Bayonet?Vietnam Era?

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tacreload

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Help me out guys.A good friend of mine who recently retired and is starting to downsize and knows I'm kind of into weapons and history just came up my driveway and gave me this bayonet.He got it from his aunt several years ago before she passed.She was a nurse United States Army.Served Vietnam as best as he can remember 66-67 and and served another tour 70-71.These are approximate dates as he is not completely sure but she was a career nurse.She has been gone for some time now.Did nurses receive bayonets or did she just snag one as a souvineer?Either way doesn't matter cause he thought of me and that means a lot.Hopefully this is in the right forum.Thanks.
 
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That's an AK bayonet. Definitely not US issue. It's possibly an NVA bayonet.
 
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Looks an awful lot like an AK bayonet, sorry I can't be of more help. I'm sure someone with a lot more knowledge than myself will be along shortly
 
-db- said:
That's an AK bayonet. Definitely not US issue. It's possibly an NVA bayonet.
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Makes it more interesting.It appears to have not been used,I'm guessing that is cosmoline? on the blade.The cutting edge however is slightly pitted and rough so maybe it has been used and cleaned and oiled for storage.He said he's had it since the mid 70's which is about when she died.Said he forgot he had it til recently.
 
Thats an AK bayonet. The ones issued to GI's were garbage.
Not sharpened, just pointy. Always tried not to get close enough to have to "Fix". And here I am!:);):D
 
The bayonet is for the AK-47 rifles. Soviet design. Hole in the blade engages the stud on the scabbard, converting the bayonet into a wire cutter. Probably Soviet bloc manufacture. Markings will identify its origin if you can locate the proper reference material. Most of the AK's and light machineguns we encountered in Vietnam were Czech, Romanian, and other Soviet-satellite made. SKS rifles were mainly Chinese origin, but some other communist countries also provided weapons.

These were relatively scarce during my time in Vietnam, considered something of a war trophy. Thousands of them were imported during the 1990's as the old Soviet Union collapsed, sold for a few dollars each.
 
-db- said:
If you do some looking around this site, you can probably narrow it down to timeframe and country of origin: AK Bayonet Types | AK47 Bayonets
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This will help me out with the two i have. One has black in place of the other color and is one I got from my Cousin who was in Nam from 70-71. The other is a gun show pick up (and I have no idea why I bought it?)
 
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