Gatling gun

The Gatling gun (1861) was one of the most well known rapid-fire weapons to be used in the 1860s by the Union forces of the Civil War, following the 1851 invention of the mitrailleuse by the Belgian Army.

Although the first Gatling gun was capable of firing continuously, it required human power to crank it; as such it was not a true automatic weapon. Each barrel fired a single shot as it reached a certain point in the cycle after which it ejected the spent cartridge, loaded a new round, and in the process, cooled down somewhat.

This configuration allowed higher rates of fire without the problem of an overheating single barrel. Some time later, Gatling-type weapons were invented that diverted a fraction of gas from the chamber to turn the barrels. Later still, electric motors supplied external power.

The original Gatling gun was designed by the American inventor Dr. Richard J. Gatling in 1861 and patented in 1862.^[1] He wrote that he made it to reduce the size of armies and so reduce the number of deaths by combat and disease.^[2]

The Maxim gun, invented in 1884, was the first true automatic weapon, making use of the fired projectile's recoil force to reload the weapon.

Mitrailleuse

Mitrailleuse (literally "Grapeshot shooter") was an early form of "machine gun". In French "mitrailleuse" became the standard word for all machine guns, but in English it is used to refer to the early models derived from the first mitrailleuse invented in 1851 by the Belgian Army Captain Fafschamps, 10 years before the advent of the Gatling gun. It was followed by the Belgian Montigny mitrailleuse in 1863. Then the French 13mm X 25 barrels "Canon à balles", better known as the Reffye mitrailleuse, was adopted in great secrecy in 1866. It became the first rapid-firing weapon to be deployed as standard equipment by any army in a major conflict. This happened during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. The objective of the Reffye mitrailleuse was to extend the lethal effects of heavy 13mm ( 50 caliber ) cylindrical bullets at very long distances, far beyond the reach of the infantry rifles of that period . A perforated steel block containing 25 center fire cartridges was pressed against the breech before firing. With the rotation of a crank, the 25 rounds were fired in rapid succession. The normal firing rate of the Reffye mitrailleuse was 100 rounds per minute and the effective battlefield reach of its bullets extended to about 2500 yards. Reffye mitrailleuses were always deployed in 6 gun batteries and were manned by artillery personnel. They were not infantry support weapons but rather a form of special artillery.

Although innovative and capable of good ballistic performance, the Reffye mitrailleuse failed as a tactical weapon because its basic concept and operational usage were flawed. On the contrary the Gatling gun system became widely successful and even survives in powered form to this day. The word mitrailleuse nonetheless became the generic term for a machine gun in the French language, although the mitrailleuse itself was entirely manually-operated.

Action

The choice between bolt-action and semi-automatic (more commonly recoil or gas operation) is usually determined by specific requirements of the sniper's role as envisioned in a particular organization, with each design having advantages and disadvantages. For a given cartridge, a bolt-action rifle is cheaper to build and maintain, more reliable and accurate, and lighter; this is due to fewer moving parts in the mechanism. In addition, the lack of an external magazine allows for more versatile fire-positioning and manual case ejection allows for greater discretion. Semi-automatic weapons can serve a cross-purpose use as both a battle rifle and a sniper rifle, and allow for a greater rate (and hence volume) of fire. As such rifles may be modified service rifles; an additional benefit can be commonality of operation with the issued infantry rifle. A bolt-action is the most commonly used in both military and police roles due to its higher accuracy and ease of maintenance. Anti-materiel applications such as mine clearing and special forces operations tend to see a higher usage of semi-automatics.

A designated marksman rifle (DMR) is less specialized than a typical military sniper rifle, often only intended to extend the range of a group of soldiers. Therefore, when a semi-automatic action is used it is due to its ability to cross over into roles similar to the roles of standard issue weapons. There may also be additional logistical advantages if the DMR uses the same ammunition as the more common standard issue weapons. These rifles enable a higher volume of fire, but sacrifice some long range accuracy. They are frequently built from existing selective fire battle rifles or assault rifles, often simply by adding a telescopic sight and adjustable stock.

