The standard issue bayonet of the British Army immediately preceding and during the First World War was the Pattern 1907. This was manufactured at different times and in varying numbers during that period by one official body, the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield, and by five private contractors. These bayonets were made according to published official specifications issued by the War Department and based on a ‘pattern example’ provided by the Royal Small Arms Factory. The specifications indicate, inter alia, the quality of metal used in making the bayonets, methods of inspection and proofing, and the required maximum and minimum weight range of the completed bayonet. However, examination of a series of these bayonets in a private collection suggested that their weights varied considerably from the mid-point values of the allowed weight ranges in the original and amended specifications (16.5 oz. and 17 oz., respectively). To establish if this was a common feature among this class of bayonet as opposed to a chance factor, the weights of other surviving Pattern 1907 bayonets were determined and compared to establish the degree of variance from the official specifications as originally set out by the Royal Small Arms Factory. Seventy-six percent of the 142 bayonets surveyed were found to be above the mid-point of the allowed weight range given in the amended manufacturing specifications, with many being at the upper end of the allowed range. This is a statistically unusual result. It is speculated that the target weight may have been deliberately set higher by the individual manufacturers to eliminate the possibility of rejection of any underweight bayonets by the Royal Small Arms Factory inspectors and so a refusal of acceptance and payment for the work.

中文翻译：

---

第一次世界大战期间英国制造的 1907 型刺刀的重量调查

第一次世界大战前和第一次世界大战期间，英国陆军的标准刺刀是 1907 年的图案。在此期间，一个官方机构（恩菲尔德的皇家小型武器厂）在不同的时间和不同的数量制造了这种刺刀，还有五个私人承包商。这些刺刀是根据战争部发布的官方规格制造的，并基于皇家小型武器厂提供的“图案示例”。规格说明，除其他外，用于制造刺刀的金属质量、检查和打样方法以及完整刺刀所需的最大和最小重量范围。然而，对私人收藏中的一系列刺刀的检查表明，它们的重量与原始规格和修改后的规格（分别为 16.5 盎司和 17 盎司）中允许重量范围的中点值相差很大。为了确定这是否是此类刺刀的共同特征而不是偶然因素，确定并比较了其他幸存的 Pattern 1907 刺刀的权重，以建立与最初由 Royal Small 规定的官方规格的差异程度军火工厂。在接受调查的 142 把刺刀中，有 76% 被发现高于修订后的制造规范中给出的允许重量范围的中点，其中许多处于允许范围的上限。这是一个统计上不寻常的结果。