No. 7 Bayonet

The No. 7 Bayonet was a bayonet primarily used with the Sten Mk V submachine gun. ^[1]However, it could be used on the No. 4 Lee-Enfield, but only for ceremonial purposes as the bayonet obstructed the path of the .303 round fired from the gun. ^[2]

Design[]

The No. 7 bayonet was an advanced design that could be configured as either a blade or socket type bayonet, and could also be used as a fighting knife. ^[1]It was intended to replace the No. 4 Bayonet in service and used the blade of the No. 5 Bayonet. ^[1]

Production[]

The design was finalized by Wilkinson Sword, who made 1,000 in 1944. ^[2]The No. 7 bayonet went into mass production in 1945 and stayed in production for a short time post-war.^[1]As a majority of production of this design was post-war, it was mainly produced by government weapons factories due to spare capacity at the end of the war.^[1] The majority were made by the Royal Ordnance Factory, Newport who made 100,000.^[1] The Royal Ordanance Factory Poole made 30,000. Birmingham Small Arms Company, the famous weapons company who manufactured the Besa machine gun and Welrod Silenced pistol, made 25,000.^[1] One producer, which was not a weapons company, was Elkington & Co., traditionally a maker of silver products, made 20,000.^[1]Overall, 176,000 No. 7 bayonets were produced.^[1]

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bayonets.