A police semi-automatic sniper rifle may be used in situations that require a single sniper to engage multiple targets in quick succession, and military semi-automatics like the M110 SASS are used in similar "target-rich" environments.

Sniper rifle

In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a rifle used to ensure accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military centerfire cartridge. The term is often used in the media to describe any type of accurized firearm fitted with a telescopic sight that is employed against human targets.

The military role of sniper (a term derived from the snipe, a bird which was difficult to hunt and shoot) dates back to the turn of the 18th century, but the sniper rifle itself is a much more recent development. Advances in technology, specifically that of telescopic sights and more accurate manufacturing, allowed armies to equip specially-trained soldiers with rifles that would enable them to deliver precise shots over greater distances than regular infantry weapons. The rifle itself could be a standard rifle (at first, a bolt-action rifle); however, when fitted with a telescopic sight, it would become a sniper rifle.

F-16 Fighting Falcon

The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, day-time Visual Flight Rules (VFR) fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft. The Falcon's versatility is a paramount reason it has proven a success on the export market, having been selected to serve in the air forces of 25 nations.^[2] The F-16 is the largest Western jet fighter program with over 4,400 aircraft built since production was approved in 1976.^[2] Though no longer being bought by the U.S. Air Force, advanced versions are still being built for export customers. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation,^[3] which in turn became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta.^[4]

The Fighting Falcon is a dogfighter with numerous innovations including a frameless, bubble canopy for better visibility, side-mounted control stick to ease control while under high g-forces, and reclined seat to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot. Weapons include a M61 Vulcan cannon and various missiles mounted on up to 11 hardpoints. It was also the first fighter aircraft deliberately built to sustain 9-g turns. It has a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one, providing enough power to climb and accelerate vertically – if necessary.^[1] Although the F-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", it is known to its pilots as the "Viper", due to it resembling a cobra snake and after the Battlestar Galactica starfighter.^[5][6] It is used by the Thunderbirds air demonstration team.

The F-16 is scheduled to remain in service with the U.S. Air Force until 2025.^[7] The planned replacement is the F-35 Lightning II, which is scheduled to enter service in 2011 and will gradually begin replacing a number of multirole aircraft among the air forces of the program's member nations.

Bullpup

Bullpup is a firearm configuration in which the action and magazine are located behind the trigger. This increases the barrel length relative to the overall weapon length, permitting shorter weapons for the same barrel length, saving weight and increasing maneuverability. It alternatively allows for longer barrels on weapons of the same length, which can increase muzzle velocity. Higher muzzle velocities result in flatter trajectories, a longer effective range, and, in some cases, increased lethality.

Ghauri (missile)

Ghauri (Urdu: غوری), also designated Hatf-V, is a medium-range ballistic missile developed by Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL) of Pakistan, based on the North Korean Nodong missile.

The name Ghauri is taken from a Muslim historical figure, Muhammad Ghori, who was a rival to the Hindu ruler Prithvi Raj Chauhan of India in the last decade of the 12th century. The "Hatf" designation originates from the name of the sword/lance of Prophet Muhammad.^[1]

The Ghauri-I has an optimum range of 1,500 km and can carry conventional or non-conventional payloads. It is powered by a single stage liquid propellant engine. Pakistan successfully carried out a test of the surface-to-surface Ghauri-I Missile with a range of 1500 km ^[2] and a payload of 700 kg on April 6, 1998. This test represented a step forward in Pakistan's missile and satellite launch programme.^[3]

Ghauri-II is a longer ranged variant of the Ghauri-I missile. It was developed by increasing the length of the motor assembly and using improved propellants. The Ghauri-II missile has a range of 2,300 km (1,429 miles).^[4]

Ghauri-III with a range of 3500 km – 4000 km is under development.^[5]

Rocket-propelled grenade

A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) is any hand-held, shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons capable of firing an unguided rocket equipped with an explosive warhead.

