Section 32

SMALL-ARMS OF THE WORLD.

WEAPONS, AMMUNITION, EXPLOSIVES & PYROTECHNICS

Weapons that are old, new, current & future - have a browse ! 

Some we know very, very well, ....some we know of,

....and some we don´ t know at all ! 

Click to enlarge.



THE FAMOUS "UZI" ISRAELI SUB MACHINE GUN

(INVENTED BY THE ISRAELI COL. UZIL "UZI" GAL & NAMED AFTER HIM)


A REVOLUTIONARY LOAD/FEED METHOD FROM THE EXPERIENCED,

FABRIC NATIONALE  (FN) OF BELGIUM............

AND THE P90 IS BORN !

HOW DO THEY MANAGE TO REVOLVE THE ROUND SO THAT IT IS FACING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WHEN FIRED ? ? - AMAZING !


THE FRENCH "FAMAS" (BULLPUP) ASSAULT RIFLE.

The only rifle with "bull-pup" action that ever went into service, besides the British SA80 ! -- (3 Slides) 


THE BRITISH SUB-MACHINE GUN (SMG) STORY



VICKERS MEDIUM MACHINE GUN 

Water-Cooled - Tripod Mounted

Caliber .303 inch  -  Belt-Fed  -  Mk 6

(Capable of Indirect Fire) -- 450 to 500 Rds per Min.

Designed in 1912, declared obsolete to the GPMG in 1973.

Still being used today by Ukraine in their War with Russia !

This MG can (Still ! ) put down a blanket of fire.

Intense Multiple Round bursts coming down from above, & NOT horizontally,

over a 300 meter square patch of ground, denying the enemy any advance.

With interlocking arcs it is possible for multiple guns to hold a whole front.

One  Vickers Ammunition belt holds 250 rds - 6 to 10 Rd. Bursts do the Job ! 

ROLE REPLACED BY BREN LMG (ON FIXED LINES) AND LATER, GPMG (ON FIXED LINES)


THE NEW IMPROVED (2000`s)

"CARL GUSTAV"

84mm ANTI-TANK RIFLE

FROM SWEDEN. 1946 - 2023


NAGANT M1985  PISTOL

Russian Military & Civil Revolver.

1895 to date - Obsolete, but still carried by train guards.

Cal. .32 ACP (& others) -- Cylinder carries an unusual 7 rounds !


US 3.5 ROCKET LAUNCHER ("BAZOOKA")

British use in Korea & in many other "Small Wars" since.

Today, relieved by Carl Gustav & RPG -- Don`t forget your Batteries !


MASCHINE- PISTOLE 40  "SCHMEISSER"

9mm Sub-Machine Gun  SMG - Germany.

1885 - 1970"s - (only 85 Yrs ! )


CARBINE 43

A  SEMI - AUTO VERSION OF THE STANDARD GERMAN SERVICE RIFLE (98K)

ORIGINALLY ISSUED TO AIRBORNE TROOPS ONLY

Later discarded as unreliable


THE WALTHER PPK 9mm PISTOL

RENOWNED "CONCEALED CARRY" WEAPON

(..AND NOT ONLY 007 ! )      1929 - 2005


THE 98K "Karabiner" -- THE GERMAN SERVICE RIFLE OF WW2.

(And it remained so, for many years after, as re-arming was forbidden under UN rules long after the war ! )

Relieved today by the Heckler & Koch G36.

Still used by the German Ceremonial Drill Guard on "State" Parades only.


THE US SERVICE RIFLE IN WW2

(Nasty tongues have said -"It`s just about good for rabbits ! ")

THE M1 CARBINE

The M1 carbine (formally the United States Carbine, Caliber .30, M1) is a lightweight semi-automatic carbine that was a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The M1 carbine was produced in several variants and was widely used by paramilitary and police forces around the world.


GERMAN LUGER PISTOL

AND VARIANTS  1904 - 1970


COLT "COMMANDER" MODEL 1911 - .45 ACP - USA


BREDA MODEL 30 - Light Machine Gun (LMG) - Italy.


FIGHTING BAYONET - FOR SLR & SA80 - Great Britain


FG 42 German Paratrooper Automatic Assault Rifle.

(The odd angle of the pistol grip is so that the parachutist can fire whilst still descending ! )


THE KALASHNIKOV

(THE OLD ONE & THE NEW ONE)

A Soviet Assault Rifle -- A Legend & Symbol.

THE MOST WIDELY PRODUCED & DISTRIBUTED SMALL-ARMS WEAPON IN THE WORLD

THE LATEST RUSSIAN ASSAULT RIFLE .

FOR THE RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES.

AK74M

Derived from the original -- AK47

Designed & produced by KALASHNIKOV


THE WEBLEY SERVICE REVOLVER Mk 1 to Mk VI 

NOW RELIEVED BY AUTOMATIC WEAPONS.

(Colt, Browning, Glock).... IN SERVICE FOR OVER A DECADE.


"WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT RUBBISHY RIFLE" ?

AFTER A £100 MILLION REVAMP, THE HATED & UNRELIABLE SA80,

BECOMES SA80A3, TODAY, ONE OF THE WORLD`s MOST LETHAL WEAPONS.

The SA80 was so plagued with problems since the weapon, by the German specialist, Heckler & Koch, was introduced into the British armed forces in 1987 it was given the nickname the “civil servant” of guns.

