American Gun

AMERICAN LONG RIFLE

Other names: Kentucky Long Rifle, Pennsylvania Long Rifle, long hunter

First designed: Eighteenth century, exact date and inventor unknown

Type: Precision rifle, single-shot

Predecessor: Most likely evolved from Jaeger hunting rifles

Caliber: Varied with gun maker, but roughly .50

Primary use: Hunting, military sniping

Notable features: Sleek and long, surprisingly light, slow to load

When used: Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, especially during and after the American Revolution

Current use: Genuine long rifles are historical antiques of considerable value. Authentic guns and replicas are used for sport and reenactments

SPENCER REPEATER

First designed by: Christopher Spencer

Type: Repeating rifle, manually cocked

Caliber: .52

Rounds: 7 metal rimfire cartridges, loaded through butt magazine

When used: American Civil War, Indian Wars

Used by: American Army soldiers, primarily cavalry and mounted infantry

Of historical note: The Spencer was a key development on the road to the modern combat rifle

Trivia: Following the Civil War, Spencer rifles and carbines were sold overseas to France and Japan. Abe Lincoln tested the Spencer himself before approving its use.

COLT SINGLE-ACTION ARMY

Nicknames & other titles: Peacemaker, Model P., M1873, Colt .45

First designed by: William Mason and Charles Brinckerhoff Richards for Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Co.

Type: Pistol, 6-shot revolver

Predecessor: Colt Army 1860; there were many other earlier influences

Caliber: .45 Colt

Variations: Many, but among the most notable is the Colt Frontier, chambered in .44–40 to be compatible with Winchester 1873 Repeater

When used: First introduced in 1873, the .45 is still available from Colt

Used by: Everyone from Teddy Roosevelt to George C. Patton, Pat Garrett to Buffalo Bill Cody

Trivia: While Colt .45 is the best-known caliber, many revolvers were chambered for other calibers, including the .44-40, so that the ammunition could be used in both the Colt handgun as well as Winchester Model 1873 and 1892 rifles

WINCHESTER 1873 RIFLE

Nickname: The Gun that Won the West

Type: Rifle, lever-action repeater

Predecessor: Volition Repeating Rifle, Henry Repeater

Caliber: .44

Historical note: One of the key members of a family that was the iconic frontier tool for settling the American West

When used: First introduced in 1873, the gun is still offered for sale by Winchester (although they’re actually manufactured by Miroku in Japan)

Variations: Among the most important was a carbine version with a shorter barrel and rifles chambered in .38 WCF, .32 WCF, and .22 rimfire. Later Winchester models built on the 1873, even as they added improvements

Trivia: A musket version with a 30-inch round barrel was among the family’s lesser-known members

TV & movies: The gun has its own movie: Winchester ’73, produced in 1950 and starring James Stewart. Various other Winchesters have been featured in TV and movies; Chuck Connors used a .44–40 Winchester 1892 in the Rifleman.

SPRINGFIELD MODEL 1903 RIFLE

Nickname: Springfield

Origin: The rifle was designed at the Springfield Armory immediately after the Spanish-American War

Type: Bolt-action rifle

Predecessor: Mauser bolt-action rifles, 1889–91 & Spanish M93

Caliber: .30

Notable features: Bolt-action, five-shot magazine

Cartridge: The gun fires a .30-06 round. The “aught-six” refers to the year the cartridge was introduced.

When used: The Springfield 1903 was the standard American Army rifle from its introduction in 1903 until 1936. A large number of Springfields were used in WWII. The weapon is still used for recreation

Trivia: The cartridge was changed and the gun rechambered after it was discovered that the original cartridge burned too hot. The .30–06 has a slightly shorter case and bullet.

COLT M1911 PISTOL

First designed by: John Moses Browning

Type: Pistol, semi-automatic

Predecessor: The M1911 evolved from a series of designs by Browning in the years before 1911

Caliber: .45

Notable features: 7-round detachable box; works on recoil principle

When used: Continuously, from its introduction in 1911 to the present day

Primary users: Military, police, civilian

Major conflicts involved in: World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam

Trivia: In WWII, the U.S. military designated the gun “Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911.” (Current terminology deems the gun a semi-automatic.)

A .22 caliber version was developed as a training aid for the Army.

THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN

Nickname: Tommy Gun, Trench Broom, The Chopper, Chicago Typewriter, The Gun That Made the ’20s Roar

First designed by: John T. Thompson

Type: Submachine gun

Predecessor: While large machine guns predate the Thompson, the weapon defined the submachine gun category when introduced in 1919

Caliber: .45

Notable features: Forward grip, drum magazine (interchangeable with stick magazine on most but not all models)

When used: Developed in 1919, most popular during Prohibition and WWII

Variants: The first production model was the M1921. Various improvements and refinements continued over the years, especially with the advent of war. The main military variants were the 1928A1 and M1.

Rivals: The Browning Automatic Rifle or BAR is sometimes cited as a competitor for the title of first submachine gun. But the weight and length of the BAR, along with its selective fire mode, make it more a processor of the assault rifle or, alternatively, what today is commonly called a “squad level machine gun”—a light machine gun that can be carried and operated by one man, such as the FN Minimi.

Trivia: It is estimated that 1.5 million Thompsons were produced for the U.S. military during WWII

M1 GARAND

First designed by: John Garand

Type: rifle, gas-operated, semi-automatic

Predecessor: The M1 was selected after a competition with another Garand design and a rifle by John D. Pedersen. It was the first truly successful gas-operated semi-automatic infantry rifle in the world

Caliber: .30–06

Magazine/clip size: 8 bullets

Notable features: Loads from the top; can be fieldstripped with no tools

When used: Primarily WWII and Korea. Recreational use continues to the present day. The M1 is also used by some color guards and drill teams.

Countries where used: U.S., West Germany, Italy, Japan, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, Iran, South Korea

Trivia: The gun’s inventor was Canadian

.38 SPECIAL POLICE REVOLVER

Nickname: “.38 Special” is a generic nickname for revolvers chamber in .38 Special and related calibers

Type: Revolver, double action, 5 or 6 shots

Predecessor: Assorted revolvers; the most famous was probably the Colt New Army Special, chambered for .38 Long

Caliber: .38

Notable features: Easy to load, simple to maintain, rugged and dependable, available in a number of barrel lengths and sizes

When used: Early 20th century to present day

Used by: Police and recreational users as well as for personal-protection

Major manufacturers: The classic examples are from Colt and Smith & Wesson. But many other manufacturers have had success with pistols chambered for different .38 caliber rounds and continue to offer them, most notably Ruger and Taurus International.

M16 RIFLE

First designed by: Eugene Stoner for ArmaLite

Type: Assault rifle, gas-operated, selective fire, automatic

Predecessor: AR-10

Caliber: 5.56 mm (.223 caliber)

Notable features: Selectable three-round burst or full automatic (depending on model). Current military-issue magazine holds 30 rounds; original held 20.

When used: First introduced in 1963, the gun has been the standard military rifle for American soldiers ever since.

Notable family members: AR-15, M16A1, M16A2, M16A3, M16A4, M4 carbine, MK12 Special Purpose Rifle (SPR)

Manufacturer: Colt’s Manufacturing Company, Colt Defense LLC. Members of the AR15 family are produced by a number of other companies

Materials: Aluminum, plastic, steel

Trivia: The Marine Corps’ current bayonet for the M16 is the OKC-3S, which replaced the M7. A version of the M16 is made specifically to fire from the ports of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle; it is the M231.