A LIVING HISTORY BLOG.

18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY IN AUSTRALIA.

Saturday, 23 February 2013

My Finished Plug Bayonet.

I decided to make a plug Bayonet for my 20 gauge fusil. This gauge is fairly small, so the bayonet needs a small handle. I started making a wooden handle, and then had an idea. Why not use a corn cob handle?
So I did.

My corn cob handled Hunting Plug Bayonet.



8 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

What's to keep it from coming loose in actual combat?

Keith said...

Good comment Gorges, I have no idea. It is a tight fit, but I fail to see how it would not pull out if stuck in a rib or the skull of a wild boar. But then I guess the damage is done, & you can retrieve it.
Keith.

Vieuxbois said...

Hello Keith,

I don't like very much plug bayonets because they can damage the gun barrel.
Corn cob are not very strong : it could break into the barrel and obturate it.

Regards,
Stephen

Jenny said...

Hunh. That's curious. I've curious how it holds up!

Do y'all use corn cob tool handles in Austratila? I think I've seen it more common down south here, and generally in applications where there wasn't a lot of breaking pressure on the cob. Lots of corn cobs up in New England to though, so I suspect someone here did just that, sometime. :)


Keith said...

Good point Vieuxbois.
Keith.

Keith said...

I use them for my files & I have a corn cob handle on one of my Bill Hooks. Can't say as though I know what other people use, have not seen them used anywhere else, but then I am pretty much isolated here Jenny.
Keith.

Gorges Smythe said...

I think most country folk have used corn cobs for file handles at one time or another.

Fimbulmyrk said...

I have seen it in a stabilized version on smaller hunting knives, but would not trust my life to it in a bayonet handle... but the idea is one I also had once, and I suppose I´ll have to try it. Thanks, Keith!