Photo of North Korean Honor Guard: Odd Bayonet Attachment

[jmaurer]

Browsing through other sites' discussions of North Korean honor guard SKS rifles, I just realized that I've missed the obvious anomaly in the photos that most of us have seen with the chrome-plated rifles. What's up with the bayonets / bayonet attachment-swivel-thing on these?!



I guess I never really paid attention since I always assumed I'd never get my mits on one of these...

[Phosphorus32]

Good catch. Definitely a different front sight base-bayonet lug. No handle-muzzle ring for the bayonet. The bayonet has a shortened and modified tang that appears to be riveted or bolted to the bayonet lug in the permanently deployed position.

[running-man]

Shadetree mechanic work at it's best there!  They took that FSB down to the bare minimum too, looks like what's used on an 18" SKS to be honest:



There must be something underneath the FSB taking the place of the cleaning rod nipples that still allows attachment of the bayos using that clamp-like fixture.  Bayo shank is pretty much gone too.  It's a wild mod that doesn't really seem to serve much purpose.  Why not just use stock hardware and leave it in the extended position?