 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| M-1 Garand | M-1 Carbine |
| M1903 Springfield | M1-A1 Thompson SMG |
| Browning Automatic Rifle | M3/A1 Grease Gun |
| M-14 Rifle | M60 Machine Gun |
| M-16 Assault Rifle | M249 SAW |
The M-1 Garand was developed in the 1930's in preperation for war with the Axis powers. It is a gas operated magazine fed rifle using the standard 30-06 springfield round. This rifle replaced the older springfield rifles that had been in service since the beginning of the century. The M-1 Garand was the first semi-automatic rifle to be issued on a wide scale. It had an eight round clip that was loaded into the top which ejected with a metallic clang when empty. For more information on the M-1 Garand please click here.
The M-1 Carbine was a light support weapon meant to be carried by personel who already had a lot of equipment to carry. Examples would be engineers and medics. These troops needed a lightweight but powerful rifle. Pistols were inadequate when it came down to firefights and full size weapons were too cumbersome. So the M-1 Carbine was developed so that rear echelon troops would have an effective way to defend themselves. The M-1 Carbine was a magazine fed semi-automatic rifle that used a slightly smaller round than that of the M-1 Garand. This smaller round was effective at about 400 yards and could be fired quickly indoors without loosing much control. It was an ideal weapon for rear echelon troops. For more information on the M-1 Carbine please click here.
The M1903 Springfield Sniper Rifle was originally introduced as the standard infantry rifle in the beginning of the 20th century. It was later converted to the sniper rifle role at the begginning of WWII because it was being replaced by the M1 Garand. The Springfield was a bolt action magazine fed rifle. It was extremely accurate but had a slow rate of fire making it an ideal choice for the sniper role in WWII. It fired the standard 30-06 cartridge that packed a considerable punch. Any hit with the Springfield would definitely put the target out of action. The cartridge was even powerful enough to penetrate lightly armored targets. For more information on the M1903 please click here.
The Thompson sub machine gun or M1-A1 was one of the most famous allied weapons of WWII. It was originally developed in the early 1920's and used as a police weapon and a popular weapon for the mafia. Military strategists realized that a fully automatic sub machine gun was needed for the military. So they improved the design and issued them to American troops before the beginning of WWII. This weapon proved invaluable to American troops who were fighting in close quarters throughout the cities of Europe. For more information on the thompson smg please click here.
The Browning Automatic Rifle was first developed during WWI. It saw limited use because of fears that it would fall into enemy hands. It is classified as a gas operated light machine gun with selective fire modes. It was one of the first weapons with two modes of fire. It shoots the standard 30-06 round that is very effective against personel targets. The BAR was known to be very powerful and heavy. The only downsides to the gun are its heavy weight and small clip capacity. The BAR saw several modifications similar to that of the Tommy Gun and then entered service in 1940. For more info on the BAR, please click here.
The grease gun was another sub machine gun developed during WWII for the Americna forces in Europe. It was meant to be a replacement for the Thompson because Thompson were expensive to produce. The grease gun could be manufactured much more quickly and cheaply than any other machine gun in the Allied arsenal. Unfortunately, since it was cheaply made there were several problems with the gun and failed to replace the Thompson sub machine gun. For more information of the M3/A1 Grease Gun please click here.
The M-14 was a full sized rifle designed to replace the M1 Garand after WWII. It was designed to chamber a slightly smaller 30-06 round and was meant to replace several types of weapons. It was a selective fire weapon with three firing modes: single shot, three round burst, and automatic. Unfortunately, the modified rifle cartridge was still too powerful making the rifle hard to control while on automatic fire. The rifle had a twenty round detachable box magazine which was a vast improvement over the M1 Garand's eight round magizine. The M-14 successfully replace the Garand but failed to fill the roles of the B.A.R. and the smaller sub machine guns. For more information on the M-14 please click here.
The M-60 was first developed around the end of WWII as the need for a new lighter heavy machine gun arose. The M-60 is a belt fed heavy machine gun that fires the standard 7.62 mm round for heavy weapons. It is a squad based weapon usually operated by two individuals, similar to the German MG42 crew. The M-60 was first used in Vietnam by infantry squads. Eventually, it was mounted on vehicles as newer machine guns were developed. The M-60 is still in use (as of 2006) by the military and the coast guard, although most have been replaced by newer machine guns. For more information on the M-60 please click here.
The M-16 Rifle was first developed around the beginnning of the 1960s as the need for a rapid fire assault rifle became more readily apparent. Military analysts realized that most combat situations took place at less than 500 yards, so the more powerful rifle cartridges used in past engagements soon became obsolete. This allowed the developement of a lighter rifle cartridge that could be fired much more quickly with more control. The M-16 took advantage of this new rifle round and modified the barrel so that it was level with the shoulder instead of being level with the sights. The designers then elevated the sights making them into a carrying handle. The M-16 is now in wide use by the U.S. military even thought it was introduced in the Vietnam war. It is known as one of the toughest and most reliable assautl rifles ever designed. For more information on the M-16 please click here.
The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) was introduced around the end of the 1980s to replace the M60 machine gun. The weapon is used as a squad based heavy machine gun. It is usually belt fed but can take a standard M-16 magazine in the event that the gunner runs out of ammo. The M249 SAW has an extra barrel to prevent barrel overheating that can quickly be swapped out with a twist of the carrying handle. For more information on the M249 SAW please click here.Or click here to watch a video of an M249 being fired.
