How to Remove the Bayonet From an M44

Lock the rifle in a gun vise upside down, so the underside of the gun barrel faces up. The built in bayonet is mounted near the muzzle end of the gun barrel, where a bullet is fired from the weapon, two-inches below the built in gun sight. The bayonet folds back to the side of the rifle on a hinge with a tension screw that holds the hinge and the bayonet together. Before the bayonet can be taken off, the tension must be released and the screw removed. Apply a liberal amount of gun oil to the tension screw. When the oil penetrates to the inside of the hinge where the screw is housed, apply more oil.

Turn the gun over and lock it in the vise so the gun sight on the barrel faces up. Grab the bayonet sleeve, the part of the bayonet that widens just below the hinge, and pull the bayonet from the side of the weapon, so it is at a 90-degree angle to the rifle (Reference 2). Apply more gun oil to the tension screw, letting the oil penetrate down into the hinge.

Unscrew the tension screw. If the tension screw is stubborn, continuing applying more oil, and try folding the bayonet back and forth several times to work the oil into the hinge. After 60 or more years of storage and an untold length of field service, the internal gun parts are prone to rust, dirt and other interior debris. When you are able, loosen the tension screw while the bayonet is at a 90-degree angle to the rifle, but do not remove the screw just yet.

Apply more oil to the bayonet hinge, and then pull out the bayonet about 1/4-inch to release the internal tension spring inside the bayonet sleeve. Work the bayonet hinge repeatedly if it is stubborn, pulling it in and out while it is at a 90-degree angle to the rifle, and continue applying oil, until the bayonet slides out 1/4-inch and you hear the spring release (Reference 2). When the spring releases, remove the tension screw all the way.

Pull the bayonet completely clear of the hinge.