Ever since the first firearms became common on the battlefield for individual soldiers the need for a knife that could be attached to the end of a firearm was clear, as muskets were slow to load, generally inaccurate, however very they were also heavy and long, making them able to have great reach as a melee weapon. Around the late 16th Century the first bayonets would become common, having a plug which would fit inside the muzzle. Over the centuries the bayonet would evolve and improve being made of better metals, become longer, and fit more securely to the weapon. Some designers would go so far to fit Pistols and other small caliber weapons such as the Bergmann MP18 and Webley Mk VI.

Today the Bayonet is reduced to an ancillary role and is rarely used attached to the rifle but instead more as a standalone knife. Today the US Military uses two models of Bayonets, the Bayonet Knife, M7 and the Bayonet Knife M9 Phrobis III. The M7 is a dual edge with a 6.75 inch blade and was designed specifically for the M16 Rifle. The M7 is a single edge with either a flat or serrated spine with a longer 7 inch blade, a oval shaped hole at the front combined with a lug on the sheath allows for the M9 to be used as a wire cutter along with a flat lip on the sheath's end as a flat head screwdriver. Although still on hand for available issuing to most units, most training for their use has been mostly discontinued outside of Infantry One Station Unit Training in Fort Benning Georgia and the newly adopted XM5 Rifle manufactured by Sig Sauer is the first United States Rifle to be adopted into active military service with the lack of a bayonet lug. Current Official Manufacturers of the M9 Bayonet are Phrobis, Ontario Knife Company, Buck Knives, and LanCay General Cutlery. However the model shown and owned by me is a Smith & Wesson SW3B made to the same standards. 50 BMG round for scale.