10) The M1 Garand
When Canadian engineer John Cantius Garand was hired by
Springfield Armory in 1919 to develop a semi-automatic rifle, he fashioned what
has become for Americans an iconic weapon. After many years perfecting his
creation, Garand produced a firearm that would serve US forces well throughout
the Second World War, Korea and even into Vietnam. Indeed, the Garand has had
such an influence upon the American psyche that it is still used to this day by
drill teams and honor guards.To the single shot bolt-action small arms of the
rest of WWII’s combatants but also delivered excellent accuracy. The epitome of
excellent design, coupled with the power of industrial might, it became the
standard for many other gas-operated, automatically loading rifles including
both the famous M16 and the iconic AK-47.General George S. Patton is often
quoted as describing the weapon as: “The greatest battle implement ever
devised.” As of March 15, 2010, 182 M1 Garand Rifles are still actively in use
by US Army units, with another 115 serviceable rifles held for possible future
issue.
9) The Bayonet
In essence, the
bayonet is simply a knife attached to the end of a rifle’s barrel for use in
hand-to-hand combat. It is a throwback to the medieval warfare of centuries
past, and yet today it remains an invaluable part of the modern soldier’s kit
and is still carried into battle by almost every infantryman in the armies of
today.While the exact
origins of the bayonet are unclear, the first references to its existence came
in the 1640s and pointed – aptly – to the south-western French city of Bayonne.
The earliest form it took was as a blade with a plug-shaped pommel for
inserting it into the firearm’s muzzle, but this form was not ideal. Once
plugged in it blocked the barrel completely and prevented any shots from being
fired. It could also be difficult to remove if it was wedged in too firmly and
if loose it would fall out or could become lodged inside an enemy, diminishing
the wielder’s martial capacity.
While the bayonet was
sometimes vital (such as in its role in the infantry square of Napoleonic-era
combat) it often saw more action as a tool for cooking, clearing flora or
digging holes. It is perhaps the undeniably significant psychological value of
having that reliable, cold steel as a companion that is perhaps its greatest
historical role. The cry of “Fix bayonets!” will ever be associated with
girding oneself for grim tasks ahead.
8) The MG42
With a record of
resilience, reliability and ease of operation that has been proven in the heat
of battle, and the capacity to produce a devastating volume of fire, the
Maschinengewehr 42 was a terrifying beast. Its fast-firing action and
distinctive muzzle report gave the weapon a fearsome reputation, so much so
that the US Army employed a training film specifically to help combat its
psychological effect on Allied troops. One soldier remarked: “I remember my
first reaction was one of amazement at the crushing fire power of those guns.
It seemed to me that the German soldier seldom used his rifle. He was a carrier
of boxes of light machine-gun ammunition of which they seemed to have an
endless supply!” Indeed, the German Army thought their machine guns critical to
their structure and strategy and centered their infantry tactics upon the MG42
(in contrast to the Allies).
The weapon was undoubtedly successful; it fulfilled many roles throughout
WWII and even now the MG42’s legacy lives on, forming the basis for a whole
host of other machineguns. Some 400,000 were manufactured by Germany during the
war, and the design would outlive the Nazis considerably and influence weapons
development and infantry tactics around the world
7) The Hoplon
This large, round and
deeply dished shield was used to great effect by the ancient Greeks. It was
both a superb defense – able to stop most weapons of the time – and its weight
and thin, bronze-plated rim meant it could also be utilized as a bludgeoning weapon.
Called the aspis by
the Greeks themselves, the shield’s handles were unlike any other of its time.
There was a band for the left arm to slip through at the center, and a loop or
rope for the hand to grasp near the edge. The unusual arrangement of these
handles helps to illustrate how important the hoplon was to that great Hellenic
combat formation: the phalanx.
This was a time when
the armies of Greek city states comprised of citizens rather than professional
soldiers, and thus a formation that would give the baker and the merchant
strength in battle was paramount. At this the phalanx – and the hoplon –
excelled. With the bearer’s elbow being at the shield’s center, half of the
shield stuck out to the left, protecting his neighbor, and so each man became
part of a greater force, interlocked and steadied.
6) The Flintlock
The flintlock was
relatively inexpensive and far more reliable than previous methods of
propellant ignition such as the matchlock and wheel-lock. It was also easy to operate.
Gunpowder was poured into the flash pan and the frizzen closed over it to keep
the powder in. When the trigger is pulled, the hammer is released and the shard
of flint it grips strikes the rough surface of the frizzen, creating a small
shower of sparks. These sparks ignite the pan’s powder, firing the ball. So
effective was the design that it remained unchanged for two centuries. It would
see action all around the world and play a major part in some of the most
decisive battles, campaigns and wars of European history.
