Krag bolo/bowie bayonet project -- input requested

[Baltimore Ed]

I think that I've got my bayonet guard where I want it on the bolo. With the two tangs clipped together the bowie goes right on my constabulary rifle's mount and feels about as loose as my 1899 Krag bayonet. Hopefully I can get it tig welded and the edge redone this weekend. I'm wondering how it would look with stag instead of wood scales? Anybody have a bayonet with non issue scales? I plan on hitting some oxpho blue on it too. Can't hurt.

[cpt dan blodgett]

Cool project, wonder how far the point of impact will be shooting with and without the bayonet attached.  I can't remember ever shooting in the army with my bayonet fixed. But then I was not at the Chosin or Guadalcanal or Bastogne

[Pitspitr]

Ask Niederlander about shooting with fixed bayonets

[pony express]

Ask Niederlander about shooting with fixed bayonets

Or maybe that should be "semi fixed" bayonets.

[Baltimore Ed]

Found one on fleabay for only a paltry $3000.00. Except for a dent on the scabbard it looks nice. Got my tangs welded on my bolo bowie, now I have to fit the wood. Planning on using it next weekend at our clubs Punitive Expedition match, bolt guns, 1911s and 97s, the perfect combination. Hopefully it will stay on my rifle Pitspitr.


Update- we got rained out so our boltgun, 1911 and 1897 match is tentatively moved to August.

[Pitspitr]

we got rained out so our boltgun, 1911 and 1897 match is tentatively moved to August.

Let us know how it goes!

[Baltimore Ed]

It's moving along. Got the grip tangs tig welded together and ground down by a very talented local knifemaker, blade ground on and am fitting the scales. Decided on leaving the the flat sided edge on the bolo blade (to move it to the center will make the blade significantly narrower, ruining the wide bowie look) but will move the edge to the center of the blade near the point. I also had planned on bluing the grip and guard but the majority of Krag bayonets were eventually left in the white. Found a pix of a krag bowie leather /steel scabbard that I might be able to replicate. Put 5 rds through the constabulary rifle this afternoon with the krag bowie mounted. Stayed on Pitspitr! Yehaw! Does make a big difference though, the rifle (no ammo) with mounted bowie weighs 10.0 lb while the rifle alone weighs 8.6 lb. Can't imagine that it could possibly affect the harmonics of the 120+- year old bbl? Muzzle break?  Pictures coming soon.


Meanwhile, back at the ranch... Changed my mind. Wound up hitting the grip and guard with some oxpho blue to darken it, I think that it looks better dark. Honestly, don't most of us look better in the dark?

[Pitspitr]

Stayed on Pitspitr! Yehaw!

YEA!

[Baltimore Ed]

Got some pictures.

[smoke]

That looks great!!  BTW...I love the PC Krag carbine.  I wish I had jumped on one years ago when there were some floating around.

[Galen]

When and where do I get mine?

[Baltimore Ed]

Well, we finally got to shoot out monthly match yesterday, a nice day, partly cloudy and a good breeze. 13 shooters turned up —6 cowpokes and 7 military boltgunners. We only shot 5 stages as we also had our summer hotdog cookout during lunch. I've come to the conclusion that hotdogs and deserts will affect your ability to correctly and successfully engage targets after consuming??? Something in the relish? I digress, on the rifle rack there was a legit krag carbine, my constabulary krag and Charles Iassac's 30 inch krag rifle among the mausers, an enfield and a few others. Don't think anyone was cad [clean all day], I had 2 misses but I contested the first as one of the cowboy rifle targets jumped in front of the boltgun target just as i shot and took the bullet for his bud. But the RO gave me the miss anyway. I also dropped a pistol target on the last stage, must have been the hotdog phenomenon that I mentioned earlier. I managed to get first place military somehow. And pitspitter, I shot a clean stage with my Bowie bayonet mounted and it stayed mounted just fine. As soon as Carolina Schoolmarm, Ret. sends me some photos she took I will post. Still didn't catch that damn Pancho Villa.

[Major 2]

" 13 shooters turned up —5 cowpokes and 8 military boltgunners "
That seems a superb lineup of interest & impressions...I'd like to see your stage set up's.

One day, I'll have to take the trip to the Outer Banks region.

[Baltimore Ed]

Ooo! Ooo! Ooo! I can do impressions, "I once shot an elephant in my pajamas, how he got in my pajamas I'll never know. But seriously, the tusksaloosea in Alabama." Pretty good Groucho, huh? Had the numbers wrong, only 7 of us in uniforms.

I gotta go on a diet. Thems hotdogs really swell me up.

Here's some pix.

[Drydock]

A fine body of men!  And a Squid!

[Pitspitr]

Outstanding!

[Niederlander]

Excellent!  Good to see Charles Isaac is still shooting, too!