WW2 Guns Still Being Used Today

They may be old, outdated, and gathering dust, but World War Two weapons are still lethal bits of military tech that should not be taken lightly. Even now, among the arsenals of modern armies and police forces, these tried and tested instruments of death can still be found doing their job like it was 1945 all over again.

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Credit:
Simple History Creator: Daniel Turner (B.A. (Hons) in History, University College London)
Video Directors: Lav Velimirovic, Ognjen Jovic
Script: Robert de Graaf
Script Review: Peter Turner
Artists: Fiona Phan, Selma Belegic
Animators: Nancy Bhalla, Krishna, Guillermo G. Caasi. Jr, Ravina Bheda, Rommel Ponferrada
Editor: Artem Dobrohodov, James Dowse
Thumbnails: Fiona Phan
Senior Production Manager: Umar Ijaz
Simple History Channel Manager: James Dowse

[PaperiLiidokki]

If it can shoot straight and you can hit the target, it's good

[jake]

If a gun that was made in 1943, is well maintained, has ammo, and a trained person wielding it, then it is as deadly as a firearm made in 2023.

[inductivegrunt]

The M2 Browning .50 cal will probably outlive us all. It's kinda hard to replace a .50 BMG heavy machine gun that isn't just the "Ma Duece" that looks different but functions the same.

It's already 100 years old, and most likely will live 100 years more. That's the legacy the HMG has, and is still carrying to this day.

[BeansMcGriddle]

John Browning. The patron saint of firearms

[dragod]

M2 will probably be on space ships 100 years from now

[MayumiC-chan]

My husband told me while his service with the SANDF in South Africa they ran into insurgents and criminals who had STG-44 even took a picture of his Lieutenant holding a captured one.
My husband’s bring back was a weird looking Cetme with an Ak style rear sight

[casiplejeremyandrewh.]

M2 Browning Is the only weapon created on max status that didn't need further upgrades.

[SwordsMaster.]

All goes down to one principle: The human body never gets more resistant to bullets.

[funnymisterm]

You know what they say! "Old reliable!"

[RedTeam_Medic]

The Maxim is the oldest gun used by a military force, and the first automatic machine gun, dating back to 1884, even older than the Mosin Nagant from 1891

[MKV]

You forgot some of the oldest weapons still in use. The Maxim machine gun and the Mosin-Nagants. Multiple nations still use them, and they are quite a bit older than most of the ones mentioned.

[victorsvensson]

Another worthy mention is the bofors 40mm, a popular anti-aircraft gun used by both sides in WW2. It was fitted on ships, towed trailers and self-propelled AA, still in use today although with many upgrades made over the years, even rebuilt for anti-tank purposes

[JoseOrtiz-fpbc]

Dad said they had a Grease Gun in their armory, this was 1970 Vietnam...

[jareddrinkwater]

Actually, the M1 Garand was the inspiration for the AK. AK may look externally more like the STG but internally it is a lot like the M1 grand.

[HankScorpio]

Fun fact about the MG3. Some of them actually used MG42 receivers and if you know where to look you can find waffenamts on them. They are however very hard to see cause the West German Army made it a habit to get rid of anything having to do with the pervious gov't shall we say. To find them you got to totally dismantle it an armory level though.

[nicholasalexander]

My Lee Enfield from 1916 still shoots straight as an arrow, the only issue I have is finding ammo for it. These guns are still out here looking for the enemy

[niravramdarie]

Mikhail kalashnikov said in his own memoirs that he drew inspiration from the m1 garand, the stg44 had nothing to do with it.

[leonardomafrareina]

I'm glad to listen about the Madsens in use here in Brazil. Happy 4th of July, everyone.

[quinnhackett]

according to mikhail kalashnikov, the ak was based more on the m1 garand than the stg but it's still the first assault rifle

[chrislaurent]

if a weapon can still fight, it will fight once more