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Acombination weapon is aclose-quarters gun hybrid combining the features of both a firearm and an edgedmelee weapon.[1] Examples of gun hybrids include knife/pistols andpistol/sword combinations.
According to the bookWeaponry: An Illustrated History, by Chuck Wills, between the late 16th century and the advances in repeatingfirearms in the mid 19th century, blades or clubs were often fitted ontoguns, because only one shot could be fired from the gun. Without an alternative weapon attachment, they became useless at close range. Some of the first included theGerman axe-pistol, made in the central European region ofSilesia. This weapon combined aflintlockpistol with abattleaxe. Later, a pistol-sword combination formed in the mid 18th century, which was apparently used mainly bymarines andnaval officers in boarding engagements at sea. Additionally, Dumonthier & Sons produced several knife pistol combinations. Pocket knives with zip guns inside were made by Unwin & Rodgers, and an Indian gunsmith fitted apercussion cap gun to amace in the 19th century. Even someshields were fitted with barrels, sometimes designed to look like aspike, and other times placed in cleverly concealed holes.
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