M6 Bayonet
Encyclopedia
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
used by the U.S. military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
for the M14 rifle
M14 rifle
The M14 rifle, formally the United States Rifle, 7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire automatic rifle firing 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition. It was the standard issue U.S. rifle from 1959 to 1970. The M14 was used for U.S...
. It was introduced in 1957, at the same time as the rifle itself. It is the only type of bayonet made for the M14, and the only other rifle it fits is the civilian version of the M14, the M1A
M1A Rifle
The M1A is a civilian version of the M14 rifle designed and manufactured by Springfield Armory, Inc. in 1974. The term "M1A" is a proprietary title for Springfield Armory's M14 pattern rifle. Early M1A rifles were built with surplus G.I. parts until Springfield Armory, Inc...
.
Like its predecessor, the M5 bayonet
M5 Bayonet
The M5 Bayonet was adopted by the U.S. Military in 1953 to replace other bayonets for the M1 Garand. It uses the M8A1 scabbard.-Background:During the Korean War, the M1 bayonet and M1905 bayonet which mount to the M1 Garand, were proven difficult to remove with gloves on. As a result the U.S. M5...
for the M1 Garand rifle, the M6 was intended to serve additional roles as a combat knife
Combat knife
A combat knife is a fighting knife designed solely for military use and primarily intended for hand-to-hand or close combat fighting.Since the end of trench warfare, most military combat knives have been secondarily designed for utility use in addition to their original role as close-quarter combat...
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
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
designed M3 Trench Knife. The overall length of the M6 is 11 3/8 inches, with a blade 6 5/8 inches long. Contractors who manufactured the M6 included Aerial Cutlery Co., Columbus Milpar and Mfg. Co. and Imperial Knife Co.
The M6 was replaced by the M7 bayonet
M7 Bayonet
The M7 Bayonet is a bayonet that was used by the U.S. military for the M16 rifle, it can also be used for the AR-15 rifle. It was introduced in 1964, when the M16 entered service during the Vietnam War....
after the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, when the M16 Rifle
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
was adopted by both the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
as the standard service rifle. 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 that 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
Sheath
Sheath may refer to:* Scabbard, a sheath for holding a sword, knife, or other large blade, as well as guns, such as rifles.* The outer covering of a cable* Condom, a kind of contraception* Debye sheath, a layer of a plasma in physics...
.
Today, the M6 is mainly used for ceremonial purposes, particularly by the Navy and Marine Corps, both of which still use the M14 rifle for exhibition drill
Exhibition drill
Exhibition drill is a modified routine that involves complex marching sequences that usually deviate from standard drill.Teams performing exhibition drill are often affiliated with military units, but the scope of exhibition drill is not limited to the Military Drill Teams...
.
See also
- M1 bayonetM1 BayonetThe M1 Bayonet was designed to be used with the .30 caliber U.S. Rifle M1. The blade is 10 inches long, and the handle is 4 inches long....
- M7 bayonetM7 BayonetThe M7 Bayonet is a bayonet that was used by the U.S. military for the M16 rifle, it can also be used for the AR-15 rifle. It was introduced in 1964, when the M16 entered service during the Vietnam War....
- M9 bayonetM9 BayonetThe M9 Bayonet is a multi-purpose knife and bayonet officially adopted in 1984 by the United States. It has a blade and is issued with a sheath designed to double as a wire cutter. It was designed and developed by Charles A. "Mickey" Finn at his R&D company, Qual-A-Tec. He later produced it under...
- List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces