List of World War II weapons of the United States

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Various firearms used by the United States military during World War II, displayed at the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax County, Virginia US-guns-WWII.jpg
Various firearms used by the United States military during World War II, displayed at the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax County, Virginia

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.

Contents

Blades

Small arms

Pistols (manual and semi-automatic)

ImageNameTypeRole/sActionOriginBase model/sManufacturer/sCartridge/sEffective firing range (m)From (year)Estimated wartime quantityUnloaded wt (kg)Notes
M1911A1.png Colt M1911 Pistol Sidearm Recoil-operated (Short recoil)Flag of the United States.svg  United States Colt Springfield .45 ACP 19111.1
Frederic Laboureur Colt 1903 Pocket pistol-2013.19.1-IMG 7577-white.jpg Colt M1903 Pistol Sidearm Blowback, single action Flag of the United States.svg  United States Colt .32 ACP (M1903)
.380 ACP (M1908)
19030.68
Colt Shooting Master.jpg Colt New Service revolver Revolver Sidearm Double action Flag of the United States.svg  United States Colt .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .44-40 Winchester, .38-40, .44 Russian, .44 Special, .44-40, .38 Special, .357 Magnum 1909356000
US Colt 45 M1917 Revolver.jpg Colt M1917 revolver Revolver Sidearm Double action, rotating cylinderFlag of the United States.svg  United States Colt .45 ACP, .45 Auto Rim 19171.1
US S & W45 M 1917 Revolver.jpg Smith & Wesson M1917 revolver Revolver Sidearm Double/single action, swing-out cylinderFlag of the United States.svg  United States Smith & Wesson .45 ACP, .45 Auto Rim 19171.0
Colt Official Police 32-20 1927.png Colt Official Police Revolver Sidearm Double action Flag of the United States.svg  United States Colt .22 Long Rifle, .32-20, .38 Special, .38/200, .41 Long Colt 1907
M&Prevolver.jpg Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolver Revolver Sidearm Double action Flag of the United States.svg  United States Smith & Wesson .38 Long Colt, .38 Special, .38 S&W 18990.907

Automatic pistols and submachine guns

ImageNameTypeRole/sActionOriginBase model/sManufacturer/sCartridge/sEffective firing range (m)Cyclic rate of fire (rpm)From (year)Estimated wartime quantityUnloaded wt (kg)Notes
ThompsonM1A1VWM.jpg M1 Thompson submachine gun Submachine gun Close-quarters, personal security Blowback, blish lock Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States pplicker (firearms) Blowback, blish lock Auto-Ordnance Company .45 ACP 15070019214.5-4.930-round magazine.
USM2smg.png M2 Hyde Submachine gun Close-quarters, personal security Blowback, open bolt Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Marlin firearms company .45 ACP 57019424004.19Never 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-SMG.jpg M3 and M3A1 submachine gun Submachine gun Close-quarters, personal security Blowback, open bolt Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States General Motors .45 ACP 9145019436553633.61-3.7030-round magazine.
Model-50.jpg M50 Reising submachine gun Submachine gun Close-quarters, personal security Blowback (Delayed blowback), closed bolt Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Harrington & Richardson .45 ACP 55019412.8-3.1
United Defence M42.jpg United Defense M42 Submachine gun Close-quarters, personal security Blowback Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States United Defense Supply Corp. .45 ACP 7001942150004.5425-round box magazine (also issued with two 25-round magazines welded face-to-face)
Model-55-Closed.jpg M55 Reising submachine gun Submachine gun Close-quarters, personal security Blowback (Delayed blowback), closed bolt Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Harrington & Richardson .45 ACP 5501941Identical 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-Springfield-Rifle.jpg M1903 Springfield Standard rifle Front-line Bolt-action Flag of the United States.svg  United States Gewehr 98 Springfield Armory .30-03; .30-06 Springfield 61019033000000~3.9
Rifle Springfield M1903A4 with M84 sight.jpg M1903A4 sniper rifle Sniper rifle Long-Range Precision Bolt-action Flag of the United States.svg  United States Gewehr 98 Springfield Armory .30-03; .30-06 Springfield 10001903
M1-Garand-Rifle.jpg M1 Garand Battle rifle Front-line / Assault Gas-operated, rotating bolt Flag of the United States.svg  United States Springfield Armory, Winchester, Harrington & Richardson, International Harvester .30-06 Springfield 45719344.31 - 5.3
M1917 Enfield USA 30-06 Armemuseum noBG.png M1917 Enfield rifle Standard rifle Front-line Bolt-action Flag of the United States.svg  United States Winchester, Remington Arms, Eddystone Arsenal .30-06 Springfield 54919174.167
M1941.jpg M1941 Johnson rifle Battle rifle Front-line / Assault Recoil-operated (Short-recoil), rotating bolt Flag of the United States.svg  United States Johnson Automatics, Inc. .30-06 Springfield 194170000~4.31
M1889 Krag-Jorgensen Danmark 8x58mmR Armemuseum noBG.png Krag–Jørgensen Standard rifle Second-line Bolt-Action Flag of the United States.svg  United States Springfield Armory .30-40 Krag 18923.82
Winchester Model 1895 Standard rifle Front-line Lever action Flag of the United States.svg  United States Winchester, Browning Arms .30-06 Springfield 18954.2
Winchestermodel70.jpg Winchester Model 70 sniper rifle Sniper rifle Long-Range Precision Bolt-action Flag of the United States.svg  United States Winchester, U.S. Repeating Arms .30-06 Springfield 19362.7 - 3.6
RemingtonModel8.jpg Remington Model 8 Battle rifle Front-line / Assault Recoil-operated Flag of the United States.svg  United States Remington Arms 19053.6

Carbines

ImageNameTypeRole/sActionOriginBase model/sManufacturer/sCartridge/sEffective firing range (m)Cyclic rate of fire (rpm)From (year)Estimated wartime quantityUnloaded wt (kg)Notes
WWII M1 Carbine.jpg M1 carbine Carbine Front-line / Assault / Close-quarters / Personal Security Gas-operated (short-stroke piston), rotating bolt Flag of the United States.svg  United States General 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 Carbine 275270194261213092.415-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 1894 .44 Magnum carbine.jpg Marlin Model 1894 Carbine Close-quarters / Personal Security Lever action Flag of the United States.svg  United States Marlin Firearms 30-30137-1839118942.72 - 2.95
Winchester-94-32spl.jpg Winchester Model 1894 Carbine Close-quarters / Personal Security Lever action Flag of the United States.svg  United States Winchester 30-30137-1839118943.1

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

Citations

  1. Hogg, pp. 77–79

Bibliography