Although the Austrian M1798 musket was closely patterned after the French M1777 Charleville musket, the M1799 bayonet is uniquely Austrian. The M1799 socket bayonet was the first to feature the flattened cruciform blade profile that was characteristic of 19th Century Austrian infantry socket bayonets.

The socket has no mortise, instead using a notched, eccentric basal collar to engage a spring catch protruding from the front of the musket stock. This was later copied by Prussia, who used it on their M1809 socket bayonet.

The scabbard body is made of wood with a black leather cover. The throat, frog stud, and finial are steel.

The M1854 bayonet is easily identified by the helical mortise and flattened cruciform blade profile. The socket length measures 3.187 in. (81 mm.).

The Lorenz was imported in quantity by both sides during the U.S. Civil War. The Union imported over 225,000 and the Confederacy perhaps as many as 100,000, making the Lorenz second only to the .577 caliber Enfield rifle-musket, as the most common imported firearm.

These are believed to have been produced by Steyr around the turn of the Century for use with Gewehr 88's manufactured for export (mainly to China and So. America). Some of the Gewehr 88's and M1871/84 bayonets remaining in Steyr's stores may have been used by Austro-Hungarian forces during the First World War. This example has only Steyr's trademark and no Austro-Hungarian markings, so was probably an export piece.

A similar bayonet was produced by Steyr for the Romanian, Portuguese, and 8 mm. M1904 Export Mannlicher rifles, however, the muzzle ring dimensions are different.

Steyr obtained large German Gewehr 88 contracts and the right to commercially-produce the Gewehr 88 in settlement of their patent-infringement lawsuit against Germany for incorporating the Mannlicher magazine in the Gewehr 88 without license (Steyr owned Mannlicher's patents).

These twisted steel ersatz bayonets were produced as an emergency measure during the First World War.

The blade has an inverted single-edged profile as used on the M1895 bayonet. No special scabbard was produced for these. They used the standard M1895 scabbard.

The significance of the chevron mark on the crosspiece is unknown. However, it is often observed on period examples produced for use on the Mannlicher M1895 rifle.

Variations of this design were also produced for use on the Mannlicher M1888 and M1890; M1867, 1870 & 1873 Werndl rifles; and the German Gewehr 71, Gewehr 71/84, and Gewehr 88.

Crosspiece: chevron mark

Measures 8.50 in. (216 mm.) long by 2.50 in. (64 mm.) wide at the widest point.

Carter classified this frog as #29.

Bayonet Belt Frogs Page

This bayonet is a reworked M1895, where the M1895 bayonet’s domed crosspiece rivets are ground flush, the metal blued; and, the grips replaced and secured with screwbolts. A distinctive serial number is stamped into the pommel and also on the scabbard body. Serial numbers observed have been under 500, suggesting that the quantity of bayonets produced was likely very small. In any case, these specially-made bayonets are scarcely encountered today.

These were once thought to possibly be for the Steyr MP 34 submachine gun. However, this attribution has been discounted. There is some thought that these were refurbished by Germany post-1938, given the characteristics shared with German-refurbished VZ-24 bayonets. However, this also has not been substantiated.

Pommel: "0161"

Scabbard (frog stud): Austrian (Hapsburg) Imperial Eagle and "OE" over "WG"

Scabbard (body): "AM" and "394"

These bayonets were prototypes made 1976-77 by Ludwig Zeitler of Vienna for trials of the Steyr AUG assault rifle.

The bayonet has a polymer grip with a socket in the pommel to engage a bayonet adapter that can be fitted to the rifle. The crosspiece has a tab on one side that serves as a bottle-opener. The scabbard is comprised of a plastic body attached by four screws to a steel belt hanger with a nylon hilt strap.

The Zeitler bayonet was not adopted. However, Austria adopted a variant produced by Glock with manufacturing simplifications as the Feldmesser 78 (Field Knife 1978).

Scabbard (reverse): "Zeitler" and * inside a circle

A socket in the pommel (covered by a plastic cap) engages a bayonet adapter that can be fitted to the rifle. Early Glock marketing materials show the bayonet mounted to an AUG rifle.

The little tab on the upper crosspiece serves as a bottle opener. The grip and scabbard are olive green. The scabbard is one-piece of molded plastic, with a belt hanger and a device that securely locks the bayonet into the scabbard.

The Feldmesser 78 Field Knife 1978) was produced by Glock Gesellschaft mbH of Deutsch-Wagram. This example was actually issued in the Austrian Army. It bears the Österreichisches Bundesheer (Austrian Federal Army) roundel and the early round Glock trademark.

The Feldmesser 78 was also adopted by Denmark, West Germany, and several other nations' military or paramilitary units. The Feldmesser 78 was also sold commercially in large numbers for civilian use.

Grip (left): Glock trademark

Scabbard (side of body): Glock trademark

Commercial Feldmesser 78 are found in olive, black (pictured), and tan colors. It bears commercial (export) markings and the later, more common, oblong Glock trademark.

A variant, designated Feldmesser 81, incorporates a sawback blade.

Grip (left): Glock trademark

Scabbard (side of body): Glock trademark