What to do with your Bayonet
Over at Shooting Illustrated Kenan Flasowski makes some suggestions on how to employ your bayonet (other than putting it in-between an unlucky persons ribs) …
So maybe you have a couple bayonets that came with the firearms—what can you do with them? Well, to quote Bing West in his book “No True Glory,” “You can do almost anything with a bayonet—except sit on it.” Mr. West was comparing the city of Fallujah, which had just been occupied by U.S. forces, to the bayonet.
What can you do with a bayonet? Let’s divide the discussion into two categories: fixed, where the blade is attached to the rifle, and detached, where it is used alone. Obviously, the primary use of the bayonet is to run it through the enemy or slash him open, depending on situation, so we will skip right to ancillary uses.
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Ramadi, Iraq Nov/December’sh 2003; I was one of the only guys in my platoon not to sling their weapon due to the fact that I was highly proficient in fighting with my rifle (M16A4). We were about a quarter into our deployment when we were ordered to turn in our bayonets. Shortly after I got out; the Army did away with bayonet training. I always enjoyed; parry left, parry right, butt stroke, smash series… granted these fundamentals can still be applied through the use of aggressive muzzle devices and although jabbing and slashing may be seen as somewhat outdated. I still think fondly of the bayonet. It may not have a place in CQB, or in any LEO application, however, it can still be a useful tool on today’s battlefield.
I use the pointed folding type on the end of an Chinese SKS as a cheep rest while shooting prone at a range works alright although a little hard on the tip.