I'm a bit of a writer. I do little peices now and then right now, as I'm working on filling out the world and plot and such for longer, novel-sized stories.
I have a main plot line for these, and it starts in a near-future earth. There's mostly sci-fi, with a bit of fantasy. I'm basing the main character in part on myself, and thus many of the things he's doing are things I'd love to be able to do. I want to learn eventually, martial arts, though martial science would be a more appropriate term, as Hollywood stunts, and watered-down competition stuff don't really interest me, though that's probably how I'll get started. At any rate, the pinch of fantasy comes in with certain abilities available to those that seek them, and so the character in question in this thread is more capable than he otherwise would be.
This certain character who would demand a very distinctive weapon. Due to his main job later on, he's allowed(for the sake of the book) a certain amount of liberty in regard to personal weapons, and I was thinking he'd be using one of two gigs. This is where the special skills come in. He, in studying, learned of stealth methods that are only rivalled by a ninja, or something like that. At any rate, unless he's in the middle of an open field, with zippo cover, he can evade. Thus most of his skills are tuned to close quarters combat. The first gig for this is fairly simple, he never goes anywhere without his sword, and pistols are easy to conceal, so it would be a pistol and a sword.
The second is completely custom. The weapon is ranged to some extent, probably a shotgun, but is built up custom to serve also as a melee weapon. I'm currently seeing a shotgun, reinforced to handle the melee role, with a blade as an integral part of the weapon. This would be like a bayonet, extending beyond the muzzle at least twelve inches if feasible, and back along the magazine for several inches. The theory behind this weapon would be to have an effective melee range of twenty yards or so, depending on what's loaded. Unlike the lighter armor he'd be wearing with the sword(the primary defense there would be stealth), the outfit with this is heavier, with a bit of a shield on one arm, that makes pistols pretty much useless, and rifles slightly defunct. This isn't an everyday weapon, you'll probably say right away it's not practical for use, and I'd agree with you. Making allowances for what the guy is in the book, however, and it becomes ideal.
The second gig is what I need a reality check on. While this is fiction, I'm trying to be realistic in as many ways as I can, so, just chew it up, spit it out, and I'll work with it.
I have a main plot line for these, and it starts in a near-future earth. There's mostly sci-fi, with a bit of fantasy. I'm basing the main character in part on myself, and thus many of the things he's doing are things I'd love to be able to do. I want to learn eventually, martial arts, though martial science would be a more appropriate term, as Hollywood stunts, and watered-down competition stuff don't really interest me, though that's probably how I'll get started. At any rate, the pinch of fantasy comes in with certain abilities available to those that seek them, and so the character in question in this thread is more capable than he otherwise would be.
This certain character who would demand a very distinctive weapon. Due to his main job later on, he's allowed(for the sake of the book) a certain amount of liberty in regard to personal weapons, and I was thinking he'd be using one of two gigs. This is where the special skills come in. He, in studying, learned of stealth methods that are only rivalled by a ninja, or something like that. At any rate, unless he's in the middle of an open field, with zippo cover, he can evade. Thus most of his skills are tuned to close quarters combat. The first gig for this is fairly simple, he never goes anywhere without his sword, and pistols are easy to conceal, so it would be a pistol and a sword.
The second is completely custom. The weapon is ranged to some extent, probably a shotgun, but is built up custom to serve also as a melee weapon. I'm currently seeing a shotgun, reinforced to handle the melee role, with a blade as an integral part of the weapon. This would be like a bayonet, extending beyond the muzzle at least twelve inches if feasible, and back along the magazine for several inches. The theory behind this weapon would be to have an effective melee range of twenty yards or so, depending on what's loaded. Unlike the lighter armor he'd be wearing with the sword(the primary defense there would be stealth), the outfit with this is heavier, with a bit of a shield on one arm, that makes pistols pretty much useless, and rifles slightly defunct. This isn't an everyday weapon, you'll probably say right away it's not practical for use, and I'd agree with you. Making allowances for what the guy is in the book, however, and it becomes ideal.
The second gig is what I need a reality check on. While this is fiction, I'm trying to be realistic in as many ways as I can, so, just chew it up, spit it out, and I'll work with it.
I'm retired and have the time, so ... 
Let's not let this discussion die. OK, violence alone does work. Let's keep the weapons realistic, though. I've always liked that 42" Ninja staff with a gravity knife in the end. How about using this in combination with a quickly drawn Desert Eagle? The audience would be wowed by the exhibition of skill with more than one (covert) weapon. 
