Click on the thumbnail for the full size photo.
Porter's Report
By Bill Porter
December 2007
Hello everyone. It’s been a while, actually a lot longer than I realized. When I looked back at my last posting I couldn’t believe that it has been ten months. I’ll try to make it more regular between now and our break next summer.
Update
Much has happened since I last posted to the site. Some good, some bad, but it has all kept me pretty busy. I have been fortunate to pick up many good pieces for the collection this year. Many of them are foreign so I won’t bore you with the details here, but there were also some good US pieces. We’ll feature them over the next few months.
We left off way back when featuring foreign made bayonets for the US M16 rifle. We will be continuing with that feature next month. This month we’ll take a look at a couple of the newer pieces that I think are pretty cool.
Kel-Tec KFB Folding Bayonet
Kel-Tec is a firearm manufacturing firm located in Cocoa, Florida. From their website:
"Kel-Tec CNC Inc is firmly committed to the development and production of novel, high performance firearms. After their completion we are equally committed to the legal and responsible sale of the weapons. Finally, we also commit ourselves to the professional and prompt lifetime warranty service of all Kel-Tec products."
Close to three years ago we ran across Kel-Tec’s website and their ad for a folding bayonet that they were manufacturing as an accessory for their SU-16D12 Personal Security Rifle. The ad stated that the bayonets would be ready for shipment before the summer of 2005. (It still says that.) Calls to Kel-Tec over the next year and a half proved fruitless; it didn’t look like the bayonets were ever going to be made. Then about two months ago our good buddy Earl Stanford emailed and informed me that Kel-Tec finally had the bayonets listed for sale on their website. A quick check of the website showed this to be correct. I also noticed that there was note at the bottom of the page stating that the blade color may vary. A call to the factory confirmed that there were two blade finishes available; bright steel and parkerized.
More from the website:
Rather than a traditional bayonet, The KFB should be regarded as a multi-purpose combat knife that can be attached to a rifle for special purposes. The Kel-Tec bayonet will also fit a standard M-16 with bayonet lugs.
The KFB has a CNC machined, vacuum treated D2 steel blade with a fuller and a saw edge. The quillon
(actually the muzzle ring) has a diameter of 22 mm and is made of 1095 steel. A heavy duty lock extends the full width of the blade and can be blocked by a separate safety to protect against unwanted folding of the blade.A detachable belt clip will be available as an accessory.Overall length 266 mm
Blade length 122 mm
Muzzle ring 22 mm
Folded length 143 mm
Click on the thumbnail for the full size photo.
Chinese "M9" Folding Bayonet
This isn’t US and it isn’t military, but I think it’s pretty cool so I wanted to feature it here. This is a fairly well made piece. Too bad that the mortise slot and muzzle ring are barely large enough to fit on a pea shooter. There’s no way this bayonet would fit on any rifle I know of. It is fairly well made and has a nice finish. The body of the grip is made up of multiple layers of steel and has reddish color wood scales. The blade is spring loaded and flips open with the press of a button. There is a sliding lock near the pivot point of the blade that prevents the bayonet from folding unexpectedly. The blade has a broached hole near the tip like that in the M9 bayonet for use as a wire cutter. The hole on this blade is strictly cosmetic. The back edge of the blade is notched to give the impression of a sawback, but it is non-functional.
The bayonet has a belt clip on the side of the body. It also has a nylon carrying pouch with a Fastex type connector that holds the cover flap in place.
Overall length 274 mm
Blade length 124 mm
Muzzle ring 11.9 mm
Folded length 150 mm
Society of American Bayonet Collectors
Once again I am running for a position on the Board of Directors of SABC. There are two positions open and I am sharing a spot on the ballot with two other members. Both are currently serving on the board and I applaud them for their service to the organization. They have been doing a fine job and I don’t claim that I can do better, just different. I believe that every organization needs fresh ideas and a rotation in the leadership. I do not believe in change just for the sake of change, but change for diversity of ideas helps to keep an organization fresh. I would like to become involved at the board level to help keep the organization interesting and growing. I’d appreciate your support and would be happy to answer any questions that any or you may have.
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The Christmas season is upon us. Please remember those less fortunate than you and do something to help brighten someone’s day. Let’s all do what we can to express thanks and gratitude for those who are serving in the armed forces to protect the freedom that we all take for granted. I’ve mentioned one organization in the past that has been set up to help support the families of deployed soldiers in the State of Connecticut. If you’re interested please check the following link:
Operation E.L.F. (Embracing Lonely Families)
That wraps it up for this month. Any questions or comments can be forwarded to me at
porterkids@aol.com.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year