Why don't people talk more about using bayonets in a home defense situation?

[Wounded Ronin]

So, there are lots of people who like to talk about home defense. Some people are probably more realistic or low key about it, whereas we all know how in some cases people go overboard with silly things like ricing their rifle or shotgun or handgun, or stupid scenarios where the fat white man with the handgun goes downstairs with his Glock to "investigate" and finds a scary minority gangbanger who broke into the house alone armed with only a pocket knife.

But I've never heard/seen anyone talk about mounting a bayonet on their shotgun. Which I think is pretty surprising. I mean, why consider a reflex sight before you consider a bayonet on a shotgun or carbine at that kind of close range?

The way I see it, most people who are in the middle of being home invaded are probably going to be terrified and/or enraged, their hands will be shaking, they'll have adrenaline, and their families will be at risk for death, rape, robbery, etc. In a physically aroused state something like a bayonet would probably be very instinctive to use, very terrifying for the home invaders, and a very easy "solution" for what to do if you have a jam, misfeed, or an empty magazine. Some people counsel firearms n00bs to use a revolver instead of a semi-auto because it's supposedly too hard to tap, rack, and boom under stress, but what about a carbine with at 10-30 rounds in the magazine and a bayonet as well? That's even easier. Under extreme stress it would be a lot easier to charge with a bayonet than to do a speed reload if you don't have a lot of training. People also talk about all the training you need to turn a corner with a longarm so you can retain the weapon and so on, and again having a bayonet on your carbine or shotgun would make it considerably easier for you to carve up someone who happens to be close enough to attempt to grab your weapon. You also don't need to worry about blinding yourself with muzzle flash or stunning yourself by hearing a gunshot indoors with unprotected ears.

Besides, with all the rage and terror, on some emotional level, you'd think someone would want to rip open a body cavity with a bayonet and would do that better with little training than squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, control those shots, don't endanger the neighborhood with stray rounds. What I mean is, unless someone is a real dedicated marksman who has trained so much for rifle combat that their rifle skills are an innate part of them, I believe that they would have more of an emotional desire and instinctive proclivity to rip someone apart with a bayonet because that would be closer to the flight or fight survival reaction that is hardwired into all of us from birth.

The more I think about it, the more a bayonet sounds like a very sensible home-defense accessory. Why don't people ever discuss/market home defense bayonets?

[meataxe]

A long gun has some problems indoors and mobility is just one. Maneuvering a rifle or shotgun in hallways and around obstructions could be difficult. Adding a bayonet would just make that worse.

[lionknight]

I know nothing about guns, but I have seen one of these before:

[Phrost]

Probably because you run the very realistic risk of facing a jury that'd be horrified enough at your means of dispatching the intruder that you'd end up doing prison time for it.

[mgb]

I know nothing about guns, but I have seen one of these before:

CZ, hell yeah.

[vaquero de las nalgas]

If you were so inclined, though, you could probably still find an M97 trench gun somewhere....http://www.olive-drab.com/od_edged_w...onet_m1917.php

[AMF]

Probably because you run the very realistic risk of facing a jury that'd be horrified enough at your means of dispatching the intruder that you'd end up doing prison time for it.

I was going to say something similar.

It goes back to the whole 'use of force and escalation of force' continum that we get drilled into our heads in the military.

Did you only use that force which was needed to stop the threat?

Look at it from a legal perspective, you would be looked at as having used 'excessive force' to deal with the intruder

or

From the perspective some bleeding heart dickweed who thinks shooting intruders is a violation of their goddamn civil rights - the argument could be made that you had the intention all along of killing the intruder instead of investigating the noise.


Not saying that I don't agree with you, I have 5 rounds of 00 buck for the poor SOB that breaks into my house, with plenty shells to reload.

[jspeedy]

If you were so inclined, though, you could probably still find an M97 trench gun somewhere....http://www.olive-drab.com/od_edged_w...onet_m1917.php

That's one of the greatest avatars ever ass cowboy but if you post anymore pictures of my two girlfriends i'm gonna get pissed.

I think i'll buy a bayonet next time I can. Here in Fl they seem pretty open to killing anyone that breaks in.

In the mean time I'll stick with my I billion candle power (or something like that) light and machate combo to dispatch criminals. We have a kid in the house here and the ol' lady don't like loaded guns. But a readily available 27 inch blade is ok for some reason.

[Hesperus]

I think a baseball bat would be better than a bayonet.

[thatrugbyguy]

A long gun has some problems indoors and mobility is just one. Maneuvering a rifle or shotgun in hallways and around obstructions could be difficult. Adding a bayonet would just make that worse.

Pretty much. I've fixed a bayonet on my rifle and done some room clearing that way just for the hell of it. It was very hard to get used to and I ended up being pretty awkward. That could probably be remedied by actually training like that for a while, but the weapon is still going to be longer.