The M6 bayonet is a
bayonet
A bayonet (from Old French , now spelt ) is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , now spelt ) is a knife, dagger">knife">-4; we might wonder whethe ...
used by the
U.S. military for the
M14 rifle, it can also be used with the
Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle
The Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR) is an American military selective fire battle rifle, and a designated marksman rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. It is a variant of the M14 battle rifle and was originally built for use ...
as well
M39 Enhanced Marksman Rifle. It was introduced in 1957, at the same time as the rifle itself.
It is the only bayonet made for the M14.
Description
Like its predecessor, the
M5 bayonet for the
M1 Rifle, the M6 was intended to serve additional roles as a
combat knife
A combat knife is a fighting knife designed for military use and primarily intended for hand-to-hand combat, hand-to-hand or close combat fighting.Peterson, Harold L., ''Daggers and Fighting Knives of the Western World'', Courier Dover Publicatio ...
and utility knife. The basic blade design was like the M4, M5, and later M7 bayonets, based on the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
designed
M3 Trench Knife. The overall length of the M6 is , with a blade long. Contractors who manufactured the M6 included Aerial Cutlery Co., Columbus Milpar and Mfg. Co. and Imperial Knife Co.The first of these contracts was fulfilled in 1961 and the last in 1969.
The
M7 bayonet which succeeded the M6 bayonet was introduced in 1964 for the
M16 rifle
The M16 (officially Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of assault rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States Armed Forces, United States military. The original M16 was a 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.56×45mm automatic ...
. The most notable differences between the two are the diameter of the muzzle rings, the shape of the handle, and the locking mechanism. The M6 has a spring-loaded lever near the
guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison gu ...
which when depressed releases the bayonet, and the M7's release mechanism is on the
pommel. Both models are the same length, have the same black finish, and use the M8A1
sheath.
Today, the M6 is mainly used for ceremonial purposes, particularly by the Army and Marine Corps, both of which still use the
M14 rifle for
exhibition drill
Exhibition drill is a variant of drill that involves complex marching sequences which usually deviate from drill used in the course of ordinary parades. Teams performing exhibition drill are often affiliated with military units, but the scope of ...
.
[
File:Entrenching Tool Carrier 4.jpg, M-1956 entrenching tool carrier with M6 bayonet-knife / M8A1 scabbard attached
File:Vietnam-War-US-Military-Bayonets.jpg, U.S. military bayonets of the Vietnam War. Top: M6 bayonet affixed to the M14 rifle. Center: M7 bayonet affixed to the M16A1 rifle. Bottom: M1917 bayonet affixed to the Winchester model 12 combat shotgun.
]
M8 and M8A1 Scabbard
There are two variations of this scabbard, both with an olive drab fiberglass body with steel throat. The early version M8 scabbard only a had a belt loop and lacked the double hook that earlier bayonet scabbards had for attaching to load carrying equipment such as the M1910 Haversack. The improved M8A1 scabbard manufactured later in WW II has the M1910 bent wire hook. The scabbard throat flange is stamped "US M8" or "US M8A1" on the flat steel part along with manufacturer initials. Some M8 scabbards were later modified by adding the M1910 hook. Later M8A1 scabbards were manufactured with a modified extended tab on the web hanger to provide more clearance for the M5 bayonet which rubbed against the wider bayonet handle.M3 fighting knife
The M3 trench knife or M3 fighting knife was an American military combat knife first issued in March 1943.
Design
Designed for rapid production using a minimum of strategic metals and machine processes, the M3 trench knife used a relatively ...
.
See also
* M1 bayonet used by the M1 Garand
The M1 Garand or M1 rifleOfficially designated as U.S. rifle, caliber .30, M1, later simply called Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, also called US Rifle, Cal. .30, M1 is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the United States Army, U.S. ...
*M3 fighting knife
The M3 trench knife or M3 fighting knife was an American military combat knife first issued in March 1943.
Design
Designed for rapid production using a minimum of strategic metals and machine processes, the M3 trench knife used a relatively ...
* M4 bayonet used by the M1 carbine
The M1 carbine (formally the United States carbine, caliber .30, M1) is a lightweight semi-automatic carbine chambered in the .30 carbine (7.62×33mm) cartridge that was issued to the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War, and t ...
* M5 bayonet used by the M1 Garand
The M1 Garand or M1 rifleOfficially designated as U.S. rifle, caliber .30, M1, later simply called Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, also called US Rifle, Cal. .30, M1 is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the United States Army, U.S. ...
*M6 bayonet used by the M14 rifle
* M7 bayonet used by the M16 rifle
The M16 (officially Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of assault rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States Armed Forces, United States military. The original M16 was a 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.56×45mm automatic ...
* M9 bayonet used by the M16 rifle
The M16 (officially Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of assault rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States Armed Forces, United States military. The original M16 was a 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.56×45mm automatic ...
* List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
References
External links
* {{cite web , url=https://worldbayonets.com/Bayonet_Identification_Guide/m4_thru_m7_series/m4_m7_series_p2.html#m6 , title=M5 & M6 Bayonets (U.S. & Foreign), U.S. M7 Bayonets, M8, M8A1, & M10 Scabbards , website=World Bayonets.com , date=2011 , first=Ralph E. , last=Cobb
Bayonets of the United States
Infantry weapons of the Cold War
Military equipment introduced in the 1960s