Equipment

Weapons and Equipment

The Tools of the Trade

Weapons systems are the main tools used to protect USAF resources. We have used many different types of weapons in our history.

Also important was the different types of equipment we have used throughout the history of the career field.

Weapons

M1 Carbine

he M1 carbine is a lightweight, easy-to-use, semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the In selective-fire versions capable of fully automatic firing, the carbine is designated the M2 carbine. The M3 carbine was an M2 with an active infrared scope system. Unlike conventional carbines, which are generally a version of a parent rifle with a shorter barrel (like the earlier .30-40 U.S. Krag rifle and carbine and the later M16 rifle and M4 carbine), the M1 carbine has only one minor part in common with the M1 rifle, a short buttplate screw, and fires a different cartridge.Korean War and the Vietnam War, and was produced in several variants.

In selective-fire versions capable of fully automatic firing, the carbine is designated the M2 carbine. The M3 carbine was an M2 with an active infrared scope system. The M1 carbine has only one minor part in common with the M1 rifle, a short buttplate screw, and fires a different cartridge.

Remington 870 Shotgun

The Remington Model 870 is a pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, LLC. It is widely used by the public for sport shooting, hunting, and self-defense. It is also commonly used by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide.

The 870 features a bottom-loading, side ejecting receiver, tubular magazine under the barrel, dual action bars, internal hammer, and a bolt which locks into an extension in the barrel. The action, receiver, trigger system, safety catch and slide release catch of the Remington Model 870 shotgun are similar to those used on the Remington Model 7600 series pump-action centerfire rifles and carbines.

Smith & Wesson K-38 Combat Masterpiece

The Smith & Wesson K-38 Combat Masterpiece, Revolver Model 15 is a six-shot double action revolver, with adjustable open sights, built on the medium-size "K" frame.

Originally known as the K-38 Combat Masterpiece, it was renamed the Model 15 for the military version in 1957 when all Smith & Wesson revolvers were given numerical model numbers. It is a shorter barrel version of the Smith & Wesson Model 14. It was in service from the early 1950's until it was replaced by the 9MM Beretta semi automatic in the early 1990s.

Beretta M9

The Beretta M9, officially the Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is a 9×19mm Parabellum pistol adopted by the United States Armed Forces in 1985. It is essentially a military specification Beretta 92F, later known as the 92FS.

The M9 won a competition in the 1980s to replace the .38 as the primary sidearm of the U.S.A.F. beating many other contenders, and only narrowly defeating the SIG P226 for cost reasons. It officially entered service in 1990.

M16 Rifle

The M16 rifle, officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16, is the United States military select-fire adaptation of the AR-15 rifle. The rifle was adapted for semi-automatic and full-automatic fire.[The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. The rifle entered United States Army service and was deployed for jungle warfare operations in South Vietnam in 1963, becoming the U.S. military's standard service rifle of the Vietnam War by 1969.

With the adoption of the M16A2 by the air force in the early 1990's, the M16 rifle was modified for three-round bursts, with some later variants having all modes of fire.

M4 Carbine

The M4 carbine is a family of firearms that was derived from earlier versions of the M16 rifle. The M4 is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle. It is a gas-operated, magazine-fed, selective fire, shoulder-fired weapon with a telescoping stock and 14.5 in (370 mm) barrel to ease close quarters combat. Like the rest of the M16 family, it fires the .223 caliber, or 5.56 mm NATO round.

The M4 has selective fire options including semi-automatic and three-round burst (like the M16A2 and M16A4), while the M4A1 has the capability to fire fully automatic instead of three-round burst (like the M16A1 and M16A3).

M79 Grenade Launcher

The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40x46mm grenade which uses what the US Army calls the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vietnam War.
Because of its distinctive report, it has earned the nicknames of "Thumper", "Thump-Gun", "Bloop Tube", and "Blooper" among American soldiers. The M79 can fire a wide variety of 40 mm rounds, including explosive, anti-personnel, smoke, buckshot, flechette, and illumination. While largely replaced by the M203, the M79 has remained in service in many units worldwide in niche roles.

M-203 Grenade Launcher

The M203 is a single shot 40 mm under-slung grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low.

The rifle magazine functions as a hand grip when firing the M203. A separate sighting system is added to rifles fitted with the M203, as the rifle's standard sights are not matched to the launcher.

The M-203 was introduced to U.S. military forces during the early 1970s, replacing the older M79 grenade launcher and the conceptually similar Colt XM148 design. However, while the M79 was a stand-alone weapon (and usually the primary weapon of troops who carried it), the M203 was designed as an under-barrel device attached to an existing rifle.

Because the size and weight of 40 mm ammunition limits the quantities that can be carried on patrol, and because a grenade is often not an appropriate weapon for a given engagement (i.e. when the target is at close range or near friendly troops), an under-barrel system has the advantage of allowing its user to also carry a rifle, and to easily switch between the two.

