Top 10 Firearms That Changed History
These guns are the most famous firearms in history. From the Heckler & Koch MP5, to the Gatling Gun, to the Colt Single Action Army, these are the gun shots heard around the world. Watchmojo counts down ten firearms that changed history.
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Top 10 Firearms That Changed History
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These guns fired shots heard round the world. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 guns that changed the world. For this list, we’re examining guns whose creation and use has played important roles in changing warfare and shaping history. We’ve already done a list on military weapons that changed the game, but this time we’ll be focusing strictly on firearms.
#10: Heckler & Koch MP5
While it was tempting to include the MP 18, the first submachine gun to really see combat, ultimately we had to go with the weapon that arguably perfected them – the Heckler and Koch MP5. Originating in West Germany, the MP5 and its variants have since become popular the world over, being particularly popular with military special forces units, as well as police units like SWAT, due to their ease of use and effectiveness in close range combat. As the gun fires 9mm rounds, the pistol caliber also decreases the likelihood that the user will overshoot their target, reducing the possibility of unintended casualties.
#9: M1911 Pistol
Appropriately invented in 1911 by John Browning, the M1911 is a very influential pistol. Its basic design, incorporating short recoil, became the standard for pistols, with many other makers replicating its form. Originally built by Colt, the M1911 was the standard issue sidearm for the United States military for nearly a century, seeing use everywhere from both World Wars, all the way up to recent conflicts in the Middle East. In spite of its reliability paling in comparison to modern pistols, the 1911 has stood the test of time. A symbol of American firearms, it’s still in use by some US Military units and law enforcement, and high-priced custom models have become collectors items.
#8: Gatling Gun M
The Gatling gun is renowned for being one of the first continuous fire projectile weapons. By turning a crank, its wielders could fire round after round without needing to reload. Its power and rate of fire made it incredibly deadly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it saw use in conflicts like the American Civil War. But here’s an ironic fact: the Gatling gun’s creator, Dr. Richard Gatling, actually created the weapon with the express purpose of reducing the number of soldiers needed to fire guns and, theoretically, the number of casualties. By replacing the manual crank with a motor, the same basic concept was used to create modern versions such as the M134 Minigun, or the 20mm M61 Vulcan.
#7: M2 Machine Gun
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Also known as the Browning .50 Caliber Machine Gun, these heavy machine guns – and their ammunition, the .50 BMG round – are to this day a devastating force on the battlefield. M2 Brownings are usually mounted on vehicles, allowing their users to remain mobile, while also tearing through infantry and most vehicles in their path. It’s this deadly, easily transportable effectiveness that’s made the M2 Browning the longest produced machine gun in the world. It has the second longest service record in the US Military, surpassed only by the M1911 pistol. Because of this, the M2 Browning has seen use in most major conflicts since WWII, ensuring its impact on history.
#6: Colt Single Action Army
Whether you know it as the Colt .45 or the Peacemaker instead, it’s hard not to appreciate the impact of the Single Action Army. True to its name, this revolver began as the standard issue service sidearm for the U.S. military during the late 19th century. However, it’s rugged functionality and power made it particularly appealing as Americans began moving West, to point where the SAA is also called “the gun that won the West.” Given the popularity of Western movies and TV shows, these weapons are still being manufactured today and have become an iconic part of American culture.
#5: Dreyse Needle Gun
Known in its native tongue as the Zündnadelgewehr, or ignition needle rifle, the Dreyse needle-gun was the first breech-loading rifle to utilize a bolt action firing mechanism. When the needle-gun was first created, most guns were still loaded via the muzzle. Breech-loading, or loading from the rear, combined with the revolutionary bolt action, allowed for a rate of fire up to 12 rounds a minute. While paltry by today’s standards, this was roughly four times faster than muzzle-loading weapons. First employed by the Prussian army, the rifle was used to extraordinary effect on the battlefield. The bolt-action design has been modified over the years, and is still seen in precision rifles.
#4: Maxim Gun
Named after its creator Hiram Stevens Maxim, the Maxim gun was the first true fully automatic machine gun. Unlike the earlier Gatling gun, the Maxim gun reloaded itself and ejected spent cartridges using the energy from the gun’s recoil, a principal that had great influence on the machine guns that followed it. Despite usually requiring a team to operate it, Maxim’s invention became popular worldwide soon after its invention, enjoying particular popularity in Russia and the United States. The Maxim gun was also a cornerstone of British colonial conquest, with the Brits often only needing to demonstrate the gun in use to scare off attackers.
#3: M16 Rifle
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Chances are the M16 is the gun most people associate with the U.S. military and for good reason, as it’s been in service for the last forty years; seeing combat in Vietnam and every war America has been embroiled in throughout the Middle East. Originally, the M16 was the US military’s adaptation of Eugene Stoner’s Armalite AR-15, and alternate variants and adaptations of that platform have been adopted by militaries globally. The M16 may be the first assault rifle on our list, but it won’t be our last.
#2: AK-47>
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This weapon, whose initials stand for Avtomat Kalashnikova, after its inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov, very nearly made the top spot. Widely regarded as one of the most popular guns in history, the Kalashnikov and all the variants developed over the years account for nearly one in every five firearms globally, according to some estimates. It’s cheaper than its American counterpart, the M16, easy to manufacture, reliable, and very durable, all of which has made it highly desirable in nearly every country, particularly with members of the Warsaw Pact. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle - Glock 17 - Henry Repeating Rifle
#1: StG 44
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The AK-47 and M16 may be the more popular assault rifles, but the Sturmgewehr 44 was the original, or at least the namesake, of the weapon class. Invented by Nazi Germany during World War II, the Sturmgewehr or “assault rifle” 44 revolutionized combat with the use of an intermediate caliber cartridge, which allowed soldiers the ability to fire fully automatic and still engage targets effectively at range. This idea later became the inspiration for both the AK-47 and the M-16. While there’s some room for debate, most gun experts hail the StG-44 as the first assault rifle. With its impact on firearms, and therefore history at large, we couldn’t help but choose the STG-44 as our number one.
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