Portuguese yataghan-bladed sword bayonet manufactured by Österreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (Steyr) for the Portuguese Army, originally intended for the Modelo 1885 Guedes single-shot rifle and subsequently standardised for use with the Modelo 1886 Kropatschek 8 mm repeating rifle (Espingarda de Infantaria 8 mm m/1886).
The bayonet features a full-length yataghan blade with deep central fuller, steel pommel with coil-spring press-stud locking mechanism, slab wooden grips secured by two rivets, and a robust cross-guard incorporating both muzzle ring and downturned quillon. It is complete with its original steel scabbard, fitted with frog stud. The spine of the blade is faintly marked in flowing script “Steyr 1886”, while the ricasso bears a small stamped “X” mark - the Avis Cross - Cruz de Avis, a traditional Portuguese military acceptance and national emblem. The scabbard frog stud is marked “OE” over “WG” (Österreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft), and the scabbard body is stamped “B 663”.
Approx. Measurements – Blade length: 46.7 cm. Overall length: 60 cm.
Historical Note: In the late 19th century, Portugal undertook a rapid programme of infantry modernisation as part of a wider European and colonial armaments race, driven by advances in small-arms technology and the need to defend its overseas empire. Lacking sufficient domestic manufacturing capacity, Portugal turned to established foreign arms producers, most notably Österreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (ÖWG) of Steyr, Upper Austria.
Steyr, an Austrian firm, was a leading international supplier specialising in export military contracts. Portugal initially adopted the Modelo 1885 Guedes, a domestically designed 8 mm single-shot rifle by António José Pereira Guedes, with manufacture contracted to Steyr. At the time of adoption, single-shot rifles were already approaching obsolescence, and rapid developments elsewhere in Europe soon demonstrated the decisive advantages of magazine-fed repeating arms. While approximately 18,000 Guedes rifles were already contracted and in various stages of manufacture, Portuguese military doctrine evolved in parallel with these wider European trends. Rather than cancelling the Steyr contract—an expensive and impractical option—Portugal elected to supplement and supersede the Guedes with the Modelo 1886 Kropatschek, a tubular-magazine repeating rifle designed by Austrian engineer Alfred Ritter von Kropatschek. Crucially, the Kropatschek rifle used the same 8 mm cartridge, allowing Steyr to adapt existing tooling, and the yatagan sword bayonet originally developed for the Guedes rifle was retained and standardised. This approach preserved industrial momentum, reduced cost, and ensured logistical continuity while Portugal transitioned from single-shot to repeating infantry arms.
Steyr records indicate that 56,000 M1886 Kropatschek rifles were produced for Portugal between 1886 and 1889, with a further 1,000 made in 1893–94, and bayonets were manufactured concurrently, typically dated on the blade spine. Surplus Guedes rifles were later sold abroad, notably to the Transvaal and Orange Free State, where they saw service during the Anglo-Boer War.
As newer Mauser-type rifles entered service, Kropatschek arms were relegated to reserve and colonial units, particularly in Angola and Portuguese East Africa, and it is likely that examples of this bayonet pattern remained in use into the early 20th century, including the First World War period.
*Condition* Blade retains good form with visible age-appropriate polishing, light staining, and scattered handling marks. Markings remain legible, including the Steyr spine inscription. Wooden grip scales are secure, showing honest service wear and darkened patina. Cross-guard and pommel exhibit surface oxidation consistent with age. Scabbard shows overall wear, thinning to the finish, and corrosion patches, with clear maker and number stamps present. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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