M-249 Light Machine Gun

The M249 light machine gun, or M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), is gas operated air-cooled, and can be magazine or belt fed. It utilizes the 5.56MM round like the M-4 carbine and can use the same magazines if needed.

The weapon was introduced in 1984 after being judged the most effective of a number of candidate weapons to address the lack of automatic firepower in small units. The M249 provides infantry squads with the heavy volume of fire of a machine gun combined with accuracy and portability approaching that of a rifle.

It has a quick-change barrel, allowing the gunner to rapidly replace an overheated or jammed barrel. A folding bipod is attached near the front of the gun, though an M192 LGM tripod is also available. It can be fed from both linked ammunition and STANAG magazines, like those used in the M16 and M4. This allows the SAW gunner to use rifleman's magazines as an emergency source of ammunition in the event that he runs out of linked rounds.

M-60 Machine Gun

The M60 is a belt-fed machine gun that fires the 7.62 mm NATO cartridge (.308 Winchester) commonly used in larger rifles. It is generally used as a crew-served weapon and operated by a team of two or three individuals. The team consists of the gunner, the assistant gunner (AG in military slang), and the ammunition bearer. The gun's weight and the amount of ammunition it can consume when fired make it difficult for a single soldier to carry and operate. The gunner carries the weapon and, depending on his strength and stamina, anywhere from 200 to 1000 rounds of ammunition. The assistant carries a spare barrel and extra ammunition, and reloads and spots targets for the gunner. The ammunition bearer carries additional ammunition and the tripod with associated traversing and elevation mechanism, if issued, and fetches more ammunition as needed during firing.

M2 Browning .50 Caliber Machine Gun

The M2 Machine Gun or Browning .50 Caliber Machine Gun is a heavy machine gun designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. It is very similar in design to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, which was chambered for the .30-06 cartridge. The M2 uses the much larger and much more powerful .50 BMG cartridge, which was developed alongside and takes its name from the gun itself (BMG standing for Browning Machine Gun). The M2 has been referred to as "Ma Deuce",[5] as a GI phonetic slang or "the fifty" in reference to its caliber. The design has had many specific designations; the official designation for the current infantry type is Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, HB, Flexible. It is effective against infantry, unarmored or lightly armored vehicles and boats, light fortifications and low-flying aircraft. The M2 machine gun has been in production longer than any other machine gun.

The Browning .50 caliber machine gun has been used extensively as a vehicle weapon and for aircraft armament by the United States from the 1930s to the present. It was heavily used during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Falklands War, and during the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan in the 2000s and 2010s. It is the primary heavy machine gun of NATO countries, and has been used by many other countries.

The M2 has been in use longer than any other small arm in U.S. inventory except the .45 ACP M1911 pistol, also designed by John Browning.

MK -19 Grenade Launcher

The Mk 19 is a belt fed, blowback operated, air cooled, crew served, fully automatic weapon. It fires 40mm grenades at a cyclic rate of 325 to 375 rounds per minute, giving a practical rate of fire of 60 rounds per minute (rapid) and 40 rounds per minute (sustained).

he Mk 19's maximum range is 2,212 meters, with an effective range to a point target of 1,500 meters. The Mk 19A man-portable crew-served weapon that can fire from a tripod mounted position or from a vehicle mount.

M72 LAW

The M72 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon, also referred to as the Light Anti-Armor Weapon is a portable one-shot 66 mm unguided anti-tank weapon, It was adopted by the U.S. Air Force to serve in an anti-emplacement/anti-armor role in Air Base Defense duties.

M67 Recoilless Rifle

The M67 recoilless rifle was a 90-mm antitank recoilless rifle used by the US forces primarily in Vienam. It could also be employed in an antipersonnel role with the use of the M590 antipersonnel round. It was designed to be fired primarily from the ground using the bipod and monopod, but it could also be fired from the shoulder using the folded bipod as a shoulder rest and the monopod as a front grip.

The weapon required a crew of three to operate it; a gunner, assistant gunner (loader) and ammo bearer. The breech is hinged on the right side, and had to be swung open to load the round. It was then swung closed and when the rifle was fired, the rear end of the shell case broke up and was blown out of the back of the breech block. On the left side of the barrel, near the sight and trigger assemblies, was an asbestos heat shield to protect the gunner's shoulder and neck from the heat of the barrel when firing.

It was capable of maintaining a sustained fire rate of 1 round per minute, but the weapon could also be rapid fired at an increased rate of 1 round every 6 seconds (10 rpm) by a well trained crew. The rapid firing was limited to 5 rounds, with a mandatory 15 minute cool-off period afterward.

Ammunition for the 90 mm rifle was issued in complete fixed cartridges. The term "fixed" means that the projectile and the cartridge case are crimped together. This ensures correct alignment of the projectile and the cartridge case. It also permits faster loading because the projectile and the cartridge case are loaded as one unit. The rear end of the cartridge case is made of frangible material that is completely destroyed when fired. The projectiles used are pre-engraved with a rifling band, that is, the rotating bands are cut to engage the rifled bore both to trap gases and to spin-stabilize the projectile.

