M1871 First Pattern Beaumont bayonet

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	Weapon: M1871 First Pattern Beaumont bayonet Type: Socket Bayonet Country of Origin: Netherlands Year Adopted: 1871 Overall Length (mm): 580.0 Overall Length (in): 22.83 Weight (kg): 0.70 Weight (pounds): 1.54

M1871 First Pattern Socket Bayonet (Netherlands) Adopted alongside the Dutch Beaumont M1871 rifle in 1871, the first-pattern bayonet is a cruciform spike socket design intended for the 11 mm black-powder Beaumont. Hallmarks include a conventional one-piece iron locking ring with a single tightening screw and a socket length of about 2.625 in (67 mm). Typical blades measure ⁓512-514 mm (≈20.2 in), giving an overall length around 58 cm, and mount to the barrel via the standard socket-and-lug interface. These features distinguish it from the later Dutch second-pattern bayonet, which introduced a unique two-piece locking ring arrangement.

Production & issue. Exact bayonet totals are not documented, but they were manufactured in large numbers to accompany the Beaumont rifle program (≈138,000 rifles produced, 1869-1880). First-pattern bayonets equipped line infantry rifles initially and continued in service when many rifles were converted to the M1871/88 Beaumont-Vitali configuration, retaining the same M71 socket bayonet pattern.

Service & legacy. The bayonet served with the Royal Netherlands Army from 1871 until adoption of the 6.5 mm Mannlicher in 1895, and remained in colonial use with the KNIL into the early 20th century. Colonial ("Indies") examples were typically browned-including the bayonet metal-to resist tropical corrosion, a detail favored by collectors today. Collectors also prize the first-pattern's single-screw ring as a quick identifier versus the later two-piece ring. Overall, the M1871 First Pattern stands as a representative late-19th-century socket bayonet bridging muzzle-era form with cartridge-rifle service.

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