Though bayonets are historically interesting, I find that their best use is as a fire poker. Some of the steels were very good, but bayonets on the whole are job specific; to thrust with and little use for anything else.
Long bayonets had their day as infantry protection from cavalry as used at Waterloo. In WWI, from 1915 the German Army had stopped "fixing bayonets". The grenade was the weapon for trenches and the machinegun king of no-mans-land. The destruction of the Polish Cavalry of WWII finaly put an end to long bayonets. However, while there was still bolt action rifles, a short infantry v infantry bayonet had a place. Early assault rifles were still "rifle" enough, ie long enough, to warrant a short bayonet. In the Falklands War 1980's the Guards ran out of ammunition half way into the final assault and fixed bayonets. But then they had the FN FAL SLR 7.62 which is a long rifle and 7.62 ammunition is bulky compared to 5.62(carry nearly twise as much). A bayonet on a bullpup assault rifle is redundant as recognised by the Swedish issue of their frost utility knife.
The Highland charge, fixed bayonets, have no place on the modern battlefield; there is just too much ordinance available. Of course there will always be a place for improvised weapons. Bayonets work best on mass, with disceplined troops working as one. Man on man the odds change and I'd put my money on the guy with an entrenching tool rather than the guy with a fixed bayonet.
(Sorry, if it sounds as if I'm trying to teach you how to suck eggs. I though the summary might add to the post.)
My favourite bayonet is the Baker rifle sword circa 1810. Sorry no picture.
