Bayonet Mounting Methods

Bayonets are fixed weapons in various ways, from the earliest bayonets that werre just pushed into the barrel of the weapon,through various sockets using locking rings, springs, to attachments on the guns themselves. You have bayonets that are fixed on the rifle and swivel forward into the usuable position, ram rods that doubled as bayonets and spikes mounted in sleeves under the weapon. They have been mounted above the barrel. to the right, left and below. Muzzle rings have been used to fix one end of the bayonet, or none. Sinlge rings, double rings, and ones that mount onto lugs raather than around thebarral itself.

The following examples show the majority of the mounting systems used.

Plug - this is a copy

The hilt of the bayonet was pushed into the barrel to provide a rudimentary pike when you ran out of powder or time to reload. It effectivly blocked the barrel until removed. This is the first of the bayonets, and to some extent was developed because the early muskets woudl only get one or two shots before the troops came face to face, cavalry was still the main attacker and this at least gave a weapon that could be used as something other than a club.

No Slot Uses Catch on Rifle - Prussion 1809

Solid socket has a catch on the rear of the socket that locks into a catch in the front of the rifle.

Single Slot, added locking ring right side mount - this is a Indian Brown Bess converted after 1853

The oiginal single Slot socket has had a locking ring added this prevented the socket being dislodged during use

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Single Slot - Saxon 1750

Slot has an extra leg in it that locks onto front sight and prevents movement fore and aft.

Single Slot with a locking ring Left Side Mount- Dutch Beaumont 1st type

single slot with a locking ring, mounts on left side of barrel

Socket with Sprung Catch Danish 1854

a spung catch over the slot locked the bayone t onto the bayonet stud

Socket with Rear Mounted Spring Catch - Swedish 1867

Uses a rear mounted locking stud, with a press stud catch to lock the socket into place

Socket with Rear Mounted Spring Catch - Swedish 1867

Uses a rear mounted locking stud, with a press stud catch to lock the socket into place

Socket with Rear Mounted Catch - UK No4 and No9

Uses a rear mounted locking stud, with a press stud catch to lock the socket into place Bayonet locks onto 2 lugs at 180 degrees apart, when mounted and twisted a press stud catch under the socket locks into place.

Socket with Rear Mounted Locking ring - Austian 1849

Uses a rear mounted locking ring missing in this isntance

Tubular socket with catch at rear - FN FAL type C Argentinean

uses a rear catch to lock onto the rear of the flash hider on the FN rifles

Tubular socket with catch at mid length - South African R4

belgian FN FAL type C modified with an extended catch to lock onto barrel at mid length. Modification allows FAL bayone to lock onto rear of AK47 muzzle brake.

Fixed bayonet with swivel action to lay under barrel - Italian Carcano

using a level lock to fix the bayonet in the forward position this is one of the scarcer of several variation produced by the Itlaians between 1916 and WWII

Sprung loaded catch with Muzzle Ring - Chines SKS

Sprung loaded attachement in the socket is fixed to  amount on the rifle, it is pulled forward and the muzzle ring is fitted over the barrel to lock in the forward position

Socket with Spring - UK land Pattern 1802

added spring running over the final slot fixes the bayonet onto the rifle

Forward Catch with Slide Forward Slot - Czech VZ58

Bayonet is pushed forward onto acatch at the front of the rilfe and locks around the front of the catch

Forward Catch with rear open ring - AK47

Early pattern AK bayonets had a catch just behing the muzzle ring and a rear U shaped section that mated with the barrel

External Coil Spring - Austria 1887/70

a press stud at the rear of the bayonet uses an external coil spring in the press stud to operate, these were rarely used as they easily got filled with debris.

Internal Coil Spring - various

the most common of all mounting systems uses a spring inside the handle operated by the press stud

Flat spring - various ersaz flat strip bayonets

the flat springs pass over the mountign stud adn fix the bayonet to the rifle

Long external flat spring - various

a long external spring operates the press stud

Short External flat spring -  various

Uses a shorter spring than the less common long spring version, the shorter spring gives a greater locking effect but increases the pressure to operate the catch

Twin Ring rear catch - various

For the FN FAL twin rings locate the bayonet onto the rifle catch behind the rear ring.

Spring catch within the hilt - US boy Scout

rudimentry catch fixed in hilt uses tension with no locking catch

Front mounted Bar - Argentine Engineer

The original front muzzle ring has been altered to a partial height slot that mounts onto a fixture on the  front of the rifle, In this case the mounts were made after the rifle which had no fixtures to allow a bayonet to be mounted

Above Barrel Mount - Heckler and Kocjh G3

Several different catchs can be found that differ in angle to the barrel but are essentially the same. When mounted the Bayonet lays across the top of the barrel/gas ssytem