Thread: bayonets - what's the point ? (see what I did there...)

I'm curious ....

I understand that bayonets cannot be imported (?) but anyone can own one , or buy and sell them .

I have seen many older rifles advertised for sale along with a bayonet .
I also thought that modern guns weren't allowed a bayonet lug fitted but I have owned several with this lug in place .

I had assumed in this day and age a bayonet FITTED to a rifle would be a big no-no (?)

so what is the deal ?

Are they ok for show only (such as the old ww2 era guns and so on) but as they are theoretically locked in a safe and not on display then why have one ?

Or as they are often seen with , say , 303's up for sale , does it increase the value of the rifle significantly ?

Or is it just a novelty thing ? - look I have a bayonet I can fit ... how cool is that...

Or can you actually fit them to the rifle and go wandering around the bush and stick pigs with them ?

So , as my title asks ..... what's the point .....?

(and I'm not trying to upset any bayonet fans out there)

Yes they can be imported, but NZP and Customs can be pricks about it, bringing in conditions of import. Like must come with an imported rifle.

Not quite right, part of the old definition for a Military Style Semi Auto (MSSA) was the feature of a bayonet lug on the semi auto rifle. Having one (even non functional) made your A-Cat semi an illegal MSSA.

No big deal fitted to a rifle now. Whether it is a WW2 era bolt action or you can now fit one to your semi auto .22 rimfire or shotgun. The MSSA bayonet lug feature no longer exists.

Show, add value, completes a collection, collectors interest, part of history. All valid reasons to have one.

Why go around hunting on public land with one? Its hardly practical and given the current anti hysteria, why would you want to seek trouble even when its not illegal?
However I've seen photos of hunts on private land with them. No issue there.
Although I doubt you'd be as accurate stabbing with one compared to a hunting knife. Why let the pig suffer?
You also need to remember that many battle rifles were zeroed with them on (for shorter shooting distances).

you can whittle a stick down to correct diameter and use as spear...can use insulation tape and do same...were popular with pighunters for this reason...they WERE cheap.so bailed pig could be stuck from above when you didnt have rifle and dogs couldnt hold.....
if you have taken the time to do up an old war horse .303 brit well she deserves all the gear of her hayday (see I can do it too)to look her best.

The #4 .303 has a pointy tent peg for a bayonet.

A couple of hose clamps and any spikey piece of steel is an instant, effective bayonet.

The morons who decided that bayonet lugs on semi autos made them dangerous should be neutered to prevent them from breeding and lowering the quality of the human gene pool.

I like bayonets.

Originally Posted by Ftx325

I'm curious ....

I understand that bayonets cannot be imported (?) but anyone can own one , or buy and sell them .

I have seen many older rifles advertised for sale along with a bayonet .
I also thought that modern guns weren't allowed a bayonet lug fitted but I have owned several with this lug in place .

I had assumed in this day and age a bayonet FITTED to a rifle would be a big no-no (?)

so what is the deal ?

Are they ok for show only (such as the old ww2 era guns and so on) but as they are theoretically locked in a safe and not on display then why have one ?

Or as they are often seen with , say , 303's up for sale , does it increase the value of the rifle significantly ?

Or is it just a novelty thing ? - look I have a bayonet I can fit ... how cool is that...

Or can you actually fit them to the rifle and go wandering around the bush and stick pigs with them ?

So , as my title asks ..... what's the point .....?

(and I'm not trying to upset any bayonet fans out there)

No, I don't see your point. Nevertheless, I had a French bayonet in Africa, which came with me in my container in 1996 to Nz. The thing was liberated from a French gentleman in the trenches by my grandfather in the first big one. I moved to OZ in 2003 and took it with. On return to NZ in 2013 I queried NZ customs and found to my astonishment that lots of paper work was required. I opted for the easy way and gave it my uncle in Oz. After 43 years of ownership, it's now just a memory. What exactly was your point again..?

Imagine a mounted bayonet could be a last-ditch stand-off tool should you realise too late you've cornered an enormous angry sow with piglets.

Originally Posted by Cordite

Imagine a mounted bayonet could be a last-ditch stand-off tool should you realise too late you've cornered an enormous angry sow with piglets.

I'll try to get that Frenchie one back from my uncle...shit.

Originally Posted by dogmatix

Yes they can be imported, but NZP and Customs can be pricks about it, bringing in conditions of import. Like must come with an imported rifle.

Not quite right, part of the old definition for a Military Style Semi Auto (MSSA) was the feature of a bayonet lug on the semi auto rifle. Having one (even non functional) made your A-Cat semi an illegal MSSA.

No big deal fitted to a rifle now. Whether it is a WW2 era bolt action or you can now fit one to your semi auto .22 rimfire or shotgun. The MSSA bayonet lug feature no longer exists.

Show, add value, completes a collection, collectors interest, part of history. All valid reasons to have one.

Why go around hunting on public land with one? Its hardly practical and given the current anti hysteria, why would you want to seek trouble even when its not illegal?
However I've seen photos of hunts on private land with them. No issue there.
Although I doubt you'd be as accurate stabbing with one compared to a hunting knife. Why let the pig suffer?
You also need to remember that many battle rifles were zeroed with them on (for shorter shooting distances).

Just me broheim but rifles look a lot more warry with their actions closed.

Originally Posted by Ryan

Just me broheim but rifles look a lot more warry with their actions closed.

Definitely.

Originally Posted by Ryan

Just me broheim but rifles look a lot more warry with their actions closed.

I got a lecture from a US fudd for posting versions of the same photos with the bolts closed.
He assumed they were stored that way.
Bless.

Originally Posted by dogmatix

I got a lecture from a US fudd for posting versions of the same photos with the bolts closed.
He assumed they were stored that way.
..

What if they were??

Originally Posted by 6x47

What if they were??

He didn't know about NZ laws requiring safes/strong rooms.
In fact he assumed I was in the US.

Civilisation ends at the US border, right?

lol that's why they have a "world" series with only them in it

Rules around bayonet's do seem a bit odd considering you can walk into any mitre 10 or the like and walk out with a machete, axe or other pointy choppy stuff.

Perhaps they make a rifle look too 'tactical' or are ' evil by nature' like a semi....

Thanks for the informative reply @dogmatix (and others)
I was just a little unsure on legalities etc with all the law changes lately . And as the majority of pics don't actually have the bayonet fixed in place I thought I might be missing something.
I have now joined the bayonet owners club as it were and purchased an m7 bayonet for my 500 A1 shotty , cause I can . Slowly turning it into a trench gun replica . Now have to find wood stock and corn cobb to replace the plastic items .
I have also been considering trying to pick up a cheap older military style rifle I can perhaps restore ,as I would like a project gun , and will now try and find something bayonet ready .
Love those in your pics to dogmatix .... very nice .