RPGs are very effective against lightly-armoured vehicles such as armoured personnel carriers (APCs) or unarmoured wheeled vehicles, as well as against buildings and bunkers.^{[citation needed]}

Smith & Wesson Model 19

The S&W Model 19 is a revolver produced by Smith & Wesson chambered in .357 Magnum on its K-frame platform. The K-frame is considerably smaller and lighter than the original N-frame .357, usually known as the S&W Model 27.

Calibers

Most lever-action designs are not as strong as bolt-action or semi-automatic designs, and as a result lever-action rifles tend to be generally found in low- and medium-pressure cartridges such as .30-30 Winchester or .44 Magnum, although the Marlin Model 1894 is available in three high-pressure magnum calibers; and the Winchester Model 1895, which used a box magazine, was chambered for .30-06 and other powerful military cartridges. The most common caliber is by far the .30-30, which was introduced by Winchester with the Model 1894. Other common calibers for Lever-action firearms include .38 Special/.357 Magnum, .44 Special/.44 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .444 Marlin, .45-70, .45 Colt, .32-20 Winchester, .35 Remington, and .22 caliber rimfire. Lever-action designs using stronger, rotary locking bolts (such as the Browning BLR) are usually fed from box magazines and are not limited to round nose bullet designs, as well as being able to handle a greater range of calibers than a traditional lever-action design. Lever-action shotguns such as the Winchester Model 1887 were chambered in 10 or 12-gauge black powder shotgun shells, whereas the Model 1901 was chambered for 10 gauge smokeless shotshells. Modern reproductions are chambered for 12 gauge smokeless shells, while the Winchester Model 9410 shotgun is available in .410 bore.

Lever-action Rifle

Lever-action is a type of firearm action which uses a lever located around the trigger guard area (often including the trigger guard itself) to load fresh cartridges into the chamber of the barrel when the lever is worked. One of the most famous lever-action firearm is undoubtedly the Winchester rifle, but many manufacturers- notably Marlin and Savage- also produce lever-action rifles. Mossberg produces the 464 in centerfire .30-30 and rimfire .22. While the term lever-action generally implies a repeating firearm, it is also sometimes applied to a variety of single-shot or falling-block actions that use a lever for cycling, such as the Martini-Henry or the Ruger No. 1.

Tank gun

A tank gun is the main armament of a tank. Modern tank guns are large-caliber high-velocity guns, capable of firing kinetic energy penetrators, high explosive anti-tank rounds, and in some cases guided missiles.

Grenade launcher

A grenade launcher is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand.

Grenade launchers can either come in the form of standalone weapons (either single-shot or repeating) or attachments mounted under the barrel of a rifle. Alternatively, rifles have been designed to fire rifle grenades, either from their muzzle or from a spigot-type detachable launcher. Larger grenade launchers may be mounted on vehicles.

Medium machine gun

A medium machine gun or MMG, in modern terms, usually refers to a belt-fed automatic firearm firing a full-power rifle cartridge and typically weighs from 15 to 40 pounds (6.8 to 18.1 kg). MMGs usually have some type of provision for extended firing, such as a removable or extra-heavy barrel, cooling fins, or a water cooling jacket, but are light enough to be used with a bipod. They occupy a gray area between light machine guns and heavy machine guns.

Two features which have remained somewhat constant, however, are some added ability for greater fire over automatic rifles, and the ability to be used in both light infantry support roles on a bipod, but also on mounts and tripods. While heavy machine guns (HMG) are mostly fired from heavy mounts, and light machine guns (LMG) are usually operated with bipods, MMGs have historically been used in both. Heavy machine guns are either crew-served or mounted, while MMGs are usually operated by one to two soldiers. Light machine guns and automatic rifles are often an individual weapon with a fixed, naked barrel. On the other hand medium machine guns have usually had more endurance of some sort, such as the aforementioned heavier barrel, barrel-change, fins etc.

