1. M1 Garand. One of the most recognisable World War II weaponry and a representation of American military might is the M1 Garand. Its unique design, dependability, and firepower made it a soldier favourite and a critical part of many of the war's most significant US military triumphs.
The M1 Garand was the first standard-issue semi-automatic rifle, and General George S. Patton called it “the greatest battle implement ever devised”. In 1936, the Garand officially replaced the M1903 Springfield, becoming the standard service rifle of the United States Armed Forces.
The V1 flying bomb was one of the most fear-inducing terror weapons of the Second World War. Thousands were killed and wounded by its warhead, but alongside those civilians are the forgotten victims of the V1 the people who made them.
The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) was the main battle rifle of the Australian Army for the First and Second World War and also the Korean War. The Royal Australian Navy and Air Force also used the rifle. Australian forces used both Australian made SMLE and British manufactured rifles.
The German Luger is, most likely, the most famous pistol in modern warfare. Almost every World War II movie ever made featuring German armed forces seems to show it as an integral part of its action sequences. It also played a prominent role in World War I and was carried by the armed forces of many nations.
The Mosin Nagant, Short Magazine Lee Enfield, the Kar98, and the M1 Garand are the three main rifles of World War II and all are highly collectible. The M1911 pistol, the Russian Nagant revolver, and the Walther P08 are the three main handguns that are associated with the war and are rarer than the rifles.
SR98. The Australian Army sniper is issued the SR98, with Folding Butt, which provides snipers with the capability to engage targets beyond 800 metres.
Assault rifles and carbines
The Enhanced F88 (EF88) Austeyr is the ADF's standard individual weapon.
Soldiers are armed with a variety of weapons systems depending on what the mission dictates. These include the M4A1 carbine (designated as the M4A5 in Australia), which is used as their primary weapon. The shortened version of the M4, known as the Mk 18 CQBR, is also used.
Chemical Weapons & Poisonous Gas
This brutal war led to the rise and eventually banning of chemical weapons used in warfare. In a post-WWI environment, the banned chemical weapons include five different types. We wisely banned blood agents, blister agents, choking agents, nettle agents, and nerve agents.
The Windkanone
Of the numerous Nazi Wunderwaffen (wonder weapons) developed during World War II, the Windkanone, or Wind Cannon, was one of the least successful. Rather than launching flak or other projectiles at enemy aircraft, this strange cannon was designed to disrupt low-flying enemies with a blast of air.
The 88 earned its reputation as the best overall gun of the war. It was justifiably feared by Allied airmen, tankers, and foot soldiers because of its accuracy, lethality, and versatility. The weapon was deployed on German tanks, as an antitank gun, an assault gun, and for antiaircraft purposes.
M1 Garand rifle
Named for its Canadian-born designer John Garand, the weapon was the first standard-issue semi-automatic military rifle; replacing the bolt-action M1903 Springfield rifle. The . 30 caliber gas-operated rifle weighs around 9.5 pounds and is just over a metre long.
> Lethality index score: 48,550,000
The atomic bomb nicknamed “Fat Man” brought Armageddon to Nagasaki, Japan, at the end of World War II.
Reliable and extremely accurate, the SMLE is regarded by most authorities as the finest rifle of the First World War. The 7.92mm Gewehr '98 introduced into service with the Imperial German Army on 5 April 1898 was designed by Paul Mauser and was the standard infantry weapon in the First World War.
Australia has its own version of the US Navy Top Gun school, known as the Air Warfare Instructor Course, of which Wing Commander Parker is a graduate. It runs every two years, training crews in advanced tactical flying, developing them as Air Force's foremost experts in combat training at front-line squadrons.
Fairfax Media understands that in order to own an AK-47 in Australia, a purchaser must have a collectors' license and the assault rifle be deemed inoperable. The rifle must also then be kept in a registered storage area that's been approved to house automatic weapons.
The Owen gun, known officially as the Owen machine carbine, was an Australian submachine gun designed by Evelyn Owen in 1938. The Owen was the only entirely Australian-designed and constructed service submachine gun of World War II and was used by the Australian Army from 1942 until 1971.
Nearly all United States-allied forces were armed with U.S. weapons including the M1 Garand, M1 carbine, M14 and M16. The Australian and New Zealand forces employed the 7.62 mm L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle as their service rifle, with the occasional US M16.
Thales Australia is the largest supplier of explosive ordnance to the Australian Defence Force. The company's Benalla facility in conjunction with Mulwala produces a wide range of ammunition, explosive ordnance and other munitions.
The FP-45 was a crude, single-shot pistol designed to be cheaply and quickly mass-produced. It had just 23 largely stamped and turned steel parts that were cheap and easy to manufacture. It fired the . 45 ACP pistol cartridge from an unrifled barrel.
Most of your World War II fighting knives are going to be in the $150 to $200 range.
Because airmen faced the constant danger of being shot down over enemy lines, our bomber crews needed a rugged, reliable weapon that could fit into their flight gear. No sidearm was more dependable than the Colt® Government Model® . 45 Pistol, the most powerful military pistol in service during the war.