US M6 Bayonet

Bayonet For The M14 Rifle

The M6 is the bayonet the US Army adopted in 1957 alongside the M14 rifle, and it stayed in service through the Vietnam War era and after. It mounts under the muzzle of an M14, M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle or M39 Enhanced Marksman Rifle, and it works as a fighting knife off the rifle. M14 owners use it to finish a period-correct rifle, and collectors and reenactors use it to fill a gap in a Vietnam-era kit.

Features

• Genuine US Army Issue — This is original government-issue equipment, not a commercial copy built to look the part.
• 6.75-Inch Spear-Point Blade — The narrow blade tapers to a central point, a profile built mainly for thrusting, with a top bevel running back from the tip.
• 11.5-Inch Overall Length — The bayonet measures 11.5 inches (290 mm) from tip to pommel, with a handle of about 4.45 inches.
• Parkerized Finish — The steel carries a gray phosphate coating that resists corrosion and keeps the blade from reflecting light.
• Muzzle Ring Crossguard — The steel guard has a 0.725-inch (18.4 mm) ring that slides over the M14's flash suppressor to hold the front of the bayonet.
• Lever Release Latch — A spring-loaded lever beside the guard locks the pommel onto the rifle's bayonet lug and releases it when pressed.
• Checkered Black Grips — Hard plastic grip panels with a raised diamond pattern give a secure hold and are fixed with two screws.
• Full Tang Construction — The blade steel runs the full length of the handle, so the grip is not carrying the load on its own.

Issue Specification

The M6 was designed around the M14's muzzle and bayonet lug: the crossguard ring locates over the flash suppressor, and the slotted pommel latches onto the lug under the barrel. Contract makers included Imperial Manufacturing and Milpar. The blade and the crossguard are parkerized steel, and the handle has black checkered plastic grips over a full tang, the same arrangement soldiers carried from the late 1950s into the Vietnam years.