M5 bayonet

The M5 bayonet was a United States military bayonet adopted in 1953 to replace earlier bayonets on the M1 Garand rifle. During the Korean War the M1 bayonet was found hard to remove while wearing heavy gloves, so the M5 was a total redesign based on the M4 bayonet of the M1 carbine, with a large push-button release. It has a 6.75 inch blade, an overall length of 11.5 inches and weighs about 11.5 ounces, with one edge sharpened along its full length and three inches of the other edge sharpened. It is the only American bayonet without a barrel mount ring on its crossguard, which makes it look more like a fighting knife, and its stud fits the gas cylinder lock screw under the M1 rifle barrel, so it fits no other firearm. Three patterns were made, the M5, M5-1 and M5A1, with checkered black molded plastic grips and a dark gray parkerized finish. It used the M8A1 scabbard, and the M5A1 of the 1960s was the last bayonet made for the M1 Garand. Makers included Aerial Cutlery, Jones and Dickinson Tool, Imperial Knife, Utica Cutlery and Columbus Milpar.