1775-83 Revolutionary War:
Bayonets during the Revolutionary War were far more advanced in construction than they had been in the past. The plug bayonet was taken to the next level by allowing a soldier to still fire his gun while having his bayonet on the end of his gun. This was done by removing the plug that filled the end of the barrel and turning it into a socket bayonet that slipped over the end of the muzzle and had an offset blade. The gun could now be fired and still have the bayonet in place for close combat. Both sides on military in the Revolutionary War utilized the socket bayonet during this war for those times when hand to hand combat was needed. There were many battles fought with the socket bayonet being the most used weapon. In many charges, there was no guns used at all. Battling at night would be the best way for each side to kill off most of the people in the battle. They would essentially destroy each other with the fire from the soldiers in the back reaching the ones leading the raid. There would be no need to fight each other, you would be killing your own if you used gunfire instead of fighting with the bayonets. Bayonets during the Revolutionary War were often the choice of many trained redcoats. They knew that their opponents were most likely using non-military equipment that was meant for hunting game and protecting yourself in the wilderness. Many of the bluecoats had no skills at all using a socket bayonet which gave them a definite advantage in close combat. After the revolutionary war, the bayonet made little changes as it was near perfect for what it was being used for.