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A few years ago I bought a Yugoslav SKS Rifle 7.62x39 with my C&R FFL. I was just little over $200 and in very good condition after I got the cosmoline off it. It came with with an attached folding bayonet. The thing must be 14" long. I got to wondering if this thing is an "illegal knife" as defined by PC 46.01. So if I take my rifle to the range, am I violating PC 46.02? It's attached to the rifle, but I could unscrew it from the hinge and leave it at home.

good question!

it ceases to be a curio when carried to the range.

It's no big deal to me, but why risk it? It may be a stupid law, but it is still most likely enforced.

timely thread. Just yesterday I was wondering the same thing about the folding bayo's. I have one from an old SKS build that I leave on a cabinet on my front porch for "exercise"... throwing it at leaves on the gound, playing "stretch" (or "chicken") with my grandson, etc. When the thought occured to me that the thing was obviously not only over 5-1/2 inches long, but also could be considered a "dagger", since it was made solely for the purpose of stabbing, it would most likely be an illegal knife.

I still don't understand our idiotic laws on pointy, cutty, stabby thingies.


surv

Glad I read this. I have a Russian SKS with bayonet and I've shot it at the range at least twice. I thought if it's legal to own it's legal to shoot.

wait...so I am breaking the law if I take a C&R to the range to shoot?

Surly that can't be correct...but then again, the Fed never fails to surprise me anymore...

pbwalker wrote:wait...so I am breaking the law if I take a C&R to the range to shoot?

Surly that can't be correct...but then again, the Fed never fails to surprise me anymore...

For what it's worth, when I still had my last SKS, the bayo was used only as a "kick stand" to park the gun. I never thought of it as a pointy stabby thingy until recently.

gigag04 wrote:it ceases to be a curio when carried to the range.

How do you mean?

Is there a definition of a knife in that law? The bayonet is permanently attached to the rifle and it is a bayonet. There might be exceptions. I have one of those extra long M1903 bayonets. I consider it a collectible, not a knife.

Most of those bayonets are more like tent stakes than knives. I personally don't worry about it. Maybe if you were going to carry it at a protest, a bayonet might give a bad cop an excuse to hassle you, but otherwise?

My SKS's have the "pig sticker" not really a knife, actually pretty useless if you ask me. I've never taken it to the range, but at least if in my home I know it's legal.

The bayonet on the Russians is definately not a spike. It's a knife.

I don't think the bayonet is a knife if it is permanently attached to the rifle like that.

From PC 46.01:

(7) "Knife" means any bladed hand instrument that is capable of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by cutting or stabbing a person with the instrument.

By definition, a rifle is not a hand instrument. That would make it a handgun. Thus, the bayonet is not a knife.

Well, that would be my argument. And I would stick to it.

As a backup, I would point out that the rifle is being used in a sporting use that it is commonly used for, so the permanently attached bayonet is excepted under 46.15.

srothstein wrote:From PC 46.01:

(7) "Knife" means any bladed hand instrument that is capable of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by cutting or stabbing a person with the instrument.

By definition, a rifle is not a hand instrument. That would make it a handgun. Thus, the bayonet is not a knife.

An OKC3S bayonet not attached to a rifle/carbine is an illegal knife. A fixed bayonet might be considered a spear.

srothstein wrote:As a backup, I would point out that the rifle is being used in a sporting use that it is commonly used for, so the permanently attached bayonet is excepted under 46.15.

boomerang wrote:

srothstein wrote:From PC 46.01:

(7) "Knife" means any bladed hand instrument that is capable of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by cutting or stabbing a person with the instrument.

By definition, a rifle is not a hand instrument. That would make it a handgun. Thus, the bayonet is not a knife.

An OKC3S bayonet not attached to a rifle/carbine is an illegal knife. A fixed bayonet might be considered a spear.

srothstein wrote:As a backup, I would point out that the rifle is being used in a sporting use that it is commonly used for, so the permanently attached bayonet is excepted under 46.15.

Pretty sure the non-permanent ones meet the PC's definition of knife: