiting for an order of shim stock. I was an impatient kid!

 

[Artificer]

Could you not just get a Pedersoli Bess bayonet and open it up with a Rat Tail file?

Or use a Plug bayonet?

The OP's problem is the socket on the Pedersoli Bayonet is too large for his smaller diameter barrel.

Gus

 

[Stantheman86]

The OP's problem is the socket on the Pedersoli Bayonet is too large for his smaller diameter barrel.

Gus

If you're just using it for reenacting or Living History then I'd guess you could JB Weld Brass shims in the socket.

 

[Aldarith]

If you're just using it for reenacting or Living History then I'd guess you could JB Weld Brass shims in the socket.

Yes, that's about it.