Guns
This page contains pictures of the weapons used by the United States, dating back to World War II.
The M1 Garand.
This is the granddaddy of all main battle rifles. It was introduced in the earliest days of World War II, and no lesser person that General George Patton said it was the weapon than won the war.
The M1 Garand fires the Springfield 30-06 round, and was clip fed and gas operated. A good shot could hit something eight hundred yards away.
The M1 Carbine
This rifle fires a smaller cartridge than the M1 Garand, and was implemented for soldiers who otherwise didn't carry a main battle rifle, such as junior officers. They were also carried by jeep drivers, truck drivers and others who needed a smaller weapon. By war's end, many men were carrying the lighter weapon for their own convenience.
It might be interesting to note that the M1 Carbine was manufactured by Springfield Armory, Singer (sewing machines), Rockola (juke boxes) and several other companies.
The Thompson Submachinegun
Designed before the end of World War I as a "Trench Broom", the Tommy gun was never used during that war, because the US was afraid the Germans would capture and duplicate it. During WWII, however, it was a very prized possession. It fires the same ammunition as the standard issue Colt 45 pistol, and was devastating at close range. The Tommy gun lived a long life, fighting in the Pacific and European theatres of WWII, then in Korea, and finally in Viet Nam. I personally carried one of these heavy submachineguns in Nam, because they had knockdown power, if not long range. The heavy 230 grain slugs would put someone down in a hurry.
No, that isn't me. Nice Christmas present, though!
The M14
In an effort to provide the troops more firepower, the M1 Garand was modified to fire fully automatic, and a 20 round box magazine was incorporated. This weapon fired a shorter version of the 30-06 round, called variously the Winchester .308 or NATO 7.62x59. They were a superbly accurate rifle, but in full automatic, they were next to useless after the second or third shot, thanks to the heavy recoil and 'muzzle flip'. It's interesting that the Navy's Special Operations people, known as SEALS, still favor this rifle in a lot of situation.
The M-60
The M-60 machinegun was the replacement for the aging Browning Model 1917 light Machinegun. Patterned after the Nazi MG37, it is belt fed, and the barrels could be quickly changed out when they overheated. Like the M14, the M-60 fires the 7.62x59 NATO round.
Browning M1919
Introduced in World War II, this light machinegun was used in WWII, Korea and for a short while in Viet Nam. It fired the Springfield 30-06 round, and is a favorite of current collectors.
Browning M2
Affectionately known as Ma Deuce, this is the Browning .50 caliber heavy machinegun. Various versions of this were used in tanks, airplanes, boats and ships. It fires a one ounce bullet at just under 3000 feet per second, and is deadly to over 3000 yards. That's nearly two miles. Employed originally as a weapon to use against lightly armored vehicles, it has been used with great success against buildings, vehicles, aircraft and just about anything else you can think of. We have a saying: "If you can see it, you can hit it. If you can hit it, you can kill it."
The Model 1911A1 Colt Pistol
Another of John Moses Browning's inventions, this is, in my personal opinion, the best handgun ever carried by US Military forces. The powerful .45 ACP cartridge will stop someone cold in their tracks. It's reliable, easy to strip and clean, and parts are available just about anywhere in the world.
During WWII, these weapons were built under contract by Colt, Remington-Rand (adding machines), and several other companies.
The M-16-A2
I don't have a good picture of the original M16, with its triangular plastic forearm. This was the replacement for the M-14 main battle rifle, and was introduced in Viet Nam. The earliest of these rifles were plagued by problems. You couldn't fill the magazine up or it would cause jams. Cleaning kits were not initially issued because MacNamara was told the guns didn't need to be cleaned. The truth was, they had to be meticulously cleaned if you wanted them to work, particularly in the jungles of Viet Nam. They were lightweight and in their later versions, reliable, but a lot of people died when it was sent to the battlefield without proper testing. Never my favorite weapon, US forces are using a modernized version of this today in Iraq and elsewhere around the world.
This last weapon is a personal favorite of mine. This is the rifle the rest of the Free World used while the US, South Korea and Japan flailed around with the M-14.
Designed by Fabrique Nationale of Belgium, the FN/FAL fires the same 7.62 NATO round as the M-14, but in a much more controllable manner.
The FN/FAL assault rifle has a unique gas system that not only operates the action, but is adjustable for the particular round you are firing. The geometry of the barrel/stock means less felt recoil, and much less muzzle flip. In addition, it is absolutely the easiest weapon I have ever seen to field strip for cleaning. This can be done in about two seconds the first time you try it. Reassembly is just as fast. These weapons were made by several companies around the world, and the British Commonwealth even had their own version called the L1A1. The biggest difference was the magazines.
I noted with interest that when we took on Somalia, several Somalis were carrying the FN/FAL. They also have made appearances in the news clips from Afghanistan.
(The photo above is a fine example of a DS-Arms semi-automatic 'post ban' FN/FAL. The only noticeable difference between this and the original assault rifle is the muzzle break. The originals had a flash hider/grenade launcher/bayonet mount installed on the muzzle.)
