List of World War II weapons of the United States

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Below are different types of weapons used in World War II by the United States.

Blades[]

Small arms[]

Pistols (manual and semi-automatic)[]

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 M1911 Pistol Sidearm Recoil-operated (Short recoil)  United States Colt .45 ACP 1911 1.1
Colt M1903 Pistol Sidearm Blowback, single action  United States Colt .32 ACP (M1903)
.380 ACP (M1908) 		1903 0.68
Colt M1909 revolver Revolver Sidearm Double action  United States Colt .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .44-40 Winchester, .38-40, .44 Russian, .44 Special, .44-40, .38 Special, .357 Magnum 1909 356000
Colt M1917 revolver Revolver Sidearm Double action, rotating cylinder  United States Colt .45 ACP, .45 Auto Rim 1917 1.1
Smith & Wesson M1917 revolver Revolver Sidearm Double/single action, swing-out cylinder  United States Smith & Wesson .45 ACP, .45 Auto Rim 1917 1.0
Colt Official Police Revolver Sidearm Double action  United States Colt .22 Long Rifle, .32-20, .38 Special, .38/200, .41 Long Colt 1907
Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolver Revolver Sidearm Double action  United States Smith & Wesson .38 Long Colt, .38 Special, .38 S&W 1899 0.907

Automatic pistols and submachine guns[]

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 gun Submachine gun Close-quarters, personal security Blowback, blish lock  United States Auto-Ordnance Company .45 ACP 150 700 1921 4.5-4.9 30-round magazine.
M2 Hyde Submachine gun Close-quarters, personal security Blowback, open bolt  United States Marlin firearms company .45 ACP 570 1942 400 4.19 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 super-cheap grease gun. And while it never saw service, it is possibly the best submachine gun of WWII. Used 20-round or 30-round Thompson magazines.
M3 submachine gun Submachine gun Close-quarters, personal security Blowback, open bolt  United States General Motors .45 ACP 91 450 1943 655363 3.61-3.70 30-round magazine.
M50 Reising submachine gun Submachine gun Close-quarters, personal security Blowback (Delayed blowback), closed bolt  United States Harrington & Richardson .45 ACP 550 1941 2.8-3.1
United Defense M42 Submachine gun Close-quarters, personal security Blowback  United States United Defense Supply Corp. .45 ACP 700 1942 15000 4.54 25-round box magazine (also issued with two 25-round magazines welded face-to-face)
M55 Reising submachine gun Submachine gun Close-quarters, personal security Blowback (Delayed blowback), closed bolt  United States Harrington & Richardson .45 ACP 550 1941 Identical 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[]

Name Type Role/s Action Origin Base model/s Manufacturer/s Cartridge/s Effective firing range
(m) 		From (year) Estimated wartime quantity Unloaded weight
(kg) 		Notes
M1903 Springfield Standard rifle Front-line Bolt-action  United States Gewehr 98 Springfield Armory .30-03; .30-06 Springfield 610 1903 3000000~ 3.9
M1903A4 sniper rifle Sniper rifle Long-Range Precision Bolt-action  United States Gewehr 98 Springfield Armory .30-03; .30-06 Springfield 1000 1903
M1 Garand Battle rifle Front-line / Assault Gas-operated, rotating bolt  United States Springfield Armory, Winchester, Harrington & Richardson, International Harvester .30-06 Springfield 457 1934 4.31 - 5.3
M1917 Enfield rifle Standard rifle Front-line Bolt-action  United States Winchester, Remington Arms, Eddystone Arsenal .30-06 Springfield 549 1917 4.167
M1941 Johnson rifle Battle rifle Front-line / Assault Recoil-operated (Short-recoil), rotating bolt  United States Johnson Automatics, Inc. .30-06 Springfield 1941 70000~ 4.31
Winchester Model 1895 Standard rifle Front-line Lever action  United States Winchester, Browning Arms .30-06 Springfield 1895 4.2
Winchester Model 70 sniper rifle Sniper rifle Long-Range Precision Bolt-action  United States Winchester, U.S. Repeating Arms .30-06 Springfield 1936 2.7 - 3.6
Remington Model 8 Battle rifle Front-line / Assault Recoil-operated  United States Remington Arms 1905 3.6

Carbines[]

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 carbine Carbine Front-line / Assault / Close-quarters / Personal Security Gas-operated (short-stroke piston), rotating bolt  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 275 270 1942 6121309 2.4 15-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 Carbine Close-quarters / Personal Security Lever action  United States Marlin Firearms 30-30 137-183 91 1894 2.72 - 2.95
Winchester Model 1894 Carbine Close-quarters / Personal Security Lever action  United States Winchester 30-30 137-183 91 1894 3.1

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[]

Flame Tanks[]

Artillery[]

Infantry mortars[]

  • M1 Mortar
  • M2 4.2 inch mortar
  • M2 Mortar

Heavy mortars & rocket launchers[]

Self propelled guns[]

Field artillery[]

  • 75 mm Gun M1917 - copy of British gun re-chambered for French cartridge, produced for export
  • QF 2.95-inch Mountain Gun - imported from Britain, used in Philippines
  • 75 mm Gun M2/M3/M6
  • M116 howitzer (75 mm) -also known as "75mm Pack Howitzer M1"
  • 76 mm gun M1
  • M101 howitzer (105mm) - still used in US and worldwide as late as in 2014
  • M3 howitzer (105mm)
  • Canon de 155mm GPF
  • M114 155 mm howitzer - also known as M1 155 mm Howitzer
  • M2 155 mm Field Gun (Long Tom)
    • 4.5-inch Gun M1 - version to fire British ammunition
  • M115 203 mm howitzer
  • 8-inch Gun M1
  • M1 240 mm Howitzer

Fortress and siege guns[]

Anti-tank guns[]

  • National Forge & Ordnance 37mm gun (1941) - export (to Dutch) only
  • M3 37 mm Anti-Tank Gun
  • M1 57 mm Anti-Tank Gun
  • M5 3-Inch Anti-Tank Gun
  • 105mm gun T8 AT/AA gun (cancelled)

Anti-tank weapons (besides anti-tank guns)[]

See also[]

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