Military Firearms

HISTORY OF THE MILITARY FIREARMS

The word firearm originated in the late 1890s' search for a suitable self-loading handgun to replace the variety of .38 revolvers then in service of the armed forces. Several new handguns and two all-new service rifles (the M1892/96/98 Krag and M1895 Navy Lee), as well as a series of revolvers by Colt and Smith & Wesson for the Army and Navy were built in just one decade. The next decade had seen the adoption of several more revolvers and an intensive search for a self-loading pistol that would culminate into the official adoption of the M1911 after the turn of the decade.

Hiram S. Maxim had made a design for an automatic pistol in the 1880s, but was more preoccupied with machine guns. However, the application of his principle of using bullet energy to reload, led to several self-loading pistols in the 1890s. The designs caught the eye of various militaries, which began programs to find a suitable one for their forces. In the U.S. , such a program had led to a formal test at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century.

INTRODUCTION

It may be justly considered that military firearms invention has been the most prominent characteristic of history for the last four centuries. The application of science to develop firearms have never been used to such an extent than in the last century. At first sight, it may appear improper to distinguish the improvements in the method of taking life. Philosophy and experience unite in teaching that every improvement in military skill tends to render war less frequent, and the nearer its operations to those of an exact science, the more reluctant is each nation to engage in it, and the more careful not to commit those offences, which render a resort to it on the part of the other nations unavoidable.

CATEGORIES OF MILITARY FIREARMS

1 Sidearms

2 Shotguns

3 Submachine guns

4 Compact carbine

5 Rifles and muskets

6 Anti-tank/assault

SIDEARMS

M9 (Beretta 92F/FS; Pistol

M11 (SIG Sauer P228; Pistol, 9 x 19 mm NATO)

Kimber ICQB

MEU(SOC) Pistol (.45ACP)

Sig P229R DAK (.40 S&W) (USCG)

Heckler & Koch Mk 23 Mod 0

Mk 24 Mod 0 (SIG/Sauer P226; Pistol, 9 x 19 mm Parabellum

M9A1

M1911A1

High Standard HD

P11 ZUB

Remington New Model Revolver

Remington-Beals Revolver

M1851 Navy

M1849 Pocket Pistol

Colt Dragoon Revolver

SHOTGUNS

M1014

Mossberg 590

Remington 870

Mossberg 500

Winchester 1200

SUBMACHINE GUNS

MP5/MP5N

MP5K/MP5K-N

MP5SD3/5/6

COMPACT CARBINE

Mk 18 Mod 0 CQBR Assault Rifle

XM231/M231 FPW

Colt Model 733

RIFLES AND MUSKETS

M4/M4A1 Carbine

M16A2/A3/A4 Automatic Rifle

HK 416 Carbine

Colt M723/M725

M14

M14 SMUD

GUU-5/P

M16/A1

ANTI-TANK/ASSAULT

M3 MAAWS

M141 SMAW-D

M203A1/A2

Mk 153 Mod 0 SMAW

Mk 40 Mod 0 SRAW "Predator"

M32 MGL

M79

M72A5/A6/A7 LAW

TOP MANUFACTURERS OF MILITARY FIREARMS

REMINGTON

SMITH & WESSON

BROWNING

GLOCK

SIG ARMS

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY

O.F. MOSSBERG

TAURUS INTERNATIONAL

MARLIN

BERETTA

BUSHMASTER FIREARMS, INC.

KIMBER OF AMERICA

MAGNUM RESEARCH INC.

PARA ORDNANCE MFG. INC.

ARMALITE