More Firearms of the Twentieth Century Quiz

Answer: BAR

Designed by the famous John Browning, this light machine gun was adopted by the U.S. military in 1918, replacing foreign-made machine guns as the first American-produced machine gun. Some models were outfitted with bipods for firing stability, later on.

The BAR gained a reputation for being very heavy, as it weighed close to twenty pounds or more when loaded. The BAR was used until the Korean War, and it was replaced by the M60.

Answer: M1 Garand

Designed by the Canadian John Garand, working in an American factory, the M1 Garand found its place as the first semi-automatic rifle in American Army history. It was used in World War II and the Korean War.

Answer: M16A2

The M16A2 is a changed weapon from the M16, which was first adopted in the Vietnam War to replace the M14. The M16A2 sports a three round burst and is much more reliable and accurate than its predecessor.

Answer: M1 Thompson

The M1928 Thompson earned notorious fame during the Roaring 20s as a gangster gun. Entering World War II, the American Army simplified the Thompson in terms of construction and handling, allowing it to survive the more rugged battlefields of war. The result was the M1 Thompson.

Answer: MG42

This machine gun, nicknamed Hitler's Buzzsaw, earned a reputation among its enemies in World War II. A fearsome rate of fire, however, was dampened by easy overheating and some inaccuracy. The MG42 continues to serve as rechambered variants, most notably the MG3, in many European and other nations today.

Answer: Bren Mk. 1

The Bren, derived from a Czech design, was used extensively in World War II by British and Commonwealth troops. It sported an unusual and trademark overhead clip. It served as the British equivalent to the BAR. It continued to serve into the 1970s under the designation L4A1.

Answer: Glock

The Glock is a cheap, simple, light, and reliable pistol. It has found its way into the hands of military soldiers, police officers, and criminals all over the world. The Glock has numerous variants, including a fully automatic variant.

Answer: T99 Arisaka

The T99 Arisaka rifle was the rifle that the Japanese used in World War II. Slightly outdated, the rifle was easy to produce and moderately accurate.

Answer: SVT40

The Tokarev SVT40 was an excellent semi-automatic rifle, used by the Soviets in World War II and the North Koreans in the Korean War. The SVT40's design was so good that the excellent German engineers in World War II could not devise a superior design, and so modified the SVT40 and rechambered it to serve as the Gewehr 43.

Answer: SKS

The Simonov SKS was the successor to the SVT rifles, and served in the Soviet army for a short period until the AK47 was developed. It served in smaller militaries well into the 1980s.

Answer: P90

The FN Herstal company created the P90 Personal Defense Weapon, a small, unconventional gun that boasted a large magazine and a fast rate of fire. The P90 is good for close combat, but not for anything more than 100m away.

Answer: MAT49

The MAT49 was a submachine gun developed by France, one of the last of its kind to serve in a military before automatic rifles took its place. It serves in police forces today, but it did not have anything special to offer.

Answer: Sten Mk. 2

On the Allies side, the Sten was the first all metal, stamped weapon. Cheap and simple, they were mass-produced easily and shipped to the front lines. They were used by British and Commonwealth forces. They were phased out by the British in favor of the Sterling SMG in the '60s. The Americans used an excellent M3 Grease Gun instead of the Sten.

Answer: G43

The G43 was the first successful semi-automatic rifle in German service, heavily based on the SVT40 of the Russians. It did not fully replace the Kar 98k, as it entered service midway through the war.

Answer: FAMAS G2

The FAMAS G2 is an modified version of the G1, which is the upgraded version of the F1. Few changes have been made overall because the FAMAS is a reliable and hardy weapon. The F1 was adopted by the French in 1974, before both the SA80 and the G36 were adopted by the British and German armies.

Answer: MP44

The MP44 is known as the father of assault rifles. It was capable of automatic fire, yet had the range and accuracy of a rifle, when used in selective fire. It heavily influenced strategies and principles of small arms warfare in the rest of the 20th century.

Answer: MP40

The MP-38 was Germany's, and also the world's, first all metal weapon. This type of stamped weapon was not only easier to produce, it was also more reliable. A few insignificant changes created the Schmeisser MP-40, which was the standard German sub-machine gun in World War II.

Answer: L96A1

The Accuracy International L96 is a venerable sniper rifle, which was produced in the 1970s and used extensively until today, where the recent L115 has replaced it in many armed forces. The L96 is an accurate and consistent rifle that will serve in militaries for at least another decade into the 21st century.

Answer: AUG

The Steyr AUG is a well-rounded, versatile rifle that is in use by the Austrian military. It is a bullpup rifle, but unusually long for a rifle in such a configuration. It is a relatively modern rifle that will serve effectively for a time to come.

Answer: Kar 98k

The Kar 98 was the German service rifle in World War II and the years preceding it. It was one of the most accurate, reliable, and effective weapons of its time, and, when fitted with a rifle scope, was truly fearsome.

Answer: L85A2

The SA80, or the L85, is the British service rifle, replacing the FN FAL. It is another bullpup rifle, and is quite reliable, hardy, and accurate. It is also versatile and will serve the British army well into the future.

Answer: AK47

Using the principles of the German MP44, the Kalashnikov AK47 and its variants are the most produced and most utilized weapons in the world, serving in militaries and militias in Africa, the Middle East, South America, Asia, Eastern Europe, and in criminal organizations and police forces all over the world.

The outdated rifle was excellent in its time, with good accuracy and foolproof reliability. The design continues on to the 21st century, with small modifications and changes in caliber, as the AK-74 and the AK101 series.

Answer: G36E

Another Heckler and Koch weapon, the G-36 is one of the most modern rifles. Designed in the 1990s, the G-36 is a light, accurate, and reliable replacement for the venerable G3 series. It is in the service of armed forces of numerous countries in Europe, notably Germany.

Answer: MP5

The Heckler and Koch MP5 is the most successful sub-machine gun of the later 20th century. Based on the larger G3 layout, this weapon is in police forces and military hands all over the world. Recently however, one of the main drawbacks of the gun is that the 9mm bullets have not enough power in medium or longer ranges, and in some cases, cannot even penetrate a well-armored soldier in close quarters. Even so, the cheap, compact, and reliable design have made it one of the most popular weapons of its time.

Answer: Galil

The Israeli Military Industries produced the Galil, an excellent weapon, in the 1980s. It was adopted and is still in use with the Israeli military today, which is abandoning foreign produced weapons in favor of locally designed ones, such as the Merkava.