Light machine gun

A light machine gun or LMG is a machine gun that is generally lighter than other machine guns of the same period, and is usually designed to be carried by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant. Modern light machine guns often fire smaller-caliber cartridges than medium machine guns, and are usually lighter and more compact. LMGs are often used as squad automatic weapons.

There is confusion between what is a true light machine gun and what is a medium machine gun. Some weapons on this page, as written, are not in any way light machine guns (for example, the Browning 1919).

The term "light machine gun" is both literal and context-sensitive. Some machine guns - notably General purpose machine guns - may be deployed as either a light machine gun or a medium machine gun. As a general rule, if a machine gun is deployed with a bipod it is a light machine gun; if deployed on a tripod it is a medium machine gun (unless it has a barrel diameter of about 10mm or larger, making it a heavy machine gun).

Originally, the machinegun was the antithesis of infantry tactics, as was especially obvious in World War One and the high casualties of 1914 and 1915. It was obvious to several militaries that a light machinegun at the platoon or squad level would boost the firepower of infantry and allow them to suppress targets like enemy machinegun posts. By the end of the war, light machineguns were sometimes being issued on a scale of one per section or squad, and the modern infantry squad had emerged with tactics that were built around the use of LMGs.

It is possible to fire a light machine gun from the hip or on the move, but this is seldom accurate. They are usually fired from a prone position, especially when using a bipod. Early light machine guns (especially those derived from automatic rifles, such as the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle) were sometimes magazine-fed. Some LMGs, such as the Russian RPK, are modifications of existing assault rifle designs. Adaptations generally include a larger magazine, heavier barrel to resist overheating, more robust action to support sustained fire, and often a bipod. Modern light machine guns are designed to fire more rounds of a smaller caliber ammunition and as such tend to use a belt of ammunition; this allows them to fire for longer periods of time without the need to reload. Other modern light machine guns, such as the FN Minimi, are capable of firing from either an ammunition belt or a detachable box magazine

Heavy machine gun

The heavy machine gun is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I. These fired the standard (~.30 or 7.62mm) rifle cartridge but featured heavy construction, elaborate mountings, and water cooling mechanisms that enabled heavy and sustained defensive fire with excellent accuracy, but with the cost of being too cumbersome to move quickly. Thus, in this sense, the "heavy" aspect of the weapon referred to the weapon's bulk and ability to sustain fire, not the cartridge caliber. This class of weapons is best exemplified by the Maxim gun, invented by American Hiram Maxim. The Maxim was the most ubiquitous machine gun of World War I, regional variants of which were fielded simultaneously by three separate warring nations (Germany with the MG08 in 8mm Mauser, Britain with the Vickers in .303 British, and Russia with the Pulemyot M1910 in 7.62x54R).

The more modern definition refers to a class of large-caliber (generally ~.50 or 12.7mm) machine guns pioneered by John Moses Browning with the M2 machine gun and designed to provide an increased degree of range, penetration and destructive power against vehicles, buildings, aircraft and light fortifications over the standard rifle calibers used in medium or general purpose machine guns. In this sense, the "heavy" aspect of the weapon refers to it's superior power and range over light and medium caliber weapons. This class came into widespread use during World War II, when the M2 was used widely in fortifications, on vehicles and in the air by the American forces. A similar HMG capacity was fielded by the Soviets in the form of the DShK in 12.7x108mm. The ubiquitous German MG42, though well suited against infantry, lacked the M2's anti-fortification and anti-vehicle capability, a fact that was noted and lamented by the Germans after the D-Day invasion. The continued need for a longer range machine gun with anti-materiel capability to bridge the gap between exclusively anti-infantry weapons and exclusively anti-materiel weapons has led to the widespread adoption and modernization of the class; the M2 is now the oldest serving weapon in the US arsenal, and most nations are equipped with some type of HMG.

Currently, firearms with calibers smaller than 12 mm are generally considered medium machine guns, while those larger than 13-15 mm are generally thought of as autocannons instead of heavy machine guns.

