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It sounds awful to us today, but they also used rifles as handspikes and pry bars to move field guns and Gatlings around and to remove boards from houses and barns for bridges and lining trenches. And many an unlucky chicken was treated to a campfire roasting on the end of a bayonet. (Took the temper out of the bayonet, but I doubt hungry soldiers worried overmuch about that.) Bayonets also served as tent pegs, hitch pins, digging tools and pry bars as well as deadly weapons.
After WWII, in which the bayonet played a minor role, the army undertook a review of its usefulness. They decided that in any case, they would have to issue a general purpose utility knife, and it would not cost much to make it to fit on the end of the rifle. So we still have the bayonet.
Jim
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The old socket bayonets make great candle holders too.
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I enjoyed the flag discourse more than the rifle discussion. This forum is always interesting.
