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U.S. M16-A2 Replica Model Assault Rifle Made famous by U.S. troops in Vietnam, and a favorite of many SWAT teams.

The Lewis Gun was a pre-WWI era American design of machine gun most widely used by the British and Imperial armies that continued to see service all the way through to WWII. It is visually distinctive because of the wide tubular cooling shroud around the barrel, and the top mounted drum magazines. In 1917, the U.S. Army adopted the Lewis Gun, firing the .30-06. But the design was quickly replaced by the famous Browning Automatic Rifle or BAR.

The Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) was family of automatic rifles (or machine rifles) and light machine guns used primarily by the United States and other countries during the 1900s. It was designed in 1917 by the weapons designer John Browning primarily as a replacement for, and improvement on, the French-made Chauchat and Hotchkiss M1909. It was originally intended as a light automatic rifle, but spent much of its career in various guises used as a LMG with a bipod. The first version was, and remains the lightest service machine gun to fire .30-06 Springfield, but its 20 round magazine tended to hamper its use as a light machine gun.

The Browning Model 1917 Machine Gun is a heavy machine gun used by the United States armed forces in World War I, World War II, Korea, and to a limited amount in Vietnam; it was also used by some other countries too. It was belt-fed water-cooled machine gun that served alongside the much lighter air-cooled Browning M1919. It was used at the battalion level, and often mounted on vehicles (such as a jeep). There were two main iterations of it; the M1917, which was used in WWI, and the M1917A1 which was used after. The M1917 was used on the ground and some aircraft, and had firing rate of 450 round/min;the M1917A1 had a firing rate of 450 to 600 round/min.

The Chauchat (pronounced 'show-shah') was the primary light machine gun used by the French in World War I. Over 250,000 were manufactured, making it the most widely manufactured automatic weapon of World War I, but is generally regarded as one of the great engineering failures in the history of firearms.

The Winchester Model 1897 is a pump-action shotgun with an external hammer and tube magazine. Numerous barrel lengths were offered. The United States military used a short-barreled version known variably as the 'trench' or 'riot' shotgun. It was first issued to US troops during World War I. Unlike most modern pump-action shotguns, the Model 1897 fired each time the action closed with the trigger depressed. That and its 6-shot capacity made it effective for close-combat. It was used in limited numbers during World War II by the United States Army and Marine Corps.

The Thompson submachine gun, too, served around the globe with our troops and quickly became a G.I. favorite.

The Thompson submachine gun, also known as the Tommy Gun, was an American submachine gun (SMG) that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in gangster films of the time, being used both by criminals and by law enforcement officers. The "Tommy Gun" was also known as the "Chicago Typewriter" and "Chicago Piano", and was favored for its compact size and high volume of automatic fire.

The Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M3/M3A1 (1942) was a submachine gun developed by the United States during World War Two as a cheaper substitute for the Tommy Gun. It was nicknamed the "Grease Gun" because of its resemblance to an automotive grease gun.

The M1 Garand (more formally the United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1) was the first semi-automatic rifle to be put in active military service. It officially replaced the Springfield 1903 rifle as the standard service rifle in 1936, until officially replaced by the M14 that was developed from it in 1957. It would be heavily used in WWII, Korea, and to a limited extent in Vietnam. It was primarily used by the U.S., but also some other countries. It continues to be used as a civilian firearm, and by some drill teams.

The M1 Carbine (more formally the United States Carbine, Caliber .30, M1) was a lightweight semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm in the US military during World War II and the Korean War. It found favor with many frontline troops, and came into wide use over several decades. In selective fire versions, it is known as the M2 and the M3 Carbine. It has also been a popular civilian firearm.