Now, with most problems solved. improved & updated, it is one of the World`s finest infantry combat rifles.

4 X Pages + 1 X Video


AFTER £100 MILLION REVAMP, THE HATED AND UNRELIABLE SA80,

BECOMES THE SA80A3,

NOW ONE OF THE WORLD`s MOST LETHAL INFANTRY WEAPONS.

A REVAMPED version of the British Army’s rifle has been hailed one of the world’s “most lethal” weapons by military chiefs 20 years after its manufacturers received criticism over its poor performance. - The SA80 was so plagued with problems since the weapon, by Heckler & Koch, was introduced into the British armed forces in 1987 it was given the nickname the “civil servant” of guns. - Two decades ago, the makers upgraded the hand-held assault rifle, yet soldiers still found it was ill equipped to perform in hot and sandy locations, and even jammed on occasion when it was loaded especially in theatre in Iraq and Afghanistan. - The weapon was then given an eye-watering £92 million upgrade, but it still did not do the trick. - In April 2022, however, the Ministry of Defence announced an initial £5.4million would be pumped into the SA80 to make sure troops “have the right equipment at the right time”.


THE LATEST BRITISH ARMY STANDARD SIDEARM,

THE GLOCK 17 - AUTOMATIC PISTOL - 9mm

The Pistol which relieved the ageing L9A1 Browning Hi-Power.

The pistol, originally meant as personal fireman, used to be Pilots, Tankers and Officers only.

Today, used by many Arms in many roles, as an additional personal firearm.


The L9A1 "BROWNING" HI-POWER 9mm Automatic Pistol (as Sidearm.)

with Cleaning-Rod, Lanyard & Webbing-Holster.

Originally from "BROWNING" USA, produced under licence by “FN HERSTAL“ of Belgium

(The author of this website carried this weapon in "Concealed Carry" for 2 Yrs. in N. Ireland)

NOW RETIRED, HAVING BEEN RELIEVED BY THE GLOCK 17  (above) IN 2013



A RARE FIND IN CANADA !

A British Long-Rifle - 1742 Pattern.

Stamped to the 35th Regt. of Foot, 1746 and George  II


 I have completed new studies of some  of our personal weapons, 

Now also posted on : Page 4, "Roussillon Herald" News.

                          & on Page 32, "Weapons, Et Cetera".  (Enlarge for details)                             






The story of a "WILKINSON`s " Sword !


Rifles, Self-Loading 7.62mm L1A1  & Bayonet.

"SLR" or "The Elephant Gun" 


Guns, Sub Machine, 9mm L2A3 & L34A1 & Bayonet.

"Sterling".


Sight Unit Infantry Trilux (SUIT). L2A2.

Aiming Optic for SLR L1A1


Guns, Machine, General Purpose, 7.62mm L7A2.

"GPMG"

with Mounting, Tripod, 7.62mm, MG, L5A1 


 Guns, Machine, Bren, .303in, Mk2 to 6.

"The Bren Gun"

and

Guns, Machine, Light, 7.62mm L4A4 to L4A6.

" The Bren LMG"


Rifles, Infantry, Anti-Tank, 84mm Recoilless Mks 4 - 8.

"Carl Gustav" 

Still in service (2022) today in many Armies, after 72 years ! (Mk 1 issued in Sweden in 1948)


ORDNANCE SBML, TWO INCH (2 in) MORTAR

Introduced in 1937, this weapon performed in WW2 & many other conflicts.

In WW2 it became a formidable weapon firing HE at Section level.

Post war, the two-inch mortar was kept in service to fire smoke and illuminating rounds only.

It remained in service until the late 1980s when it was replaced by the L9A1 51 mm light mortar.

A total of 53 years in service.  Mk 1 to Mk VIII. - It is still produced today, (2020) under Licence, in India,

I was still taught & fired the weapon in 1964, as it was still part of Section Tactics, over 27 Years later !.

The pic shows Bob Looker & Les Deacon (ex-Junior Leaders)

on Continuation-Training with the Regiment in Malta -1964


Weaponsight, Individual, Image intentsified (IWS) L1A1.

"The Starlight Scope" or "Green Eye"


Launcher, Rocket, RCL, 3.5 inch M20 “Bazooka”

(The "bat" was still taught this weapon on continuation-training in 1964 !)


A mixed photographic study,

of some of the weapons & ordnance that we used,

if we served in the British Army during the 50` s/ 60` s or 70` s.

(I remember firing the last of Lee Enfield`s  Mk 3`s at Langney Ranges, Pevensey Bay, Eastbourne in 1963, and the last of the "Mess Webley" ammo in Malta in 1964, -- (.45 & .38 in cartridge)

HERE IS A HUGE ARRAY OF WEAPONS WHICH WE HAVE KNOWN, LEARNT & USED OVER THE YEARS, MOST OF WHICH, ARE NOW ONLY HISTORY.

A surreal  after thought,.... I remember Joe Azzopardi, would talk intensively, (out loud) to his rifle, in sooth tones like a brother & comrade, whilst on the range. -- He survived a multiple number of enemy attacks whilst serving in Aden & NI.



The Riot Guns - 1960`` s/70`` s & 80` s - firing CS Gas & Rubber Bullets for crowd control.