Argentine Type C Socket Bayonet for the FN FAL, Argentine Marines, Falklands War

Tubular steel one-piece bayonet with flash ports and spear-pointed blade with semicircular profile. Blade length 6½ inches (16.5cm), 11 3/8 inches (28.9cm) overall. Black plastic scabbard with eyelet chape, circular frog stud and steel throat piece, khaki canvas frog with retaining strap and wire hanger.

The bayonet is faintly stamped on the blade with the serial number ’02-102172’. The ’02‘ prefix indicates allocation to the Argentine Marines. The plastic body of the scabbard is stamped on the reverse side with the same serial number, indicating a matching pair.

The FN FAL infantry rifle and its bayonet were adopted by Argentina in the late 1950s, initially purchased from FN in Belgium but later made domestically by Argentine manufacturers. Several types of bayonet and webbing attachments were used by the Argentinean Army and Marines during the Falklands conflict: the tubular model was the ‘Type C’, compatible with later models of the FAL (post 1962) which had a 22mm muzzle device. This was used side by side with the ‘Type A’ knife bayonet, which fitted to the early FALs. The scabbards are not interchangeable between Types, the blades being of different shapes.

The scabbard and frog for this bayonet are of the Belgian export style, suggesting that this is one of the Argentinian bayonets imported from Belgium rather than manufactured domestically.

After Argentine forces surrendered to the British on June 14 1982 their small arms were piled up by the thousand in the Islands’ capital Port Stanley, where most Argentine forces had been deployed or driven back to. A large quantity of arms had also been captured earlier at Goose Green, which was a key ammunition dump for the Argentine forces. The FAL rifles became British government property and were either brought to the UK or dumped at sea, while bayonets and the short machete-like officer’s sidearms frequently became personal trophies or souvenirs for British soldiers as they would not be illegal to own in civilian life. This example is almost certainly one such ‘bring-back’.

The bayonet has its original black painted finish, with some minor rubbing and flaking to the socket. Around the serial number on the blade is a bright area, this has some patination. Bright lines to the blade where it rubs against the scabbard on sheathing. Scratching but no significant damage to the plastic scabbard body, patination to the brass frog rivets, no fraying to the canvas.