The M371A1 round utilizes a special fin-stabilized projectile which employs the shaped charge principle to defeat armor. It does not depend upon velocity at the moment of impact for its effect. It relies upon a concentration of the effect of the explosive filler through its shape. The conical shape of the filler concentrates the force of the explosion into a hot jet that blows its way through the armor. The shape of the filler is maintained by a metal cone which forms a slug when the filler is exploded. This slug or metal may or may not follow the explosive jet through the armor. The end of the projectile is a long and narrow stand-off of a length that allows the HEAT jet to achieve maximum effect against the target.

The HEAT round is used primarily against armor. It can also be used against secondary targets such as gun emplacements and pillboxes with excellent results. It is capable of penetrating 3.5 ft (1.1 m) of packed soil, 2.5 ft (0.8 m) of reinforced concrete, or 1.15 ft (350mm) of armor plate (steel).

The Antipersonnel (Canister) Cartridge M590 (XM590E1) or M590 cartridge is a flechette round designed for close-in defense against massed attacks on personnel positions. The cartridge consists of an aluminum cartridge case crimped to an aluminum canister. The canister consists of a thin-walled, deep-drawn, scored aluminum body which contains a payload of 2400 eight-grain (0.5 g), low-drag, fin-stabilized, steel-wire flechettes. The sides are scored to facilitate splitting when the round is fired.
When the projectile leaves the muzzle, the pressure ruptures the canister along the score marks to release the flechettes which disperse in a cone angle of approximately 8 degrees.

Air Police Jeep with Recoilless rifle

Contents of an anti personnel canister used in th M-67

Mk-20 Grenade Launcher

The Mk 20 Mod 0 was a 40mm automatic grenade launcher manufactured by NOS Louisville and was mainly used by the US Navy during the Vietnam War. The Mk 20 was a blow-forward operated weapon that fired either single shots or full automatic. Cyclic rate was about 250 to 275 rounds/minute.

M29 81 MM Mortar

The M-29 81mm Mortar, is a smooth-bore, muzzle-loaded, high-angle, indirect fire weapon. It consists of a barrel, sight, bipod, and base plate. The weapon was usually serviced by a crew of five. The normal crew consisted of a squad leader, a gunner, an assistant gunner and two ammunition handlers.

The maximum rate of fire is 30 rounds for the first minute followed by 4 to 12 rounds per additional minute. The range is 5,140 yards.

Ammunition types include high explosive (HE), Red Phosphorus (RP), White Phosphorus, (WP) Smoke. Used to screen, signal, and act as an incendiary. Illumination: Used to illuminate, signal, and mark.

FIM-92 Stinger

The FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile (SAM), which can be adapted to fire from ground vehicles or helicopters (as an AAM), developed in the United States and entered into service in 1981.

Light to carry and easy to operate, the FIM-92 Stinger is a passive surface-to-air missile, that can be shoulder-fired by a single operator (although standard military procedure calls for two operators, spotter and gunner). The missile is capable of being deployed from a Humvee Stinger rack, and can be used by airborne troops.

M18A1 Claymore Mine

The M18A1 Claymore is a directional anti-personnel mine used by the U.S. military. Unlike a conventional land mine, the Claymore is command-detonated and directional, meaning it is fired by remote-control and shoots a pattern of metal balls into the kill zone like a shotgun.

The Claymore fires steel balls, out to about 100 m (110 yd) within a 60° arc in front of the device. It is used primarily in ambushes and as an anti-infiltration device against enemy infantry. It is also used against unarmored vehicles.

IIts inventor, Norman MacLeod, named the mine after a large Scottish medieval sword.

XM174 Grenade Launcher

he XM174 is a mounted automatic 40mm grenade launcher heavily based on the M1919A4 machine gun and the M79 grenade launcher but fed from an ammo can. It was used in the Vietnam War as a tripod mounted crew-served weapon and as a weapon mounted on various vehicles and aircraft.

The ammunition canister held 12 40mm rounds, and the automatic launcher's rate of fire permitted all 12 rounds to be in the air before the first round landed. The launcher was also capable of semi-automatic fire (one round per pull of the trigger).

U.S. Air Force Security Police personnel in Vietnam were also issued the XM174 automatic grenade launcher which was often used on perimeter defense posts and heavy weapons vehicles.

M-24 Sniper Weapon System

The M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) is the military and police version of the Remington 700 rifle, M24 being the model name assigned by the United States Army after adoption as their standard sniper rifle in 1988. The M24 is referred to as a "weapons system" because it consists of not only a rifle, but also a detachable telescopic sight and other accessories.

Used by Security Forces Counter Sniper Teams,