Below are different types of weapons used in World War II by the United States.
Blades
- M1 bayonet
- M1917 bayonet
- M4 bayonet
- Ka-bar
- Bolo knife
- Bowie knife
- United States Marine Raider stiletto
- V-42
Small arms
Pistols (manual and semi-automatic)
cmaeron
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 | ![]() |
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 | ![]() |
Marlin firearms company | .45 ACP | 570 | 1942 | 400 | 4.19 | Never 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 submachine gun | Submachine gun | Close-quarters, personal security | Blowback, open bolt | ![]() |
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 | ![]() |
Harrington & Richardson | .45 ACP | 550 | 1941 | 2.8-3.1 | ||||
United Defense M42 | Submachine gun | Close-quarters, personal security | Blowback | ![]() |
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 | ![]() |
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
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 | ![]() |
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 | ![]() |
Marlin Firearms | 30-30 | 137-183 | 91 | 1894 | 2.72 - 2.95 | |||
Winchester Model 1894 | Carbine | Close-quarters / Personal Security | Lever action | ![]() |
Winchester | 30-30 | 137-183 | 91 | 1894 | 3.1 |
Shotguns
Grenades and grenade launchers
Mines
Recoilless rifles
Flamethrowers
Machine guns
Infantry and dual
- Browning M1917A1 (.30-'06)
- Browning M1918A2 (.30-'06)
- Browning M1919A4/A6 and family (.30-'06)
- M1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun (LMG) (.30-'06)
- Browning M2HB (.50 BMG)
Vehicle and aircraft machine guns and autocannons
- 20mm autocannon
- 37mm autocannon
- 40mm Bofors autocannon
- M4 cannon
- M2 cannon
- 50 caliber machine gun (Browning M2)
- M1919A4 Browning machine gun
- M1917 HMG AA configuration
Tanks
Light Tanks
- M2 Light tank
- M3 Stuart
- M5 Stuart
- M22 Locust
- M24 Chaffee
- LVT-1 alligator (and variants)
Medium Tanks
- M2 Medium Tank
- M3 Lee
- M4 Sherman (and variants)
Heavy Tanks
- M26 Pershing
- M26 Super Pershing
- M6 (Prototype)
- T29 (Prototype)
- T30 (Prototype)
- T32 (Prototype)
Tank Destroyers
Flame Tanks
Artillery
Infantry mortars
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
- 5"/51 caliber gun (coastal defense)
- 8-inch M1888 (obsolete)
- M1918 240 mm howitzer (obsolete)
- 8-inch Mk. VI railway gun
- 12-inch coast defense mortar (also railway version)
- 12-inch Gun M1895
- 14-inch M1920 railway gun
- 16"/50 caliber M1919 gun
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)