M-4 Bayonet Description
M-4 Bayonet with Korean War Plastic Grips.
The blade of the M-4 Bayonet is 6 1/2 inches long and the overall length is 11 1/2 inches. The M-4 bayonet locks into place on the carbine muzzle by two spring-loaded attacking lock levers on the rear end of the hilt. It is released by simultaneously pressing the two lock levers and pulling forward. Early production M-4 bayonets (World War II) had brown leather grips, later replaced by black plastic grips (Korean War). The photo to the right shows the M4 bayonet with leather grips, used as a fighting knife.
There are no markings on the blade itself. The mark "US M4" will be stamped underneath the cross-guard along with the manufacturer marking: (Aerial [ACC], AKI, Bren-Dan, Camillus, Case, Conetta, Eickhorn, Horster, Imperial, Kiffe, Kinfolks [KI], Kongsberg, Pal Blade, Republic of Korea [ROK], SI, TOD, Turner [TMN], Utica and possibly others. All metal parts were dark grey Parkerized although a brief early production period was blued.
M-4 bayonet fixed to M2 automatic carbine, 1945 photo.
Scabbard for the M-4 Bayonet
M8A1 Scabbard for M-4, M-5, M-6, and M-7 bayonet.
There are two variations of this scabbard, both with an olive drab fiberglass body with steel throat. The early version, designated M8, has only a belt loop, no hook. The M8A1 retains the general look and can be slipped over a belt, but also has the M-1910 bent wire hook available. The model is stamped "US M8" or "US M8A1" on the flat steel part along with manufacturer initials. This sheath is correct for all post-war US bayonets including the M-4, M-5, M-6, and M-7. It was also used with the M-3 Fighting Knife.
The "Scabbard, Bayonet Knife, M8A1" is assigned NSN 1095-00-508-0339. It has been replaced by the black "Bayonet-knife scabbard M10", NSN 1095-00-223-7164. Huge numbers of the M8A1 were produced and surplused and are widely available.
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