AK4 bayonets

Revision A3 2023-04-24

© Per Holmbäck

Development and trials

In the late fifties and early sixties, the personal armament of the Swedish soldier consisted of submachine gun SMG m/45, automatic rifle AG m/42 and the m/96 Mauser.

In order to replace them, trials for a new automatic rifle were initiated in the late fifties with the following models:

Gram	Gram is the working name from Carl Gustaf Stads rifle factory. It is the development of AG m/1942 via trial model fm/1956 and fm/1957. The rifle was made in two calibers, 6,5 mm and 7,62 mm.
M14	This is basically a "refined" M1 Garand for 7,63x51 mm NATO cartridge. The M14 was accepted in USA 1957. (See FN FAL)
SIG SG 510	The SIG SG 510 or Sturmgewehr 57 is a rifle designed by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (now SAN Swiss Arms) of Switzerland. The SIG SG 510 entered service in the Swiss Army with the designation F. ass. 57 7.5mm (French/Italian, for Fusil d'Assaut/Fucile d'Assalto 1957) or 7.5mm Stgw. 57.
G3	The automatic rifle developed by Heckler & Koch was accepted in the West German army as Gewehr G3. The rifle was initially developed by some German engineers that had fled to Spain after the war. When they got back to Germany in the fifties, they started the company Heckler & Koch.
FN FAL	Automatic rifle made by the Belgian factory Fabrique Nationale. FAL is the abbreviation for "Fusil Automatique Leger”. The FN FAL (T48) was part for the US trials together with M14 (T44). T44 was accepted with the designation M14. FAL was later accepted in England with the designation L1A1 SLR and in Canada designated C1.

G3 and FN FAL made it through the first trials and took part in the final trials in the early 1960s. G3 was however superior due to robustness and a lower price, and in 1964 G3 was approved designated AK4. (Gram 6,5mm was AK1, Gram 7,62mm was AK2 and FN FAL was AK3). G3 was also accepted in Norway (Ag3) and in France. ^[2]

The first rifles delivered in 1965 were actually modified German G3s together with bayonet AK fm/G3 series L, S or O. These bayonets are incompatible with the m/1965 bayonets.

The AK 4 was manufactured in Sweden from 1965 to 1980 by Carl Gustaf Stads rifle factory. From 1965 to 1970 it was also manufactured by Husqvarna factory.

AK fm/G3 with type 4 bayonet

AK fm/FN with original bayonet

Bayonets

Sweden had been testing several fighting knives/field knives from the early 1950s, and from about 1954 a concept similar to the US M3 inspired knife was established.
The field knives of 1954 varied quite a lot in both colour and details, but with fm/1956 it was standardized with a green plastic handle with 6 ribs, a short single-edged blade.

This will now be the base for all the Swedish made trial and prototype bayonets.

Scabbards

Basically, we see three types of scabbards for the Swedish made trial/prototype bayonets.

· A sheet metal scabbard very like the one used with fm/52S field knife.

· US M8 or US M8A1 made by e.g. Victory plastics.

· Swedish or German made plastic scabbard in a wood grain style.

For the production bayonet a scabbard with a black plastic body was introduced.

Sheet metal scabbard ^[AM]

Top: Victory Plastics made scabbard. Bottom: Wood grained scabbard, probably German made.

Bayonets for FN FAL

Knife bayonet FN FAL standard (M.1953)

OAL	322 BL	230	MD	15
Production	FN, Liege
Weapon	FN FAL

Knife bayonet with wooden grips and double edged blade. The locking mechanism consists of a latch at the face of the pommel like the Danish m/1889. On the muzzle ring is two 40 mm prongs designed to serve as a flash eliminator. The bayonet has a steel scabbard with "teardrop" frog stud.

The bayonet was on trial in Sweden together with the FN FAL for the late AK4 trials. I don't know what type of scabbard was used, but probably a modified m/1914 frog (just like the type C FN FAL bayonet that was tested here in the early 1960s)

FN FAL bayonet

Knife bayonet AK fm/FN standard

OAL	322 BL	230	MD	15
Production	FN, Liege
Weapon	AK fm/FN (fm/61 FN)

Socket bayonet with a locking mechanism in the socket base. Socket and blade are made in one piece. The socket serves as a flash hider/muzzle break. The actual designation is FN Model C bayonet. FN used the code '50-61' for the 'Para' version of the FN, which took the type C bayonet.