The flintlock has also
greatly influenced the military drills still in use today, as the weapon
positions and drill commands were originally created to standardize the
carrying, loading and firing of an infantryman’s flintlock weapon while in
ranks. Even everyday speech is littered with references to the venerable
flintlock: ‘flash in the pan’, ‘lock, stock and barrel’ and ‘to go off
half-cocked’ to name but three familiar expressions.
5) The Gatling Gun
Doctor Richard Jordan
Gatling was a prolific inventor who created an eclectic range of products, from
rice-sowing machines to improved toilets and bicycles, but it was the
innovation of his famous (or infamous) Gatling gun that ensures his place in
this list. It has been called “the gun that changed everything” and represented
a significant step forward in firearms technology.
4) The Longbow
Bows have been around
in one form or another for thousands of years, but one particular type stands
out from the rest: the longbow. It has been called the machine gun of the
Middle Ages: powerfully accurate, with considerable range and blessed with a
brisk rate of fire. A skilled military bowman could loose up to 12 to 15 aimed
arrows each minute and still hit a man-sized target 200 yards away – as the
French found out to their cost during the Hundred Years War. At the battles of
Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt outnumbered English armies routed well-armored
French opponents, inflicting many thousands of casualties while sustaining only
a small fraction in return. Indeed, the longbow's intelligent implementation
made England ‘the foremost power in Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries.
England's armies became the most feared units in Europe.’
However, even the heaviest of longbows had difficulty penetrating the
steel plate armor (especially at range) which gained popularity after 1350, and
eventually by 1595 the bow was dropped from military service, supplanted by
guns. England’s rulers encouraged training in the use of the longbow throughout
the centuries, which typically began at the age of seven. At one time all
sports were outlawed on a Sunday except for archery, while crossbows were
banned outright
3) The Roman Gladius
The Roman Empire was
one of the most influential cultures in the history of civilization; so
influential, in fact, that the legacy of the Roman culture is still evident
around us in architecture, language and literature. Helping to propagate Rome’s
culture was the success of its armies, and what aided their campaigns was the
sword grasped in the legionaries’ hands.
The gladius was in no
way significantly superior to other hand weapons of the time, but its role as
the literal cutting edge of Rome’s conquering armies ensures its importance
among weapons.
2) The Maxim Gun
Sir Hiram Maxim’s 1884
recoil-operated invention would change the face of the battlefield and alter
world history forever. Operated by a four to six man crew, the Maxim was a
water-cooled and belt-fed heavyweight. Although the poor reliability record of
the crank-operated machine guns that came before Maxim’s weapon stopped it from
being snapped up immediately, his flamboyant sales techniques, successful
trials and the gun’s ability to fire continuously for hours on end (and even
its much-recounted aptitude at felling trees) soon convinced the Western world
of its awesome capabilities
1) The AK-47
The AK-47 is a
legendary firearm. It is the most widely-manufactured single weapon in modern
history. With a form that has become iconic, it is synonymous with revolution,
civil war and communism. Its image adorns t-shirts, posters and even a national
flag. Even someone with little knowledge of firearms would probably be able to
identify the venerable AK-47.
Designed in the late
1940s by Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov for the Soviet Army, the Avtomat
Kalashnikova 47 that bears his name was not just easy to fabricate but also
quickly earned a reputation for being straightforward to use and undemanding to
maintain – not to mention cheap. While by some margin not the most accurate
rifle in the world, the large gaps between its moving parts meant that the
rifle was a rugged battlefield tool which could tolerate operating conditions
that would jam a lesser weapon.
It is estimated that
some 100 million members of the Kalashnikov family of firearms are currently in
existence (most of them are likely to be AKMs, a ‘modernized’ version of the
AK-47 with a stamped receiver, produced since 1959). They are used by the armed
forces of at least 82 countries and are manufactured by at least 14 other
nations.
The rifle and its
later variants have been produced in such huge numbers that even armed forces
which are not issued with the AK as standard are still instructed in its use.
With so many units worldwide, ‘the world’s favorite weapon’ might still make
more history.
In spite of the gun's
popularity and success, Kalashnikov himself received no financial benefits
other than his state pension. He would even go on to outline his regret that
the weapon has not been regulated effectively and ended up in unscrupulous
hands, remarking that he wished he had invented the lawnmower instead.
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