Bayonet

[DemonArchangel]

when was the bayonet invented?

[Brother Derfel]

Not too sure on the catual date, but I believe that the last time a british unit carried Pikes was 1698, and this was beacsue of the invention of the bayonet replacing the need for a regiment of foot to have a pike contingent along with it. However these early bayonets fited down the barel of the musket preventing the soldier from firing whilst the bayonet was in. it was not for a while after that the socket bayonet was invented alowing the soldier to fire at the same time. I do not have proper dates on hand at this time and i am sure someone else will beat me to them before i have access to my books later.

[Hakonarson]

(In)Famously the British at Killicrankie in 1689 had plug bayonets - their fire kept the Highlanders off but the commanding officer ordered them to fit bayonets after which they couldn't fire and got slaughtered by the Scots swordsmen.

The British adopted ring bayonets within a few years of that

It was apparently invented by a Scot - Hugh Mackay, commander of the Royal forces at Killicrankie

Edited to say it was the RING bayonet that MacKay is credited with - not the original version.

[Muneyoshi]

Plug bayonet was used around 1660's I belive, but as already stated the gun could not be shot while it was on.

Ring bayonet wasnt used for too long but wasnt too popular apparently, cause it wasnt used for too long.

Socket bayonet is the most recognized bayonet, and was adopted by the French around 1670 and used into WW2 (and a little bit by Americans in the Korean War)

[Hakonarson]

Ring bayonet/socket bayonet are effectively the same thing IMO.

[Muneyoshi]

Not quite, though similar. The ring bayonet was two rings holding it to the barrel. While a socket bayonet was shaped like a zig zag, the gun could be shot and reloaded without having to remove it, and it was held in by a little slot (or socket rather http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif )

[Hakonarson]

you're inventing differences where none exist - ring and socket are 2 terms used to describe the same thing - a bayonet that fits over the barrle leaving the bore clear for firing (and loading if it's a muzzle-loader).

Certainly I did not use the term "ring" as though it was different from "socket".

Here's a picture (http://www.geocities.com/ancasta1/bayonets2.JPG) that shows what you may be refering to - as far as I'm concerned the "ring" bayonet in the centre is functionally the same as the "socket" bayonet at the bottom (indeed it is superior as it can be used as a knife as well) - it allows the firearm to be loaded and fired when it is fitted and that is all I was interested in.

However I've found another site that gives a different history for the socket (or ring) bayonet, stating that it was in use by the French in the 1670's - http://thearmouryonline.co.uk/BayonetHistory.htm