Nexuiz used a bone, iirc. It was called "Idontremeberhow" and then in qc you could set the origin of the weapon according to the origin of that bone. I don't know if hexen2 was using such a "modern" method!
Meadow Fun!! - my first commercial game, made with FTEQW game engine
Each standing, attacking, running, crouching and swimming animations have 4 copies, one of each weapon, that are hidden away in their anus. It's the quake method, x2.