Rifleman Archive

It seems a reasonable solution to the excessive damage incurred in close quarters (and our inability to hit anything at close range) would be to turn the rifle from a ranged weapon into a melee weapon. What I mean is, why not be able to wield it as a club? Obviously, the tradeoff would be increased damage to the rifle's condition and the need to learn some accompanying brawling skills, but why shouldn't/couldn't this be considered a viable alternative?

In real life, you can attach a bayonet to your weapon for close encounters. Why not bring that little bit of balance to Galaxies?