I Don’t Get It Either

Mostly Genius doesn’t get pistol bayonets:

Some people have made the “weapons retention” argument, but I remain unconvinced. This is about as useful as a fish bicycle.

The reason man put bayonets on long arms is because absent ammunition or in case of malfunction, it allows the long arm to be used as a pike.  I’m not sure what a pistol with a knife would offer that wielding a knife in your hand doesn’t.  For retention, it would seem you’re far better off using the knife independently on an attacker while you try to secure your firearm with your strong hand.  If you can bring your pistol bayonet to bear, wouldn’t you just be better off shooting the guy?  Knives and firearms are both deadly force, after all.

9 thoughts on “I Don’t Get It Either”

  1. It’s for harassing the enemy…no, not the Bad Guy trying to kill you, the Liberals trying to control our guns. It’s like our guns are sticking their tongues out at them for their inability to make any traction so far this presidency.

  2. Well, it the Awakening happens in 2011 and you need to have a melee weapon handy in case of attack by spirits….

    (Sorry – shadowrun flashback there)

  3. We’ve had handguns for about 400 years and looking back someone did this about every 125 years or so. I saw one on a flintlock pistol once in a magazine and then again on a cap ‘n ball in a museum. Guess its been long enough that someone needed to do it on an auto. This too will pass.

    Maybe my great-grandson will put one on a ray-gun or something.

  4. I can actually see some legitimate use. Think of it:

    It’s night, and you hear a rustling in your house when you know there shouldn’t be anyone rustling. You grab your pistol, with bayonet, in your strong hand and use your weak hand to open the door (or hold your flashlight, or hold your cell phone, or steady the gun, or whatever). You see the intruder, and he runs at you, but your gun jams (or has a dud round, or is out of battery, or your forgot to load it, or whatever). At the very least, you now have a weapon of last resort.

    Sure, you could’ve had a knife in your other hand (assuming you didn’t decide on the flashlight, phone, or need to open doors), but then, you wouldn’t be able to rack the slide if necessary, and your accuracy surely would’ve suffered. There are always tradeoffs; a bayonet on a pistol isn’t that bad of an option.

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