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