The M1919 Browning is a .30 caliber medium machine gun widely used during the 20th century, especially during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. An air-cooled development of the standard US machine gun of World War I, the John M. Browning-designed M1917, the M1919 saw service as a light infantry, coaxial, mounted, aircraft, and anti-aircraft machine gun by the U.S. and many other countries. Although it began to be superseded by newer designs, such as the M60, in the latter half of the century, it remained in use in many North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries and elsewhere for much longer. The M1919 was manufactured during World War II by three different companies in the United States; Buffalo Arms Corporation, Rock Island Arsenal, and the Saginaw Steering Gear division of General Motors. In the UK, production was chiefly by BSA. Originally unit priced at $667 each, mass production lowered the price to $141.44.
The SIG MPX is a gas-operated submachine gun designed and manufactured by SIG Sauer and is primarily chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. It is gas-operated firearm, featuring a closed, rotating bolt. These design features, rare in submachine guns, were chosen to enhance the safety of the user and to have a more reliable firearm. It was designed in 2013 and was released to the general public in 2015. It features the SIG Sauer short stroke push-rod gas system to reduce the recoil and improve the reliability of the weapon. The MPX, in its second generation, features a system that would allow for conversion from 9mm to .357 SIG or .40 S&W. SIG Sauer also used the same gas piston system to develop the SIG MCX carbine.
The STEN (or Sten gun) was a family of British submachine guns chambered in 9×19mm and used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War. They had a simple design and very low production cost, so they were also effective insurgency weapons for resistance groups. The Sten is a blowback-operated submachine gun firing from an open bolt with a fixed firing pin on the face of the bolt. This means the bolt remains to the rear when the weapon is cocked, and on pulling the trigger the bolt moves forward under spring pressure, stripping the round from the magazine, chambering it and firing the weapon all in the same movement. There is no breech locking mechanism, the rearward movement of the bolt caused by the recoil impulse is arrested only by the mainspring and the bolt’s inertia. The basic operating principles were like those of the German MP40, Russian PPSh-41, US M3 submachine gun and numerous other designs. These shared similar attributes and faults; they were simple and cheap to manufacture, and put an automatic weapon into the hands of soldiers, greatly increasing the short-range firepower of the infantry, especially when the main infantry weapon was a bolt-action rifle capable of only around 15 rounds per minute and not suited for short-range combat.
However, the open-bolt firing mechanism, short barrel, and use of pistol ammunition severely restricted accuracy, with an effective range of around 100m. Introduced in 1944, the Mk V was essentially a better-quality, more elaborate version of the Mk 2. Changes included a wooden pistol grip, a vertical wooden fore grip, a wooden stock, and a bayonet mount. There was a No4 Lee–Enfield foresight and the weapon was of better-quality manufacture and finish than the Mk2 and Mk3.
The APC series was designed in the 2000s, as a modern submachine gun that would be cheaper to produce than the intermediate cartridge assault carbines that were seeing an increase in military usage during this period. The APC uses a straight blowback gas system, however the addition of a proprietary hydraulic buffer system in the receiver back plate helps dampen recoil. In 2019 B&T was awarded a contract from the US Army which included an order for up to 1000 units.
When originally designed, the M1 carbine was intended to have only selective-fire capabilities. When actual production on the gun began, the decision was made to not include that feature. Full automatic fire capabilities were included in the design of the M2 carbine, an upgraded selective-fire version of the M1 released in 1944. The M2 included improvements to the rear sight, the addition of a bayonet lug and other improvements off of the M1 design. This is a late WWII M1 Carbine as manufactured by Winchester that was subsequently converted to the fully automatic M2 configuration. The upgrade was considered a success, however, there were tradeoffs. The M2 included a heavier 30-round magazine which put greater strain on the magazine catch. This necessitated the development of a studier catch. This further required a modification on the slide, sear and stock. When engaged in full automatic fire, the T4 model could shoot off 750 rounds a minute while generating a manageable recoil. While many carbines were manufactured as M2s the only real difference between the M1 and M2s was the fire control group they belonged to. The military issued soldiers field conversion kits (T17 and T18) to easily convert M1s into serviceable M2s. History looks back upon the M2 carbine as an anomaly of sorts. Historians to this day debate and struggle as to how best categorize the M2 carbine. More powerful than a submachine gun, it can be considered an assault rifle.
