The bayonet has remained relatively unchanged for centuries.
Some form of the bayonet has been used for hundreds of years now, as soldiers across cultures have created hybrid weapons for long- and close-range combat.
The modern bayonet used by the U.S. is the M9 currently made by Ontario Knife Company (the U.S. Marine Corps uses the OKC 3S), which is a long fixed blade knife with a clip point.
But a company known as GripKnife is looking to update the bayonet with a radical new design.
The GripKnife is a spring-loaded knife that doubles as a vertical grip for your firearm and all it requires is a picatinny rail system.
Take a look at the design in slow motion. (I recommend turning the volume down to avoid the unnecessary background music.)
As you can see, it is essentially an OTF (Out The Front) knife that doubles as a vertical grip. It locks and is ready for action upon deployment and is easy to put back into place.
Here’s more from the company’s website:
When clearing a room in XCQB, no knife can be deployed and used faster than Gripknife, it’s only a fraction of a second. With training, the deployment becomes a seamless instinctive strike that can function in the tightest of spaces. Whether it’s to create some space, or because it’s your last line of defense, Gripknife goes with you. Nothing is quicker. No OTF is stronger. Nothing more effective. Period. Made in America.
Check out this demonstration from Shot Show for another look.
If you think bayonets are obsolete, think again.
Sure, back in the day, bayonets were used more as an integral part of an effective military tactic. In some battles in the 18th and 19th centuries, soldiers would conduct bayonet charges to overrun enemies. Bayonet charges have even been successfully used in modern wars, including as recently as 2004.
Bayonets are still used as utility tools and a last line of defense by soldiers around the world. It looks like GripKnife is trying to inject a renewed interest in the centuries-old tool with something modern and adaptable.
The GripKnife is expected to go between $300 and $400 and the company will soon be taking preorders. The 4-inch “Patriot” will be released in limited quantities in October. We’ll see whether the GripKnife gets any traction with either gun owners or the military.
September 5, 2017 at 2:03 pm
I remember a ‘bayonet ‘ as being a ‘knife ‘ that was stuck on the end of a rifle. It gave you a farther reach than just a knife. This grip knife may have its use but, i will wait and see.
September 6, 2017 at 12:08 am
Bayonets, by definition, attach to the end of the rifle, making in essence a short spear. This is, apparently, a handily positioned concealed knife. So until I can use it to stab someone with not-quite my rifle barrel, please do us, and the previous bayonet makers, the courtesy of NOT calling this a bayonet.
November 9, 2017 at 11:24 am
Where can I buy a knife grip ????? And how much are ?do I get a discount for buying 5 at a time ?