M9 (Bayonet)

1987 COLD WAR MODERN

• 1 History of M9 (bayonet)
• 2 M9 (bayonet) Specification
  • 2.1 BASICS
  • 2.2 Manufacturer
  • 2.3 Carrier
  • 2.4 Action
  • 2.5 Cartridges and Paper Feeds
  • 2.6 Variants

History of M9 (bayonet)

In 1984, the United States launched the utility knife M9 bayonet. The M9 is designed for use with the Armalite AR-15, Colt M-16 Military Rifle and Colt M Carbine as a backup role for infantry hand-held melee weapons. Buck Knives were developed by Mickey Finn, who manufactured the first M9 bayonet knives in 1987 for Finn's Phrobis Company. The U.S.

Army's original contract was for 315,600 units, with two 60,000-unit options at the military's discretion. In total, Buck made about 325,000 bayonets between 1987 and 1989.

In addition to manufacturing the aforementioned military contract M9 bayonet, Buck also manufactures M9 bayonet for the commercial market. A commercial bayonet is almost identical to a military bayonet, but is not military standard. The military contract ended in 1989.

Buck Knives relocated its operations in 1990 after the military contract was finalized and Phrobis severed ties entirely. It is important to note that all military contract bayonets from this period will only have the Phrobis marking. All M9 bayonet knives marked with Buck 188 are commercial knives. In 1991, Buck built 5,000 pieces for the U.S.

Marine Corps, and Buck Knives was awarded a divisional field test contract. These bayonets were used by the 2nd Marine Corps and many are still in use today.

As with all weapon systems - like simple combat knives - the soldier really determines the value of the product. Like the M9, the blade itself proved too thin and prone to breakage, of course due to the multitude of manufacturers and their varying standards.

Many people today prefer the sturdy M7 bayonet to the M9. In addition to the bayonet function and standard knife operation, the M9 can also be used as a wire EDM and saw.

M9 (bayonet) Specification

BASICS

Year in use

1987

Origins

United States

Categories

field knife/bayonet

Manufacturer

Qual-A-Tec / Phrobis 3 / Buck Knives / LanCay / Ontario - USA

Carrier

Abu Dhabi; Australia; Hong Kong; Netherlands; New Zealand; Poland; Singapore; Thailand; USA

Action

Not applicable.

Cartridges and Paper Feeds

Caliber*

Not applicable

Circle/Feed

Not applicable

Variants

M9 - Name