Semi-automatic shotgun

A semi-automatic shotgun is a form of shotgun that is able to fire a cartridge after every trigger squeeze, without any manual chambering of another round being required. The weapon uses the force of the gas (created by the accelerated burning of the propellant) not just to propel the wadding which pushes the shot down the barrel, but also to cycle the action, ejecting the empty shell and loading another round. This process is similar to all automatic weapons, including pistols and rifles.

Many semi-automatic shotguns also provide an optional manual means of operation such as by pump-action or via a charging handle.

Combat shotgun

A combat shotgun is a shotgun that is intended for use in an offensive role, typically by a military force. The earliest shotguns specifically designed for combat were the trench guns or trench shotguns issued in World War I. While limited in range, the multiple projectiles typically used in a shotgun shell provide increased hit probability unmatched by other small arms.^[1]

SOPMOD Block I

USSOCOM developed the Special Operations Peculiar Modification (SOPMOD) Block I kit for the carbines used by units under its jurisdiction. The kit features an M4A1 carbine, a Rail Interface System (RIS) handguard developed by Knight's Armament Company, a shortened quick-detachable M203 grenade launcher and leaf sight, a KAC sound suppressor, a KAC back-up rear sight, an Insight Technologies AN/PEQ-2A visible laser/infrared designator, along with Trijicon's ACOG and Reflex sights, and a night vision sight. This kit was designed to be configurable (modular) for various missions, and the kit is currently in service with special operations units.

M4 carbine

The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter version of the M16A2 assault rifle, achieving 80% parts commonality with the M16A2.^[1] The M4 has selective fire options including semi-automatic and three-round burst (like the M16A2), while the M4A1 has a "full auto" option in place of the three-round burst.

Desert Eagle

The Desert Eagle is a large-bore gas-operated semi-automatic pistol designed by Magnum Research in the U.S., and manufactured primarily in Israel by IMI (Israel Military Industries, now Israel Weapon Industries). Manufacturing was moved to Saco Defense in the state of Maine from 1996 to 2000 which carried the XIX designation, but shifted back to Israel when Saco was acquired by General Dynamics.^[1]

Magnum Research has marketed various versions of the short recoil Jericho 941 pistol under the Baby Eagle name; these have no functional relationship to the Desert Eagle and bear only a moderate cosmetic resemblance.^[2][3]

Muzzleloader

A muzzleloader is any firearm into which the projectile and usually the propellant charge is loaded from the muzzle of the gun (i.e. from the forward, open end of the gun's barrel). This is distinct from the more popular modern design of breech-loading firearms.

Modern muzzleloading firearms range from reproductions of sidelock, flintlock and percussion long guns, to in-line rifles that use modern inventions such as a closed breech, sealed primer and fast rifling to allow for considerable accuracy at long ranges. Mortars are a type of short-range artillery, most are muzzle-loaded.

Muzzleloading can apply to anything from cannons to pistols but in modern parlance the term most commonly applies to black powder small arms. It usually, but not always, involves the use of a loose propellant (i.e. gun powder) and projectile, as well as a separate method of ignition or priming.

AK-47

The AK-47 (contraction of Russian: Автомат Калашникова образца 1947 года; Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1947 goda; "Kalashnikov's automatic rifle model of year 1947") is a selective fire, gas operated 7.62mm assault rifle developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. Six decades later, the AK-47 and its variants and derivatives remain in service throughout the world. It has been manufactured in many countries and has seen service with regular armed forces as well as irregular, revolutionary and terrorist organizations worldwide.

The AK-47 was one of the first true assault rifles and, due to its durability, low production cost and ease of use, the weapon and its numerous variants remain the most widely used assault rifles in the world—so much so that more AK-type rifles have been produced than all other assault rifles combined.^[2][3] It was also used by the majority of the member states of the former Warsaw Pact. The AK-47 was also used as a basis for the development of many other types of individual and crew-served firearms.