For the trials Sweden bought: ^[3]

• 124 7.62 mm FAL in June 1961

• 10 FAL Para in august 1962

• 100 FAL (Para ?) August 1962

The bayonet used in Sweden was equipped with the first model scabbard with a "teardrop" frog stud. It was used with a modified m/1914 leather frog.

About 200 bayonets were used for the tests, according to Anthony Carters sales catalogue of December 1976, 184 bayonets were used. As this is the standard export bayonet, one way (except provenience) to recognize a “Swedish” FAL bayonet might be wear marks of the frog on the scabbard.

The comments by the ordnance board were that the bayonet was hard to manufacture due to small margins required by the type of mounting and that was hard to mount/unmount with winter clothing (gloves)

There are several variations of this bayonet (e.g. with a pressed release catch) and several types of scabbards; "teardrop" frog stud like the FN FAL (M.1953), NATO steel hook or a web frog.

FN Model C bayonet

From the AK fm/FN description. ^[5]

Knife bayonet AK fm/FN type 1

OAL	310 BL	168	MD	22,4
Production	BAHCO
Weapon	AK fm/FN (fm/61 FN)

Knife bayonet based on the field knife concept. Short single edged blade with a false edge. Pressed steel guard with muzzle ring and chisel shaped guard. It has a one-piece green plastic handle with 6 ribs.

The bayonet mounting is quite unusual, with a folding ring at the rear end of the bayonet. The ring can be folded as a handle prolongation when the bayonet is not used. To mount the bayonet, the ring must be folded up and pressed over the rifle grenade mounting, at the same time should the muzzle ring be pressed over the flash hider/muzzle break.

The bayonet was tested in 1961-63. The board of ordnance did not accept the complicated mounting mechanism.

bayonet AK fm/FN type 1 ^[AM]

bayonet AK fm/FN type 1 ^[AM]

bayonet AK fm/FN type 1 ^[AM]

bayonet AK fm/FN type 1 ^[AM]

bayonet AK fm/FN type 1 ^[AM]

Knife bayonet AK fm/FN type 2

OAL	310 BL	168	MD	22,4
Production	BAHCO
Weapon	AK fm/FN (fm/61 FN)

Knife bayonet based on the field knife concept. Short single edged blade with a false edge. Pressed steel guard with muzzle ring and chisel shaped guard. It has a one-piece green plastic handle with 6 ribs.

The bayonet mounting requires a modified flash hider/muzzle break and a locking mechanism in the handle.

The bayonet was tested in 1961-63. The comments by the ordnance board were mainly that the mounting was vulnerable for small damages on the flash hider and that it was hard to mount/ unmount with winter clothing (gloves).

bayonet AK fm/FN type 2 ^[AM]

bayonet AK fm/FN type 2 ^[AM]

bayonet AK fm/FN type 2 ^[AM]

Knife bayonet AK fm/FN

OAL	300 BL	162	MD	22
Production	EAB or BAHCO
Weapon	AK fm/FN (fm/61 FN)

Knife bayonet based on the field knife concept. Short single edged blade with a false edge. Pressed steel guard with muzzle ring and chisel shaped guard. It has a one-piece green plastic handle with 6 ribs.

The bayonet has a “normal” pommel with a T-shaped slot.
A few examples are known, serial numbers 706 and 709 and a couple of unmarked.

The digits 56 is engraved on the guard, and it is believed it is the year 1956. Similar markings as on the field knives !

bayonet AK fm/FN

bayonet AK fm/FN

bayonet AK fm/FN	bayonet AK fm/FN

Bayonets for G3

Knife bayonet AK fm/G3 type 1

OAL	300 BL	162	MD	22
Production	EAB or BAHCO
Weapon	AK fm/G3 (fm/61 G3)

Knife bayonet based on the trial field knife concept. Short single edged blade with a false edge. Pressed steel guard with muzzle ring and a chisel shaped guard. It has a one-piece green plastic handle with 6 ribs.

The locking mechanism is located in the rear end of the handle and consists of a stud to be pressed into a bayonet mounting on the rifle. The bayonet is mounted above the barrel, and has no protection for the hot muzzle flames.

The scabbard used for this trial bayonet is a made of sheet steel, quite like the field knife fm/52s. Many of the field knifes as well as the Swedish manufactured trial bayonets could be found with a US M8A1 scabbard made by Victory plastics.

