UK SA80 bayonets

[Peter Laidler]

Just a heads-up for all you bayonet collectors. The UK are looking at a replacement for the standard SA80 bayonet for reasons that I won't go into. The development is ongoing so it could be that the old bayonet will be withdrawn and replaced with a totally new re-design.

Maybe now's the time to add one to your collection if you get the opportunity

Information

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[LesterH]

Saracen Exports have the SA80 bayonets brand new and unused for £30 inc post. It's the later version. However no one has the scabbards or the tools! Over the years I have purchased three SA80 bayonets from this chap,a Drafuss mount and a Sterling SMG.
Don't think I am greedy ordering three SA80 bayonets. I had to "donate" one to the Danish Armys Combat Engineer training battalion. My Danish friend is a rather large Master Sergent and is a difficult chap to refuse!!
I take it the current issue SA80 bayonet will have the official chop up? Can the scabbards and tools be saved? Thank you for the tip.

Kind regards, Lester

[Peter Laidler]

Scabbards readily available from Worldwide as I understand. I say this as in a few years, these bayonets will be the same as No5's. ............ 'I wish I'd got a few a couple of years ago'. Just get a couple while you can. Are you listening to me in the US? Get a couple while they're still reasonably available on the web, while you can

[Aragorn243]

Did some checking around, not many available and the prices are already a bit high and usually without the scabbard, $80 or so. If they are cutting them up rather than putting them on the market, may have already missed out on this one.

[LesterH]

I have been buying scabbards and then SA80 bayonets to match them! There are plenty of Remploy 1991 made bayonet frogs about but you can never find a scabbard.
SA80 bayonets with scabbards and tools sell for £80+ now. The scabbards should not be in short supply about 300,000 were made!
There is a note in "The Last Enfield" book page 235. The cost of the bayonet and multi purpose scabbard in 1984 was £44.64. To keep costs down rear echelon troops were issued scabbards without tools.
I still think as a British taxpayer and genuine bayonet collector they should give me some good bayonets instead of chopping them up!!!! After all I paid for some of them through my taxes!

Kind regards, Lester

PS, Can I put my name down for the new issue bayonet?

[Peter Laidler]

Thousands of SA80 bayonets were rejected part-way through the manufacturing process by the MoD inspectors, prior to being accepted. The contract was re-issued and the second lot were accepted, complete.

The partially finished castings were sold off to recoup the loss. Subsequently finished and sold onto the collectors market. That's as I understand it from Royal Ordnance. It was a problem with the steel mix not being capable of being annealed properly. This wouldn't affect the average collector but the snapping blades would affect the average soldier while fighting at the bayonet gallows or for real!

We had some of the rejects at thge metallurgy labs when the stab-vest tests were taking place

Until a few years ago you could still see very early 1985/1986 bladed bayonets still in use where the bottle opener part had been ground off............ bottle opener on a bayonet......, I ask you! Whatever were they thinking about?

[LesterH]

I can part answer the bottle openers on bayonets question. In the 1980s I worked from time to time on Russian cargo ships. No Coca cola on board during those days. All they could offer you to drink was bottled salty mineral water ( with a tot of vodka if you were lucky). When the Chenoble Power Station blew up. All of the salty mineral water dissappeared from these Russian ships. When I asked why, the sailors told me the production of water went to the contaminated areas. My logic is, if they had dropped the bomb, the only potable drinking water would have been bottled water. Thus the cap lifter! The Glock Field Knife also has a cap lifter.

[Peter Laidler]

In answer to the original comment.......... I have yet to find a dead or dehydrated squaddie who's got into that state for lack of a bottle opener. You can take it from me, that if he needs to open a bottle (or a tin or anything......) he''ll find a way. Bottle opener on a bayonet..... I ask you! Clearly someone asked as they ditched the idea, probably after someone reminded the designers that soldiers already have one as part of their belt buckle

[browningautorifle]

Peter will shake his head when I say this...we used the lips of the FN magazines to open bottles. I'm sure he's saying, "Typical infantry". We didn't need an opener on the bayonet.

[Peter Laidler]

Mmmmm typical blxxdy Infantry....... But you agree that there's no need for a bottle opener. It was agreed some time ago that it'd be cheaper to give every Infantryman a set of 'snap-on' wire cutters and decent saw than keep maintaining the same but barely useable tools on the scabbard!