M9 Bayonet Knives
The M9 Bayonet is a multi-purpose knife and bayonet adopted in 1986 by the United States. It is the standard issue for the U.S. Military and is also used by a number of other militaries around the world, including those of Canada, Chile, Croatia, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Spain. The M9 was first introduced into service in fiscal year 1984 as a replacement for both the M7 bayonet and M9 multi-purpose knife (both pictured). The early history of the M9 can be traced back to 1974 when Colonel Rex Applegate was asked by General George S. Patton III to develop a new fighting knife for the U.S. military. Applegate went on to design what would become known as the Aircrew Survival Egress Knife or ASK . The ASK included several features that were later adopted on the M9 such as a serrated edge on the blade and a hollow handle that could be used to store emergency supplies such as matches . In 1982 , after eight years of testing , Army Systems Command awarded production contracts for 300 , 000 knives to Camillus Cutlery Company and 500 , 000 knives to Beretta U . S . A . Corporation . Production began in 1983 with full deployment taking place in 1986 . Since then over 1 million knives have been produced by these two companies with Beretta being the sole producer since 2007 when Camillus went out of business due to financial difficulties brought on by Hurricane Katrina . The M9 has seen action in every major conflict involving the United States since it was first introduced including Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm , Operation Enduring Freedom , Operation Iraqi Freedom and most recently Operation Inherent Resolve. Looking for M9 Bayonet Knives? KnifeCritic is here to help you find the best M9 Bayonet Knives for your needs. We have gathered information about the top M9 Bayonet Knives on the market to help you choose the right one for you.