Do you think this can be repaired?

[Brian]

Got this with some unrelated custom knives from a collection a few days.
At first I considered it junk. But the more I look at it, the more I like it. Will make a nice display.
I expect it was "captured" during our border war and that the previous owner no longer needed it. Maybe explosion, but I see some bullet holes. At first I thought it was just a scabbard, so imagine my surprise when I tugged on the piece of metal sticking out and out came half a bayo.
Not sure where the front half went, it's not in the scabbard.
Anyways, interesting piece of battle history.

Brian

[Mr. B.]

Hi Brian, Yes! It definitely could be repaired, reworked, refinished, etc.. However, probably not worth the time or expense and in the end just another average reworked bayonet and scabbard of mixed heritage. New and used parts (including blade blanks) and components are available from various sources. Another option would be to salvage some of the parts to be used to repair other incomplete or damaged bayonets and scabbards.
This appears to have been an East German, (DDR), AKM 6X3 Type I bayonet and scabbard, late production. The scabbard has a rounded top pivot on a machined cutter plate. There is a small circular DDR proof mark on the back side of the body near the bottom by a rivet. It also may have an original DDR serial number at the top front of the body under the insulator? The black rubber insulator has a "5" on the front, typical DDR. The grey leather hanger and hardware with the grooved snap hook are also typical DDR. From association I would assume the bayonet was also DDR. I also think I can see DDR marking on the right side of the cross guard, but not sure as the pictures did not enlarge well.
The only thing I can see that makes it unusual is the serial or rack number stamped on the left side of the cross guard. This is not typical from any of the the ComBloc countries and represents a secondary user. Definitely not a DDR marking.
Like you stated, "Will make a nice display." Did any of your "Neighbors" routinely use DDR equipment? A good cover story or provenance would add value to "a piece of junk" !?
Mike

[Dragur2791]

Amazing piece if I should say it! Like you said, one can only wonder exactly what happend to this bayonet. And the owner.

A true battle field pick up piece.

[mill_speer]

Actually, there is nothing you can do about it.
It's very strange that it got a bullet and splinters, mostly just one of the two. The rest of Hilt was improperly removed. The TGL number of the GDR handle is immortalized on the tang.
Personally, I like combat relics, but not the one where parts have already been dismantled.
I mirrored the picture.

Eigentlich kann man da nichts machen.
Es ist doch sehr seltsam das es einen Einschuß und Splitter abbekommen hat, meistens nur eins vom Beiden. Der Rest von Hilt wurde unsachgemäß entfernt. Auf dem Erl hat sich die TGL-Nummer der DDR Griffschale Verewigt.
Ich persönlich mag Kampfrelikte, aber das, wo schon Teile abmontiert wurden nicht.
Ich habe das Bild gespiegelt.

[Mr. B.]

Thanks Gerhard for confirming the bayonet as East German. Your attention to and knowledge of details is amazing. The proof is in the pictures. Well done. Mike

[furtium]

Great detective work Gerhard!

[Brian]

Well done.
And just to clarify, the title of the thread was meant to be humorous. Just a joke. There is no way or reason to repair this. I like it as is anyways, makes a nice display. May shadowbox it.
Even possible that it was gathered with weapons etc after a firefight where it got the bullet holes, and then the whole pile was detonated to destroy, then someone took it home as a souvenir. Our troops often blew up caches.