According to an article published by the Association of Friends of the Military Museums of the Army of Uruguay (AAMMEU), Uruguay procured approximately 10,000 Mauser M1871 rifles. The exact year of acquisition is unclear, but appears to have been ca. 1880. This converted British Pattern 1853 socket bayonet was part of the rifle procurement. These rifles and bayonets saw service during the 1897 revolution and 1904 civil war.

The bayonet conversion work is believed to have been done by one of the Liege, Belgium arms producers. The British cancellation mark on the ricasso clearly shows that this example had prior service. Although the socket bayonet lacks the formidable appearance of the German M1871 sword bayonet, it would have been a much less costly alternative. Some of these converted socket bayonets were also used by Japan on Mauser M1871 rifles.

The conversion entailed replacing the Enfield socket with a much shorter 2.125 in. (54 mm.) socket having a wide mortise and thin bridge. The locking ring is unique in that it is one solid piece, with no screw, simply pressed around the socket. The modifications are apparent in this comparison image.

The scabbard has a leather throat and body, with a steel ball finial. This scabbard type was used domestically by the Belgians with the M1867 Albini-Braendlin socket bayonet, as well as for export on bayonets such as this. The scabbard with this example was added by a collector, but is representative of the type originally procured by Uruguay.

This bayonet is historically significant as one of only two socket bayonet types ever used with a Mauser rifle. Both were conversions, there never being a socket bayonet actually designed for use with a Mauser.

The other Mauser socket bayonet is the Spanish M1871/93, a conversion of the M1871 Remington rolling block socket bayonet used with the 7 mm. Mauser M1893 rifle.

Scabbard (body): "186" and "1890"

Scabbard (finial): "P" inside a square

Janzen identifies this bayonet as the Uruguay M1894 based on an importer's statement. Uruguayan documentation of this type uses Uruguay's designation, M1895. Attribution of these bayonets to Uruguay was confirmed by research published in 2016 by Anthony Vanderlinden in his book, FN Mauser Rifles. This research also infers that they may also have been made for Brazil. If so, it is unclear how to distinguish between Brazilian and Uruguayan examples of this bayonet.

The bayonet is patterned closely on the Belgian M1889 bayonet. It was developed when FN assisted Ludwig Loewe with production of Spanish Mauser rifles for Brazil (anticipating the ability to enter into additional contracts for the Spanish Mauser rifles).

Brazil received 110,000 rifles, 20,000 of which were made by FN. Brazil designated the rifle M1894, however, the Brazilian rifles were nearly-identical to the Spanish M1893 Mauser.

FN began marketing the Spanish Mauser to other countries, although FN had no rights to produce the Mauser M1893 design. The fallout was severe for FN. In February 1896, the German firm, Ludwig Loewe Co., obtained majority control of FN. At that point, Loewe allowed FN to complete the Uruguay rifle contract, but prohibited further contracts.

Uruguay received 20,000 rifles, which they designated the Mauser Español-Brasilero Modelo 1895 (Spanish-Brazilian Mauser Model 1895). These, too, were nearly-identical to the Spanish M1893 Mauser.

According to an article published by the Association of Friends of the Military Museums of the Army of Uruguay (AAMMEU), the rifles and bayonets were delivered in November 1896. These rifles and bayonets saw service during the 1897 revolution and 1904 civil war.

Both leather and steel scabbards were offered by FN, this being an example of the leather scabbard. The scabbard's frog stud is unique and distinctive. Venezuela used the steel scabbard with their M1900 bayonet.

Examples of this bayonet are also found maker-marked by the German firm, Alex Coppel. Perhaps, these were post-1896 production that Loewe mandated go to a German firm.

Crosspiece (rear): "LD" in an oval

Scabbard (frog stud): "A9441"

This bayonet has the longer hilt length of the M1908 Mauser bayonet (e.g., Brazil). This distinguishes it from the M1904 bayonets (e.g., Brazil, Portugal, and others, which have a shorter hilt and do not mount to the M1908 rifle.

The Uruguay M1908 rifles were made by DWM and were identical to the Brazilian M1908, save for markings. According to an article published by the Association of Friends of the Military Museums of the Army of Uruguay (AAMMEU), a total of 37,000 rifles were delivered 1908–1912. These had a long service life extending into the 1970s.

My identification of this piece as Uruguayan is somewhat speculative. I haven't found any documentation identifying for whom the German firm of Victor Christian Schilling & Co. produced these bayonets. However, this example is consistent with Uruguayan documentation of this type. The meaning of the "S.M.B." marking on the crosspiece is also unknown.

Other documented purchasers of M1908 Mauser rifles are:

— Bolivia - 6,000 rifles from DWM in 1909; and 8,000 rifles from Mauser in 1911.
—Morocco - 3,000 rifles from DWM in 1910.

Some M1908 rifles have also been recently imported from El Salvador, however, it is not clear whether they were purchased new by El Salvador or on the secondary market. El Salvador does not show up in period sales records like the countries mentioned above.

Crosspiece (left): "S.M.B."

Crosspiece (right): "4949"

The alterations are extensive. The original press stud hole was filled, then recreated on the opposite side of the pommel. The tang was altered from a T-mortise to a T/O in order to accept a cleaning rod. The muzzle ring was lowered; the grips replaced and secured with rivets below the T-O mortise.

The conversion entails what seems to be an impractical amount of work. Perhaps, this may have been undertaken during the First World War when it was not possible to obtain bayonets from European makers.

The identification of this bayonet as Uruguayan is based on the fact that Uruguay was the best documented user of the FN M1895 bayonet and had prior history of repurposing obsolete bayonets. While Brazil also possibly may have been a user of the the FN Mauser bayonet, Brazil obtained huge quantities of M1908 bayonets before the First World War began, so had no need to go to these extreme lengths to have a few more.