The bayonet was tested in 1961-63. The comments by the ordnance board was mainly that the guard hides the foresight, and that the hot muzzle gas burns the handle. Note from the picture that the guard was cut off !

bayonet AK fm/G3 type 1 ^[AM]

bayonet AK fm/G3 type 1 ^[AM]

bayonet AK fm/G3 type 1 ^[AM]

bayonet AK fm/G3 type 1^[6]

Knife bayonet AK fm/G3 type 2

OAL	300 BL	162	MD	22
Production	EAB or BAHCO
Weapon	AK fm/G3 (fm/61 G3)

Knife bayonet based on the trial field knife concept. Short single edged blade with a false edge. Thick steel muzzle ring but no guard. It has a one-piece green plastic handle with 6 ribs. This bayonet seems to look like AK fm/G3 type 1 but is heavier. It has a steel protection on the handle and some channels in the muzzle ring for the hot gases. The locking mechanism is located in the rear end of the handle and consists of a stud to be pressed into a bayonet mounting on the rifle. The bayonet is mounted above the barrel.

The scabbard used for this trial bayonet is a made of sheet steel, quite like the field knife fm/52s. Many of the field knifes as well as the Swedish manufactured trial bayonets could be found with a US M8A1 scabbard made by Victory plastics.

The ordnance found this bayonet easy to mount /unmount the bayonet.

bayonet AK fm/G3 type 2 ^[AM]

bayonet AK fm/G3 type 2 ^[AM]

Knife bayonet AK fm/G3 type 3

OAL	353 BL	232	MD	22
Production	Carl Eickhorn
Weapon	AK fm/G3 (fm/61 G3)

The Rheinmetall G3 bayonet has a bright, double-edged blade. The red-brown plastic grip has 6 deep grooves. It has a broad plain crosspiece secured by two domed rivets.

The scabbard has a woodgrain colored plastic body. The web frog terminates in a belt loop.

The bayonet is mounted above the barrel. This bayonet is longer than the other tested bayonets.

This is the bayonet designed by Rheinmetall AG of Dusseldorf when they began G3 production in 1959. The bayonets were actually manufactured by Carl Eickhorn Waffenfabrik AG of Solingen as there were issues with the quality of the Rheinmetall production.

The bayonets tested in Sweden are all unmarked.

The ordnance found this bayonet affected the firing precision, and that it was quite hard to mount/unmount.

The Rheinmetall G3 bayonet was used in limited numbers on the 7.62 mm. NATO calibre G3 selective-fire rifle. The diameter of the grafter bolt is 13mm, all later models were 10mm or 20mm.

Rheinmetall sold around 100,000 G3 rifles and bayonets to Indonesia, which were then licensed to manufacture the G3 rifle ^[8].

It is also said that the West German government granted Burma a license to manufacture the G3 in 1960. Burma received 10,000 G3 rifles from Germany in 1961 and another 12,000 from Rheinmetall in 1962 ^[9].

The exported G3 bayonets have the logo of Rheinmetall and Eickhorn on the blade and the flash guard has a number.

bayonet AK fm/G3 type 3. ^[4]

Knife bayonet AK fm/G3 type 4

OAL	353 BL	232	MD	22
Production	Eickhorn ?
Weapon	AK fm/G3 (fm/61 G3)

Knife bayonet with a single edged blade and a false edge. This bayonet is like the standard G3 bayonet, with a fine ribbed black handle and a steel pommel with a locking mechanism. The steel muzzle ring is fastened with two rivets. The bayonet is mounted above the barrel.

This bayonet should not be mixed up with the AK fm/G3 series 'L' or 'S' bayonet.

The scabbard has a plastic body with a wooden like structure. There is no locking spring on the scabbard.

bayonet AK fm/G3 type 4 ^[AM]

bayonet AK fm/G3 type 4 ^[AM]

bayonet AK fm/G3 type 4 ^[AM]

bayonet AK fm/G3 type 4 ^[AM]

Knife bayonet AK fm/G3 group L, S or O

OAL	300 BL	162	MD	22
Production	BAHCO
Weapon	AK fm/G3 (fm/61 G3)

Knife bayonet with singe edged blade. It has black plastic handles with 12 ribs. Listed here are the main differences between the AK fm/G3 and m/65:

· Thinner grip with 12 "ribs"

· The guard doesn't have the slot for the scabbard lock

· Locking device looks like an early German G3 or Norwegian AG3 bayonet. The locking mechanism is at 9 o’clock looking from the rear. The bayonet does not fit the late AK4.