Design work on the AK began in 1944. In 1946 the rifle was presented for official military trials, and a year later the fixed stock version was introduced into service with select units of the Red Army (the folding stock model was developed later). The AK-47 was officially accepted by the Soviet Armed Forces in 1949. An early development of the design was the AKS-47 (S—Skladnoy priklad), which differed in being equipped with an underfolding metal shoulder stock.

Shorter rifles, shorter carbines: World War I and World War II

In the decades preceding World War I, the standard battle rifle used by armies around the world had been growing shorter, either by redesign or by the general issue of carbine versions instead of full-length rifles. For example, the Russian Model 1891 rifle with an 800 mm (31.5 inch) barrel was shortened to 730 mm (28.75 in.) in 1930, and to 510 mm (20 in.) in 1938; the German Mauser 98 rifles went from 740 mm (29 in.) in 1898 to 600 mm (23.6 in.) in 1935 as the Karabiner Kurz (K98k or Kar98k), or "short carbine". The barrel lengths in rifles used by the United States did not change between the bolt-action M1903 rifle of World War I and the World War II M1 Garand rifle, but then the 610 mm (24 in.) barrel on the M1903 was short for its day. The US M1 Carbine was more of a traditional carbine in that it was significantly shorter and lighter, with a 457.2 mm (18 in. barrel), than the M1 Garand rifle. The M1 Carbine was not a shorter version of the M1 Garand, but a wholly different design firing a smaller, less-powerful cartridge, as was common in the 1800s.

Rifle

A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves ("rifling") cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile (for small arms usage, called a bullet), imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the orientation of the weapon. When the projectile leaves the barrel, the conservation of angular momentum improves accuracy and range, in the same way that a properly thrown American football or rugby ball behaves. The word "rifle" originally referred to the grooving, and a rifle was called a "rifled gun." Rifles are used in warfare, hunting and shooting sports.

Typically, a bullet is propelled by the contained deflagration of an explosive compound (originally black powder, later cordite, and now nitrocellulose), although other means such as compressed air are used in air rifles, which are popular for vermin control, hunting small game, and casual shooting ("plinking").

In most armed forces the term "gun" is incorrect when referring to small arms; in the military, the word "gun" means an artillery piece or crew-served machine gun. Furthermore, in many works of fiction a rifle refers to any weapon that has a stock and is shouldered before firing, even if the weapon is not rifled or does not fire solid projectiles.

Rifles traditionally fired a single projectile with each pull of the trigger. Modern assault rifles are capable of firing in bursts or fully automatic modes, and thus overlap somewhat with machine guns. In fact, many light machine guns (such as the Russian RPK) are adaptations of existing assault rifle designs. Generally, the difference between an automatic rifle and a machine gun comes down to weight and feed system; rifles, with their relatively light components (which overheat quickly) and small magazines, are incapable of sustained automatic fire in the way that machine guns are. Generally the rifle is an individual weapon, while the machine gun is crew-served: that is, at least two soldiers are dedicated to carrying and operating it.

Blunderbuss

The blunderbuss is a muzzle-loading firearm with a short, large caliber barrel, which is flared at the muzzle, and used with shot. The blunderbuss is an early form of shotgun adapted to military and defensive use.^[1] The term dragon was used to describe a blunderbuss in handgun form, and it is from this that the term dragoon evolved.
The term blunderbuss is a Dutch origin. It derives from the Dutch word donderbus, which is a combination of donder, meaning "thunder", and bus, meaning "Pipe" (Middle Dutch: busse, box, tube, from Late Latin, buxis, box).^[1] The transition from donder to blunder is thought by some to be deliberate; the term blunder was originally used in a transitive sense, synonymous with to confuse, and this is thought to describe the stunningly loud report of the large bore, short barreled blunderbuss.^[2] The term dragon is taken from the fact that early versions were decorated with a carving in the form of a mythical dragon's head around the muzzle; the muzzle blast would then give the impression of a fire breathing dragon.^[3]