AK-47 bayonet

[Al-muell]

Is there any way to recognize if the bayonet is Soviet, not e.g. East German?

[skipper1939]

The one that I have is just like the one in your photo and has absolutely no mark on it whatsoever. I have tried to discover if there is any design difference, but none of my Soviet firearms sources seem to be interested in the bayonets.

I do know that it fits perfectly on my Soviet made AKM but does not lock! It will not actually fit by about a milimeter on my old Soviet AK-47. An enigma!

Bayonets for Soviet rifles are real orphans. Nobody seems to have been very interested - not to the degree that they write about Western European (French!) bayonets.

Time for someone to do some research and publishing. There is even a bayonet for the Dragunov sniper rifle! Looks like the second version of the AK bayonet with the saw back and wire-cutter mechanism.

Dr. Bob

[Tal Inbar]

I am almost sure this is a Bulgarian version.

Tal

[Al-muell]

Originally posted by Tal Inbar
I am almost sure this is a Bulgarian version.

Tal

I don't question Your knowledge, but what makes You think it's Bulgarian?
As Dr. Bob said, there are no markings.
I have seen another such bayonet, according to the seller it was Polish, and the only difference was that it had a different (a little brighter) colour of the "handle".

[HuliganRS]

Chances are it is Bulgarian.

There has been a flood of these on E!

I believe the way you tell the difference is the color of the handle.

Rusty.

[skipper1939]

Since Bulgaria became a member of NATO and been told that it would be really smart to "buy American." they have been declaring all their old Soviet era equipment to be surplus and it is finding its way onto the international market.

But I bought my AK bayonet just like the one pictured, with a black handle, many years ago, before the Bulgraian sell-off.

Also, wasn't Warsaw Pact equipment supposed to be somewhat interoperable? How come mine won't lock on my AKM; maybe a slightly different design and won't fit at all on my very old Soviet made AK-47.

Chinese?

Dr. Bob

[Tal Inbar]

There are M A N Y variations of the AK/AKM family, and there are MANY different bayonets. I have 10 deifferent bayonets, and I am sure there are many more.

[otlichnik]

Actually, the Bulgarians have not been doing any "buying american" that I am aware of. They may have picked up the odd thing but generally lack the money.

The Bulgarian contingent at SFOR, operating under NATO's PfP (Partnership for Peace) and trained by my military use only Warsaw Pact equipment including some BMP-1s and BTR-60s. If NATO-standard equipment were to appear anywhere in the Bulgarian military it would likely start with such PfP troops.

Shawn

[skipper1939]

Shawn:

I have been in contact with the U.S. Office of Military Cooperation in Sofia. My statement may have sounded too comprehensive but Bulgaria has been alloted U.S. military aid funds that must be used to buy American equipment. They have chosen to buy, for instance, the PASGT helmet and are looking seriously at the F-16 Block 50. I do think that it is mostly in the pipeline and will not be
in use by the troops for some time.

Bob

[DougD]

There was a great article in, of all places, soldier of fortune magazine way back in 1987 or 1988 about Warsa Pact bayonets; the article pictured and explained the differences for each. Its the only guide I knew of; I had 4 of them ( back int he late 1980's it was one of the few WP items that would make it over).

So, junky magazine, but it was a good article; wish I could find my copy.

DougD