This page contains pictures of the weapons used by the United States, dating back to World War II.
The M1 Garand.
This is the granddaddy of all main battle rifles. It was introduced in the earliest days of World War II, and no lesser person that General George Patton said it was the weapon than won the war.
The M1 Garand fires the Springfield 30-06 round, and was clip fed and gas operated. A good shot could hit something eight hundred yards away.
The M1 Carbine
This rifle fires a smaller cartridge than the M1 Garand, and was implemented for soldiers who otherwise didn't carry a main battle rifle, such as junior officers. They were also carried by jeep drivers, truck drivers and others who needed a smaller weapon. By war's end, many men were carrying the lighter weapon for their own convenience.
It might be interesting to note that the M1 Carbine was manufactured by Springfield Armory, Singer (sewing machines), Rockola (juke boxes) and several other companies.
The Thompson Submachinegun
Designed before the end of World War I as a "Trench Broom", the Tommy gun was never used during that war, because the US was afraid the Germans would capture and duplicate it. During WWII, however, it was a very prized possession. It fires the same ammunition as the standard issue Colt 45 pistol, and was devastating at close range. The Tommy gun lived a long life, fighting in the Pacific and European theatres of WWII, then in Korea, and finally in Viet Nam. I personally carried one of these heavy submachineguns in Nam, because they had knockdown power, if not long range. The heavy 230 grain slugs would put someone down in a hurry.
No, that isn't me. Nice Christmas present, though!
The M14
In an effort to provide the troops more firepower, the M1 Garand was modified to fire fully automatic, and a 20 round box magazine was incorporated. This weapon fired a shorter version of the 30-06 round, called variously the Winchester .308 or NATO 7.62x59. They were a superbly accurate rifle, but in full automatic, they were next to useless after the second or third shot, thanks to the heavy recoil and 'muzzle flip'. It's interesting that the Navy's Special Operations people, known as SEALS, still favor this rifle in a lot of situation.
The M-60
The M-60 machinegun was the replacement for the aging Browning Model 1917 light Machinegun. Patterned after the Nazi MG37, it is belt fed, and the barrels could be quickly changed out when they overheated. Like the M14, the M-60 fires the 7.62x59 NATO round.
Browning M1919
Introduced in World War II, this light machinegun was used in WWII, Korea and for a short while in Viet Nam. It fired the Springfield 30-06 round, and is a favorite of current collectors.
Browning M2
Affectionately known as Ma Deuce, this is the Browning .50 caliber heavy machinegun. Various versions of this were used in tanks, airplanes, boats and ships. It fires a one ounce bullet at just under 3000 feet per second, and is deadly to over 3000 yards. That's nearly two miles. Employed originally as a weapon to use against lightly armored vehicles, it has been used with great success against buildings, vehicles, aircraft and just about anything else you can think of. We have a saying: "If you can see it, you can hit it. If you can hit it, you can kill it."
The Model 1911A1 Colt Pistol
Another of John Moses Browning's inventions, this is, in my personal opinion, the best handgun ever carried by US Military forces. The powerful .45 ACP cartridge will stop someone cold in their tracks. It's reliable, easy to strip and clean, and parts are available just about anywhere in the world.
During WWII, these weapons were built under contract by Colt, Remington-Rand (adding machines), and several other companies.
The M-16-A2
I don't have a good picture of the original M16, with its triangular plastic forearm. This was the replacement for the M-14 main battle rifle, and was introduced in Viet Nam. The earliest of these rifles were plagued by problems. You couldn't fill the magazine up or it would cause jams. Cleaning kits were not initially issued because MacNamara was told the guns didn't need to be cleaned. The truth was, they had to be meticulously cleaned if you wanted them to work, particularly in the jungles of Viet Nam. They were lightweight and in their later versions, reliable, but a lot of people died when it was sent to the battlefield without proper testing. Never my favorite weapon, US forces are using a modernized version of this today in Iraq and elsewhere around the world.
This last weapon is a personal favorite of mine. This is the rifle the rest of the Free World used while the US, South Korea and Japan flailed around with the M-14.
Designed by Fabrique Nationale of Belgium, the FN/FAL fires the same 7.62 NATO round as the M-14, but in a much more controllable manner.
The FN/FAL assault rifle has a unique gas system that not only operates the action, but is adjustable for the particular round you are firing. The geometry of the barrel/stock means less felt recoil, and much less muzzle flip. In addition, it is absolutely the easiest weapon I have ever seen to field strip for cleaning. This can be done in about two seconds the first time you try it. Reassembly is just as fast. These weapons were made by several companies around the world, and the British Commonwealth even had their own version called the L1A1. The biggest difference was the magazines.
I noted with interest that when we took on Somalia, several Somalis were carrying the FN/FAL. They also have made appearances in the news clips from Afghanistan.
(The photo above is a fine example of a DS-Arms semi-automatic 'post ban' FN/FAL. The only noticeable difference between this and the original assault rifle is the muzzle break. The originals had a flash hider/grenade launcher/bayonet mount installed on the muzzle.)
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