The old saying goes: "Don't bring a knife to a gunfight”. But the Meligun MG-22 is a knife you could actually bring to a gunfight. Meligun, based in the United States, has built something that genuinely blurs the line between blade and firearm. The MG-22 is a fixed-blade knife with a six-shot .22 LR revolver mechanism built directly into the handle. Note that this is not a concept piece or a prop. It is a real, NFA-regulated firearm that you can actually buy, assuming you go through the proper channels. Legally, the MG-22 is classified as an AOW, or Any Other Weapon, under the National Firearms Act. That classification means no tax stamp is required, but you still need to file the proper ATF paperwork, and it must be transferred through a Class 3 SOT FFL dealer. It cannot be shipped internationally or directly to consumers. So yes, there is homework involved, but you get more than a letter opener once you’re done. On the specs side, the numbers are straightforward. The overall length is 12 inches, with a 6.7-inch blade made from hardened 440C stainless steel and a 3.5-inch barrel with six-groove rifling and a 1:16 right-hand twist. The frame is hardened 420 stainless steel, and the grip panels are machined from 7075 aluminum. As long as you load it, there’s always one in the chamber. The firing mechanism sits integrated within the handle, with a manual trigger and a manual safety. Capacity is six rounds of .22 LR. For those who want a bit more punch, Meligun also offers the MG-25 chambered in .25 ACP. The base price sits at $1,499.95, with options to customize the grip knurling pattern, add a black oxide blade finish, or engrave up to 15 characters on the blade. Lead time from Meligun is currently said to be around two to three weeks, not counting ATF processing time on the transfer end. Don't bring a knife to a gunfight? The Meligun MG-22 says hold my beer, and will keep revolving for 6 rounds. From a purely mechanical standpoint, fitting six chambers and a rifled barrel into a knife handle without making the whole thing unwieldy is not a trivial engineering problem. Whether you view the MG-22 as a serious survival tool, a collector's piece, or just one of the more unusual things to come out of the American firearms industry in recent years, it is hard to argue that the execution is interesting. The same could probably be said about the marketing. Practically speaking, .22 LR is not a powerhouse cartridge, and a 3.5-inch barrel is not going to wring maximum velocity out of the round. But the MG-22 was probably never really about ballistic performance. It is about the concept, the craftsmanship, and the fact that it exists at all - and it’s perfect for TFB’s Wheelgun Wednesday. So the next time someone tells you not to bring a knife to a gunfight, you might just ask them: what if the knife is the gun?If your Swiss Army knife is now having an existential crisis, check out more at: https://www.meligun.com/ All images by Meligun.