This video explores the bayonet development for the US Krag rifle, focusing on the adoption of a Swiss M1889 pattern knife bayonet. It details the subsequent, unsuccessful attempt to create a Bowie knife-style bayonet that also served as an entrenching tool in 1900. The video then discusses Captain Hugh Long's bolo bayonet concept, designed for jungle warfare in the Philippines and tested in limited numbers. The Krag's bayonet development was cut short by the introduction of the 1903 Springfield rifle.
This video explores the unusual history of the rod bayonet in U.S. military service, primarily in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It details attempts to lighten soldier loads by integrating an internal rod or tri-bladed bayonet into rifles like the Hall, 1873 Trapdoor Springfield, and M1903 Springfield. The video highlights the rod bayonet's eventual failure due to fragility, bending, and obstruction of the barrel, culminating in President Theodore Roosevelt's direct involvement. It also briefly touches on a similar, poorly received concept by the British for the No. 4 rifle.
You've reached the end! 2 videos loaded.
