Sword Revolvers.

[arnisador]

Apparently the Sword revolver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_revolver) was never very popular, but they did make them:

The Civil War News (http://www.civilwarnews.com/reviews/bookreviews.cfm?ID=639)

A chapter on “Peculiar Pinfire Arms” looks at some of the most unusual styles produced. These include revolvers with 8-, 10-, 12-, 18- and 20-shot cylinders. There are “harmonica” pistols, a change purse containing a six-shot 5mm pistol, trap guns, “knucklebusters,” knife and cutlass pistols, combination sword-revolvers and a French-made cane which holds a concealed six-shot 5mm pinfire revolver and dagger.Pinfire Sword revolvers (http://www.ruble-enterprises.com/PFsword.htm)

Large basket hilt sword with a 9mm pinfire revolver made in Liege Belgian before 1877. The steel scabbard has a depression on the right side which allows the barrel to lie outside and the gun could be fired with out removing the sword from the scabbard. [/quote]

[scubamatt]

I've seen a number of flintlock/percussion cap pistols with fixed blades (12-20" in length) used in the 18-19th centuries, and one revolver with a fixed blade under the barrel (about 5" long). I have never seen a revolver/blade combo with a baskethilt, though! That looks very awkward, and high maintenance, too!

[Brock]

That looks very awkward, and high maintenance, too!

I agree. Which would probably explain why they weren't that popular. I'd be willing to bet they were fairly expensive as well.

[arnisador]

Lots of small and disguised guns (posted by tellner on MT):
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/02/miniature-spy-guns.html

Some neat-looking stuff here, though one wonders how functional it truly was.

[Mangtas]

And to think I thought swords like these only existed in the virtual world of Final Fantasy : P
I'd suppose these are now considered a collector's item and cost an arm and a leg today. Sure would've loved to own one of these.

[arnisador]

They do look pretty cool, don't they! It sounds like they weren't very practical, but it'd be neat to have one lying around.

[scubamatt]

Lots of small and disguised guns (posted by tellner on MT):
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/02/miniature-spy-guns.html

Some neat-looking stuff here, though one wonders how functional it truly was.

The 'suspender gun' they show is actually a sleeve gun, also known as a 'hold-out' pistol. I've seen a modern version of this that fires a pair of .22 rimfire shells. I considered it a curiosity, as I cannot imagine an officer missing it during a body frisk.

The 'pen gun' has many variants, I've personally seen two, and built one for a class in the Army. Most are .22 or .25 caliber, and usually rimfire. The ones I have seen were cocked by pulling the pocket clip out to about 75 degrees, then returned to the normal position. Firing was accomplished by pressing the button on the end, like on a ballpoint. You held it like a knife in an overhand stabbing grip, thumb toward you and pinky towards the target. Effective range was only about 10 foot, and it was intended for point blank (arm's reach) distance. In all cases, hollowpoint ammunition were used.

During WW2, the OSS (God bless Bill Donovan) created and used many such concealed weapons, including a Zippo lighter variant similar to the one displayed on that link. The class I mentioned was a familiarization course in similar technology.

[ILLAPhonte_Teckneik]

oh cool gunblades my friend made one of those from scratch and can shoot nerf balls

[arnisador]

And to think I thought swords like these only existed in the virtual world of Final Fantasy

The original Wikipedia page for this topic was about that (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunblade#Development_and_appearance)! Then it turns out that they were real. I suppose just about everything has been tried at some point!