List of World War II weapons of the United States explained

The following is a list of World War II weapons of the United States, which includes firearm, artillery, vehicles, vessels, and other support equipment known to have been used by the United States Armed Forces—namely the United States Army, United States Army Air Forces, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, and United States Coast Guard—as well as the Office of Strategic Services and other U.S. government agencies involved in the war, during American involvement between 1941 and 1945. This list includes experimental technology that, while created during the war, was never issued as intended.

Blades

Small arms

Pistols (manual and semi-automatic)

!Image! Name! Type! Role/s! Action! Origin! Base model/s! Manufacturer/s! Cartridge/s! Effective firing range (m)! From (year)! Estimated wartime quantity! Unloaded wt (kg)! Notes
Colt M1911PistolRecoil-operated (Short recoil) United StatesColt Springfield.45 ACP19111.1
Colt M1903PistolBlowback, single action United StatesColt.32 ACP (M1903)
.380 ACP (M1908)		19030.68
Colt New Service revolverRevolverDouble action United StatesColt.45 ACP, .45 Colt, .44-40 Winchester, .38-40, .44 Russian, .44 Special, .44-40, .38 Special, .357 Magnum1909356000
Colt M1917 revolverRevolverDouble action, rotating cylinder United StatesColt.45 ACP, .45 Auto Rim19171.1
Smith & Wesson M1917 revolverRevolverDouble/single action, swing-out cylinder United StatesSmith & Wesson.45 ACP, .45 Auto Rim19171.0
Colt Official PoliceRevolverDouble action United StatesColt.22 Long Rifle, .32-20, .38 Special, .38/200, .41 Long Colt1907
Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolverRevolverDouble action United StatesSmith & Wesson.38 Long Colt, .38 Special, .38 S&W18990.907

Automatic pistols and submachine guns

! Image ! Name! Type! Role/s! Action! Origin! Base model/s! Manufacturer/s! Cartridge/s! Effective firing range (m)! Cyclic rate of fire (rpm)! From (year)! Estimated wartime quantity! Unloaded wt (kg)! Notes
M1 Thompson submachine gunClose-quarters, personal securityBlowback, blish lockAuto-Ordnance Company.45 ACP15070019214.5-4.930-round magazine.
M2 HydeSubmachine gunClose-quarters, personal securityBlowback, open boltMarlin firearms company.45 ACP57019424004.19Never issued or saw service. The M2 Hyde was the gap between the M1 Thompson and the M3 grease gun. It was designed to be lighter and cheaper to produce than the Thompson (since the Thompson was an extremely expensive weapon). It succeeded at both goals, but it was almost immediately replaced by the cheaper grease gun. Used 20-round or 30-round Thompson magazines.
M3 and M3A1 submachine gunSubmachine gun Close-quarters, personal securityBlowback, open boltGeneral Motors.45 ACP9145019436553633.61-3.7030-round magazine.
Submachine gunClose-quarters, personal securityBlowback (Delayed blowback), closed boltHarrington & Richardson.45 ACP55019412.8-3.1
Submachine gun Close-quarters, personal securityBlowbackUnited Defense Supply Corp..45 ACP7001942150004.5425-round box magazine (also issued with two 25-round magazines welded face-to-face)
M55 Reising submachine gunSubmachine gunClose-quarters, personal securityBlowback (Delayed blowback), closed boltHarrington & Richardson.45 ACP5501941Identical to the M50 SMG except it sported a wire stock and had no compensator. It also had a slightly shorter barrel. The M50 and M55 served as the go-to SMGs before the Thompson.

Rifles

ImageNameTypeRole/sActionOriginBase model/sManufacturer/sCartridge/sEffective firing range
(m)		From (year)Estimated wartime quantityUnloaded weight
(kg)		Notes
M1903 SpringfieldGewehr 98Springfield Armory.30-03
.30-06 Springfield
61019033000000~3.9
M1903A4 sniper rifleLong-Range PrecisionGewehr 98Springfield Armory.30-03
.30-06 Springfield
10001903
M1 GarandBattle rifleFront-line / AssaultGas-operated, rotating boltSpringfield Armory, Winchester, Harrington & Richardson, International Harvester.30-06 Springfield45719344.31 - 5.3
M1917 Enfield rifleFront-lineBolt-actionWinchester, Remington Arms, Eddystone Arsenal.30-06 Springfield54919174.167
M1941 Johnson rifleBattle rifleFront-line / AssaultRecoil-operated (Short-recoil), rotating boltJohnson Automatics, Inc..30-06 Springfield194170000~4.31
Krag–JørgensenStandard rifleBolt-ActionSpringfield Armory.30-40 Krag18923.82
Winchester Model 1895Lever actionWinchester, Browning Arms.30-06 Springfield18954.2
Winchester Model 70 sniper rifleLong-Range PrecisionBolt-actionWinchester, U.S. Repeating Arms.30-06 Springfield19362.7 - 3.6
Remington Model 8Battle rifleFront-line / AssaultRecoil-operatedRemington Arms19053.6

Carbines

ImageNameTypeRole/sActionOriginBase model/sManufacturer/sCartridge/sEffective firing range (m)Cyclic rate of fire (rpm)From (year)Estimated wartime quantityUnloaded wt (kg)Notes
Front-line / Assault / Close-quarters / Personal SecurityGas-operated (short-stroke piston), rotating boltGeneral Motors, Winchester, Irwin-Pedersen, Underwood Elliot Fisher, National Postal Meter, Quality Hardware Manufacturing Corp., International Business Machines, Standard Products, Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corporation, Commercial Controls Corporation.30 Carbine275270194261213092.415-round box magazines, or 30-round curved magazines.A common practice was to strap two 15-round magazine ammo pouches to the gun stock.
Marlin Model 1894CarbineClose-quarters / Personal SecurityLever actionMarlin Firearms30-30137-1839118942.72 - 2.95
Winchester Model 1894CarbineClose-quarters / Personal SecurityLever actionWinchester30-30137-1839118943.1

Shotguns

Grenades and grenade launchers

Mines

Recoilless rifles

Flamethrowers

Machine guns

Infantry and dual

Vehicle and aircraft machine guns and autocannons

Tanks

Light tanks

Medium tanks

Heavy tanks

Tank destroyers

Flamethrower tanks

Other vehicles

Passenger vehicles

Motorcycles

Amphibious vehicles

Trucks

Artillery

Infantry Guns

Infantry mortars

Heavy mortars and multiple rocket launchers

Self-propelled guns

Field artillery

Fortress and siege guns

Anti-tank guns

Anti-tank infantry weapons

See also

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Hogg, pp. 77–79

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