· The grip is slightly loose

The scabbard has a plastic body with a wooden like structure. There is no locking spring on the scabbard.

The bayonet is stamped with three crowns behind the muzzle ring as on the m/1965. It was produced in at least three series, which are marked with an L, S or an O on the guard. I do not know what differs between the groups.

This bayonet was delivered with the first issued AK4s (The first issued weapons were actually G3s). The bayonet is made in 1963 by BAHCO and is pictured in the 1965 AK4 manual "AK4 beskrivning, Kungl. armétygförvaltningen 1965".

bayonet AK fm/G3 group L, S or O

bayonet AK fm/G3 group L, S or O

Tang with production date 1963.

Knife bayonet m/1965

OAL	310 BL	198	MD	22
Production	BAHCO Carl Eickhorn, Solingen
Weapon	AK4

The finally approved bayonet is very similar to the previous trial model and got the designation m/1965. The date of approval is not known.

The major differences from the last trial bayonet are:

· The black plastic grip has 6 grooves.

· The angle of the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is at 2 o’clock looking from the rear (The normal G3 bayonet is at 9 o’clock).

· The crosspiece is slotted.

The bayonet was initially manufactured by BAHCO in Sweden and was delivered in 1967 and 1968.

In 1975 the bayonets were delivered by Eickhorn in Germany.

There are mainly two types of scabbards to the m/1965 bayonet:

· A scabbard with a wood grained body and a locking spring in the front of the mouthpiece. Color variations of the scabbard body may exist.

· A black plastic scabbard body. The locking spring in the rear of the mouthpiece.

It is however unclear when the different scabbard models were delivered. The wood grained scabbard was used with the earlier trials and field knife trials.
On a drawing from 1966 the black plastic scabbard is shown.

Both models are also made with the frog in white leather for parade and ceremonial guard duty.

The manufacturer logotype and a number identifying the maker/date/batch is found etched on the blade. Examples of codes:

· "422 67 005" manufactured by BAHCO in 1967, batch 5.

· "593 75 016" manufactured by Eickhorn in 1976, batch 16

For BAHCO made bayonets the years 67 and 68 are known, for Eickhorn bayonets, only year 1975 is known.

Bayonet m/65 with the two types of scabbards.

Presentation dagger

OAL	310 BL	198	MD	22
Production	BAHCO
Weapon	Can not be mounted

There is also a version of the bayonet sold on the civilian market, with a chromed pommel and guard. The pommel is marked with a crowned 'C', the Eickhorn squirrel or even both ! The scabbard has a chromed mouthpiece and brown leather frog. This "bayonet" can't be mounted on a weapon.

The knife is manufactured by BAHCO in 1970s. Old m/65 blades were used (The tang on one of the knifes was marked with the shark of EAB, "1968-20", SWEDEN".) Only a few hundreds were manufactured.

Tang of the presentation bayonet.

References

Reference	Title
1	Lissmark, Bengt. "Svenska bajonetter 1696 - 1965", Karlskrona 1973
2	Arvidsson, Per. "Eldhandvapen", from "FBU BEFÄL"
3	Stevens, R.B. and van Rutten, J.B. "The metric FAL". Collector Grade Publications, Toronto, 1981
4	Kungl armétygförvaltnlngen 1a Vapenbyrån Infanterisektionen .7. 1963 Beskrivning av olika bajonetter för ak fm/G 3
5	KATF VA/562 026:136 Automatkarbin fm/61 FN. Utkast till beskrivning
6	KATF VA/562 023:45 Automatkarbin fm/61 G 3. Utkast till beskrivning
7	Kungl Arméförvaltnlngen 1965 Ak 4 Beskrivning
8	Rainer Harfst
9	“Strong and Fast”: German Arms in Burma by Roman Deckert http://www.bits.de/public/articles/kleinwaffen-nl11-07eng.htm
KRA	War Archive, archive from Carl Gustaf Stad and Cothers.
AM	Armémuseum, Arms and Armour Museum.
VTM	Vapentekniska Muséet i Eskilstuna, RIP