Designed by Canadian-born John C. Garand, an employee of the U.S. Armory at Springfield, Mass., the M1 Garand is a gas-operated, semi-automatic rifle fed from an eight-round en-bloc clip. At the time of its adoption in 1936, the M1 was truly the most advanced weapon system ever fielded. It was the first successful design capable of firing a full-power rifle cartridge via semi-automatic operation. As such, it can be argued that the M1 represented the first time America sent its boys to war with the best infantry rifle in the world, as the United States was the only nation to fully arm its troops with a self-loading design. Simply stated, the M1 was without equal on the battlefields of World War II. By the time Germany and Japan had surrendered in 1945, more than 4 million M1 rifles had been produced by Springfield Armory and the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. And with good reason, for the M1 represented a quantum leap forward in engineering from the venerable old ’03 Springfield. The semi-automatic design reduced the effects of felt recoil on the shooter, making it possible to train soldiers in less time than ever before. The sights were the best ever put on an American rifle up to that time. The rifle could be disassembled for cleaning and maintenance easily while in the field, a huge advantage over the Springfield. But most importantly, the M1 had a much higher rate of fire, delivering 50 to 60 shots per minute by the average rifleman, which amounted to three times as much firepower than was possible with the Springfield. While our enemies fielded bolt-action rifles, the M1’s increased firepower simply enabled American soldiers to bring more to the fight. By the end of the M1’s service life, another 2 million rifles would be produced, a testament to Garand’s genius in creating a rifle that lent itself to a complex, time-consuming manufacturing process. In that regard, the M1 is a shining example of America’s war effort, representing the very best of American manufacturing at its height. Forged in blood, coveted by friend and foe alike, the M1 won its admiration on many fronts. No less than Gen. Douglas MacArthur said, “The Garand rifle ... is one of the greatest contributions to our Armed Forces,” while Gen. George S. Patton boldly declared, “In my opinion, the M1 rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised.” To an entire generation of fighting men, John Garand is a hero. Garand, the man who shaped wood and forged steel into their sword; and they, the courageous souls who charged into enemy fire from Normandy to Iwo Jima—their lives in his hands. It’s John Browning who is most often recognized, deservedly so, as the greatest firearm designer of all time. But in this case, it was John Garand who caught lightning in a bottle and harnessed into an earthbound version of the hammer of Thor, the M1. And it was this, the greatest infantry rifle of all time, that helped change the course of human history. —Chad Adams

The M2 .50 machine gun, nicknamed Ma Deuce by troops, is a heavy machine gun designed just after World War I by John Browning. The M2 .50 was used extensively as a vehicle weapon and for aircraft armament by the US during WW2 and is still in use today. It was very similar in design to the smaller .30-06 and .303 inch Browning Model 1919 machine gun.

The M1941 Rifle is an American semi-automatic rifle. Melvin M. Johnson, an American arms designer, developed his semiautomatic rifle by mid-1938, and submitted it to U.S. Army trials. Trials and development of the rifle continued until early 1940, when the Army Ordnance Board finally rejected the Johnson rifle. While several reasons were given for this and other rejections, the primary reason was the advanced state of production on the Garand rifle. The same year, Johnson submitted his rifle for trials to the US Marine Corps, where it was tested against the M1 Garand rifle. The results of the first tests were good for the Johnson, but later the M1 Garand rifle was deemed superior. In 1941 Johnson named his rifle the "Model 1941", and the same year the Dutch Government ordered 70,000 rifles from Johnson for its Dutch East Indies colonies, fearing invasion from Japan. For this order Johnson created the Johnson Automatics Mfg plant. At about the same time U.S. Marine Corps parachutist forces became interested in the Model 1941, as it was easy to take down for compact carry during parachute drop, and then easy and quick to reassemble. As the Dutch colonies were already occupied by Japan, the USMC procured many of the rifles made to Dutch order.

M16 is the U.S. Military designation for a family of rifles derived from the Armalite AR-15. It is an assault rifle which fires NATO standard 5.56 mm ammunition. It has been the primary infantry rifle of the United States military since 1967, is in use by 15 NATO countries, and has been the most produced firearm in its caliber.

The Colt Commando (and the related CAR-15 and XM-177), like most members of the AR15/M16 family is a gas-actuated locking bolt 5.56 mm carbine, and is produced by the Colt manufacturing. The moniker "Commando” has been used to describe Colt’s ultra-short carbine variants, as well as, "pre-A2 configuration” or "pre-M4” in general. The first weapon in this ultra-short category began production in 1967 for Special Operations units during the Vietnam war. By the end of the conflict, it had been used by members of various elite units, and had been given a slew of official designations in addition to the informal names it received in the field.

