At the same time that robust flintlock rifles were being adopted throughout Europe, the bayonet was also introduced. Bayonets are blades that are either inserted into the gun barrel (plug bayonet) or attached next to the barrel (socket bayonet) with a device, so that the gun can also be used as a stabbing weapon. The 66cm-long plug bayonet has a double-edged blade and is combined with a conical wooden handle. The disadvantage of this was that it was not possible to shoot at the same time. For this reason the plug bayonet was subsequently replaced by the socket bayonet.

The origin and evolution of the bayonet is not entirely clear. It is thought that the word “bayonet” comes from the inhabitants of the city of Bayonne in southern France. They are said to have invented the bayonet in the midst of a battle by ramming their hunting knives into the barrels of their muskets.