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, green canvas frog with retaining strap, plastic belt grip and wire hanger.
The bayonet is inscribed on the blade with the serial number ‘02-73026’, applied with an electric pencil. The ’02‘ prefix indicates allocation to the Argentine Marines.
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.
Belt frogs for these bayonets are made of either leather or nylon fabric: the ‘Correaje Argentino de Cuero’ (Green Leather Belting) load-bearing system was introduced around 1970, but incorporated some preexisting elements including leather frogs and pistol holsters, which were then painted green to match. The nylon ‘Correaje Tempex’ (Tempex Belting) was introduced in the early 1980s to replace it which included a new frog. Both forms of load-bearing system were still in use by 1982 so both were carried in the Falklands. Either frog will fit either Type of bayonet.
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, and still more were gathered later from unengaged Argentine garrisons on the island of West Falkland. 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 most likely one such ‘bring-back’.
The bayonet has its original blued finish, with black paint on the release catch. Some minor rubbing to both these finishes on raised edges. The blade has some spots of patination, a few light dents to the blunt ‘edge’ of the blade on one side. The tip of the blade has rolled (<1mm). Bright lines to the blade where it rubs against the scabbard on sheathing. Light scratching to the plastic scabbard body and one broad, shallow dent on its front face which does not interfere with sheathing and drawing. Rubbing and dark patination on the frog rivets, some dirt and spots of very light surface fraying to its canvas. One half of the black plastic belt grip on the frog has been lost, a small piece remaining in place under a rivet. The other half has some scratching to the plastic. The wire belt hook is slightly bent. It swings freely with no rust.
