Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. This is a wonderful example of a Romanian AK-47/AKM bayonet, as used by Iraq during the Iran Iraq war and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Iraq's army was primarily equipped with weaponry it had previously purchased from the Soviet Union and its satellites in the preceding decade. During the war, it also purchased billions of dollars' worth of advanced equipment from France, China, Egypt, Germany and other sources. Iraq's three main suppliers of weaponry during the war were the Soviet Union followed by China and then France. Romania was one of these many countries who sold military materiel to Iraq during this time.
This bayonet was “captured” by a member of the US Army’s 108th Field Artillery according to the War Souvenir/Registration document. The top of the list for “War Souvenir(S)” is bayonet #4113 and states it was “Provided By United States Air Force”, meaning an Airman most likely gave the bayonet to this soldier. The serial number on both the crossguard and scabbard reads as AGC-4113. The overall condition is quite nice and is presented without any extensive damage.
The AKM rifle was introduced in 1959. Among other things, the updated AK47 variant included a bayonet lug. Much easier and cheaper to manufacture than the AK47, production and use of the AKM went worldwide. The inclusion of a bayonet lug allowed for a more conventional bayonet. However, the new bayonet design, what we refer to as the AKM Type I, was far from conventional. It was as groundbreaking as the Kalashnikov itself. It incorporated a number of features, making for an incredibly versatile bayonet. The one-piece molded plastic grip & pommel; and stainless steel blade made the bayonet impervious to rust and rot. The unfullered clip-point blade had sawteeth along the spine.
The steel scabbard body had a lug at the point that engaged a window cut into the blade, so that bayonet and scabbard could be combined as a wire cutter. The scabbard body had a rubber insulator, making it safe to cut electrified wire. The belt hanger was a clip-on affair that was cheap and easy to replace. A retention strap was also included, for extra grip when using as a combat knife. This is a truly revolutionary design that continues to influence bayonet design to the present day. The AK47 bayonet was produced by: Bulgaria, China, East Germany, Indonesia, North Korea, Poland, Romania and Russia.
Comes more than ready for further research and display.
- This product is not available for international shipping.
- Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