The M21 is the semi-automatic sniper rifle adaptation of the popular M14 rifle. It is chambered for the 7.62 mm NATO round. The United States Army wanted an accurate sniper rifle during the Vietnam War. It selected the M14 because of its accuracy, reliability, and the ability for a quick second shot. As a result, in 1969, the Rock Island Arsenal converted 1,435 National Match (target grade) M14 rifles by adding a Leatherwood 3-9x Adjustable Ranging Telescope (ART) telescopic sight and furnishing National Match grade ammunition. It was designated the XM21 until 1971 when it became the M21.

The M24 SWS is the military version of the Remington 700 rifle. The name SWS stands for Sniper Weapon System. It is the standard sniper rifle in the US Army (since 1988) and the Israeli Defence Forces.

The M16 was the product of an effort to bring features and capabilities of the infantry rifle in line with the realities of modern combat. Chambered in 5.56x45 mm, the M16 is a small-caliber, selective-fire rifle fed from a detachable box magazine. Its rotating bolt and cylindrical bolt carrier were derived from the M1941 Johnson rifle, while its system of gas operation was inspired by the Swedish M42 Ljungmann rifle. The M16’s aluminum receiver, composite plastic stock and handguards, and direct impingement gas system made the gun very light.—just 6 1/2 lbs. In 1964, the U. S. Army adopted the M16 for overseas service. Shortly afterward, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps fielded large numbers of XM16E1 rifles in Vietnam. Standardized as the M16A1 in 1967, it remained the primary infantry rifle of the U.S. military until the early 1980s, when it was gradually withdrawn in favor of the M16A2. By the middle of the 1970s, other NATO armies were also looking at 5.56 mm service rifles and light machine guns. Starting in 1977, NATO conducted a number of performance tests on a variety of small-caliber projectiles and cartridges. In 1982, the U.S. Marine Corps adopted the heavier 62-gr. NATO along with the longer-range M16A2 rifle. The M16 is ubiquitous, it is the most commonly manufactured 5.56x45 mm rifle in the world. Altogether, at least 15 NATO countries use the M16 or its variants. —Glenn M. Gilbert

The Reising was an American submachine gun patented in 1940. The two versions of the weapon produced during World War 2 were the M50 and the simplified M55. Over 10,000 guns were ordered, primarily by the United States Navy, though some went to the Canadian and Soviet forces.

The M4 Carbine is a shorter and lighter version of the M16A2 assault rifle, achieving 80% parts commonality with the M16A2. The M4 has select fire options including semi-automatic and three-round burst (like the M16A2), and the M4A1 has a full auto option in place of the three-round burst. The M4A1 also has a heavier profile barrel to withstand heat from sustained fully automatic fire. Both the M4 and M4A1 Carbine fire 5.56mm NATO and are gas operated, air cooled, magazine fed, selective fire firearms with a collapsible stock.

The M240 is a 7.62 mm NATO Medium Machine gun. It is currently used by the US Armed Forces and other NATO forces. It is used extensively in the infantry as well as on vehicles and aircraft. Manufactured by Fabrique Nationale subsidiary FN Manufacturing, Inc. Columbia, SC, the M240 (FN MAG) was chosen by the US military after a world-wide search for a weapon to replace the venerable but troubled M60.

The M60 machine gun (also seen M-60, formally Machine Gun, 7.62mm, M60) is a family of American machine guns, firing the 7.62 x 51 mm NATO cartridge. In the U.S. military, it has largely been replaced by various versions of the M240 machine gun. However, it remains in use in every branch, as well as some other countries (another major user was Australia); it continues to be manufactured into the 21st century.

The M249 SAW designation is used by the US armed forces. The M249 is an air-cooled, belt-fed, automatic-only firearm that fires from an open bolt position. It can accept linked ammunition through the top-mounted feed tray, or M16 magazines through the side-mounted port. Linked ammunition can be fed from either a loose belt or from a plastic 200-round magazine clipped under the receiver. The SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) features a built-in bipod and a tripod mounting lug for supported fire, and a quick-change barrel that helps prevent overheating during sustained fire.

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