Army Surplus.

Lee-Enfeild No 4's are still issued to Canadian Rangers and to Canadian regular forces when operating in the Arctic.

As well Inglis High Powers are the standard issued sidearm still for the Canadian armed forces.

 

I think Service is more interesting, surely the 1911 still crops up in a regular army somewhere?

The M1911 pistol is standard issue for the Marine Expeditionary Force, the USMC contribution to the Special Operations Command.

"This has got me thinking about the longevity of some ww2 weapons systems, has anyone got any other examples of exceptional survivors (of any kind of weapon or equipment) fighting on long after their theoretical obsolescence?"

The oldest serving weapon in the U.S. forces is the Browning .50 caliber machine gun, introduced in (I think) 1921. A slight modification led to the M1921A1. Another change in the 1930s brought the designation M2, which is still in use.


It is interesting to note that German troops faced Browning-designed pistols on many of the countries they overran during the war.

Belgium, Latvia, Lithuania - All were arming with the FN High-Power.

Russia - TT-30/33 - A 1911 with a Russian accent.

Poland - The VIS 35 Radom is a 1911 with a cam instead of a swinging link, among a few differences.

France - The M35 took the 1911 as starting point.

Netherland, Yugoslavia - FN Browning M1910/22.

JT

 

Just watcing 'Aliens' and I see the MG42 serves on until at least 2179 in 'Smartgun' form.


would have been better off with a real MG42.

 

A few years back '02-'03 while on duty at Simmons Crash Station we saw a two tone brown Gooney Bird take off. It had no markings on it and was powered by TUBRO-PROP ENGINES! It's the only time we ever saw that aircraft. We speculated that it might be a Delta Force bird because of the total lack of any markings and the modifications.

 

Simple;
fist,
stick,
lump of rock,
More modern...
knapped flint, (a good 10 thousand years there!)
Blades
Bow and arrow
Throwing stick
Boomerang

I'd think the tally of deaths to all of these 'simple' systems would add up to a rather large number!

In service since we stopped being monkeys and still going strong today!

 

I believe that this essential headgear has been in use since 1815

 

I believe that the new zealand army has still? a GMC 1940's medium tow truck,

 

Some Kit from Iraq

Triple A that looks rather dated???




WW2 Mortar?


MG42 on the Danish Vehicle 2nd from the left


There was a fair few of these floating around all over the place too. Russain Nagant Rifle ?

 

The Colt 1911 is in fact still being used regularlyby US Special Forces (and I think there are some in Marine hands as well). Anyone who can gets hold of one in preference to the 9mm. Continued failure of 9mm in Afghanistan and Iraq as a "manstopper" is leading the US to seriously consider going back to a bigger bullet. It may be a .45 or it may be a .40, but change is coming, and the 1911 will soldier on for many more years somewhere in the world. Doc

I think they mainly use Barreta 92 Tac Masters now

 

You've got me thinking now......

So the British Army still use the Browning 9mm Pistol which I think dates back to WW2.

When I was in the Army Cadets *cough* back in the 80's we used Lee Enfield .303 rifles and Bren Guns.

At the same time the British Army used LMG's a variant of the Bren Gun and Snipers used a variant of the Lee Enfield .303.

Browning Pistol


L4A4 Bren variant


L42A1 7.62mm Sniper Rifle

 

Just looked at this thread and surprised no-one has mentioned the Vickers gun that was found during the weapons amnesty in Kosovo c.1999-2000, I believe by one of the UK para units. On checking the serial numbers, it was found to have been dropped to Tito's partisans during WW2, which had later found its way into a Yugoslavian Army armoury. Wish I could put my hand on the relevant press cutting but cannot right now...but am 95% sure of this from memory, and that it is was acquired in due course for the Para Regt museum ?

In a similar vein, while looking in my Yugo war press cutting files for this, I did find a short item from the 'Daily Telegraph', 5 May 2000, reporting that mounted patrols of Royal Scots Dragoon Guards were being used in Kosovo, around Podujevo, as the terrain was impassable to vehicles. It was not recorded whether the RSDG locally procured nags were grey, as would have been historically appropriate

 

Chadian parade, c.1970:



Wow! They're doing it "à la russe", white sidewalls and all !!!

 

I think just about any M2 .50 Cal has been around since WW2. The one we had in my National Guard Unit was a 1943 Vintage "Auto Lite" manufacture.

I don't think anyone has made one since the 70's at least not a .50 Browning

 

lets not forget that the M60 was a american redesign of the mp42!

They look similar but the guts (operating system) are all different. I think the only things that were copied/ rededisigned were the stock and trigger group. The barrel attachment is even different.

Brad

 

The M60 is an amalgam of several designs, but mainly a rework of the German MG45 which was in the development stage when the war ended.

Regards
TonyE