Parts of a Bayonet

AK Bayonet Frogs & Straps
Custom Replicas Built by Krklek

   This is aimed to a novice collector in the bayonet collecting hobby. This article should help you to identify the major parts of a bayonet with basic terms identifying the major components at a basic level.

A bayonet can be seperated into four main areas for ease of explanation:

• The Hilt
• The Crossguard
• The Blade
• The Scabbord

The Hilt

   The Hilt comprises a number of components. Not all components are present on every bayonet.

1. Brass Rivet
2. Oiling Hole
3. Wood Grips
4. Pommel
5. Press Stud

Grips
   These can be found manufactured from a variety of materials, including;

• Leather
• Wood - this is probably the most common of the materials you will find in use from the earliest days of plug bayonets.
• Metal - Various metals can be found used in grip manufacture. Brass in use from the early sword bayonets of 1800 through to World War 1, White Metal,
• Sheet Steel - a common material for WW1 German Bayonets
• Plastics - commonplace on newer bayonets.
• Bakeolite - an older composition grip which has the appearance of plastic. As you become more familiar with bayonets the differences will be easy to spot
• Other materials will be encountered

Pommel
  This is the part of the bayonet which normally contains the locking mechanism to attach the bayonet to the rifle

Press Stud
   This operates a sprung catch which connects with a bar located on the rifle to secure the bayonet. Press Studs can take different forms to that shown and be located away from the Pommel, an example being that of the French M1886 Lebel which has the press stud located immediately behind the Crossguard.
   Another method of securing the bayonet to the rifle is by way of a leaf spring. These will be encountered on 19th Century sword bayonets. Socket bayonets have neither press stud nor leaf spring and are secured by means of a angled slot.

The Crossguard

   The Crossguard comprises the muzzle ring and quillon. Not all bayonets will have a quillon, and not all bayonets will have a full muzzle ring as shown.

1. Muzzle Ring
2. Quillon

Muzzle Ring
   The muzzle ring, as its name implies, fits over the rifle barrel. In the picture shown, a full muzzle ring is shown. In the case of certain bayonets, the German K98 for example, muzzle rings are not present, and it is possible to find bayonets, particularly German, where conversions of bayonets have resulted in muzzle rings being removed in order that the bayonet can fit a later model rifle.

Quillon
    This will not be present on all bayonets. Quillons can take many forms, being swept forward, as in the case of the French Mle 1866, or swept back as in the case of the German S98/05.

The Blade

   Blades can take many forms, being straight, yataghan , double edged, false edged, fullered, etc etc.. For the moment we will confine ourselves to identifying the main parts of the bayonet blade below which is from the British P1888 used in the previous illustrations.

1. Point
2. Edge
3. Ricasso

   The example above shows a "double edged" blade. This means that there is a blade edge along both sides of the blade, unlike most knife & sword bayonets where the edge runs the full length of one side of the blade only. In the example above, to provide strength to the blade, the blade is "thicker" in the centre than the edges giving the blade an almost diamond shape in cross-section.

Ricasso
   This is the part of the bayonet which normally displays most information about a bayonet. Here you may well find the makers name stamped, date of manufacture, issue dates & inspection stamps all of which are invaluable in identifying an unknown model.

The Scabbard

   Scabbards can be found in a variety of materials, however you will most commonly encounter those manufactured from leather with metal fittings, or else all metal. The example shown below, for uniformity,is the scabbard from a British P1888 Bayonet.

1. Chape
2. Body
3. Topmount
   (or locket)
4. Frog Stud
5. Throat
   (or mouthpiece)

Kalashnikov Bayonet Scabbard Variations
  Chapter One, cont.

   The three scabbard variations have been classified as follows:

   AK47 Type - straight steel scabbard with webbing belt loop permanently attached via metal loops welded to the scabbard. (See figure 2.A.)

   AKM/AK74 Steel Type — steel scabbard with a wire-cutter attachment riveted to the
lower end, a rubber insulator installed around it at the throat and a belt loop attached to a welded ring via a snap hook or a frog type belt loop. (See figure 2.B.)

   AKM / AK74 Plastic Type — plastic scabbard usually with wire-cutter attachment molded in to the lower end; and usually, a belt loop attached to a molded in bar via a snap hook. (See figure 2.C.)

   As with the knives, the Valmet, CZ58 and Type 81 types will be discussed in the appropriate chapters.

    Another type-classification term used in this book is AKM Type I transitional bayonet.
This is used to refer to the combination of an AKM Type I knife and an AKM/AK74
Plastic Type scabbard.

From Page 4 Kalashnikov Bayonets
© 2002 by Martin Ivie
Reprinted with permission of the author