These 1950s Guns Are Still Important to the US Military 7 Decades Later

The American military relies heavily on weapons to defend the USA and aid troops in times of war. The infamous struggles of World War II led to advancements in many areas of the military, including guns, namely when it came to quality and number. Rifles and shotguns were more convenient and easier to handle, allowing soldiers to utilize more powerful weapons more conveniently. Handheld guns like pistols and revolvers were also praised for their ease of use. 

These guns which helped win the Allies a victory at the end of WWII continued to evolve over the following decades. During the 1950s, many guns were enhanced and redesigned with an eye toward ultimate capacity. One such gun was the Ithaca M6, introduced in 1952. This dual-shot survival rifle, along with several other mid-century guns, became an important part of the U.S. weapons arsenal.

24/7 Wall St. wanted to explore the small arms introduced during the 1950s, specifically American-made guns, that revolutionized gun development. To identify American military guns introduced in the 1950s, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of small arms from Military Factory, an online database of military vehicles, arms and aircraft. Gun order is alphabetical. We included supplemental information regarding type of small arm, year introduced, manufacturer, firing action, caliber and feed.

Why We’re Covering This

Gun development in the 1950s paved the way for modern military technology. These small guns reflect both innovations from World War II and Cold War pressures. Many guns on this list come from serious weapons manufacturers who still hold power in this industry today. As a result, looking at American-made military guns of the 1950s shows how the guns influenced trends in modern weapon manufacturing.

Here are 10 groundbreaking American-made military guns of the 1950s:

ArmaLite AR-10

• Type: Battle rifle
• Year introduced: 1958
• Manufacturer: ArmaLite / Colt
• Firing action: Gas-operated rotating bolt
• Caliber and feed: 7.62x51mm NATO, .308 Winchester; 20-round detachable box magazine

Colt AR-15

• Type: Select-fire automatic rifle
• Year introduced: 1958
• Manufacturer: ArmaLite / Colt
• Firing action: Rotating bolt, direct impingement system
• Caliber and feed: 5.56x45mm NATO, .223 Remington, .45 ACP, 5.7x28mm, 6.8mm Remington SPC; 20-, 30-, 40-, 45-, 90- or 100-round magazine

Ithaca M6

• Type: Aircrew survival rifle
• Year introduced: 1952
• Manufacturer: Ithaca Gun Company
• Firing action: Manual firing pin selector lever, dual-shot
• Caliber and feed: .22 Hornet, .410; 9 x .22 Hornet, 4 x .410 shells

M40 RR

M40 recoilless rifle (CC BY 4.0 DEED) by Bukvoed

• Type: 106mm recoilless rifle
• Year introduced: 1955
• Manufacturer: Watervilet Arsenal
• Firing action: Single-shot, reusable gun tube, recoilless
• Caliber and feed: 105x607mmR; Single-shot

Model 870

• Type: Pump-action shotgun
• Year introduced: 1950
• Manufacturer: Remington Arms
• Firing action: Pump-action repeating
• Caliber and feed: 12-, 16-, 20- or 28-gauge, .410 bore; 4- or 7-round tubular magazine

Model 870 Wingmaster

• Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
• Year introduced: 1951
• Manufacturer: Remington Arms
• Firing action: Manually-operated pump-action slide
• Caliber and feed: 12-, 16-, 20- or 28-gauge, .410 bore; 5-round tubular magazine

Python

• Type: Six-shot revolver
• Year introduced: 1955
• Manufacturer: Colt
• Firing action: Double-action, repeating
• Caliber and feed: .357 Magnum; 6-shot rotating cylinder

Saco M60

• Type: General purpose machine gun
• Year introduced: 1957
• Manufacturer: Saco Defense
• Firing action: Gas-operated open bolt
• Caliber and feed: 7.62x51mm NATO; Disintegrating link belt of various counts

Smith & Wesson Model 29

• Type: Six-shot revolver
• Year introduced: 1955
• Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson
• Firing action: Double-action, rotating cylinder
• Caliber and feed: .44 Magnum, .44 Special; 6-round rotating cylinder

Springfield M14

• Type: Battle rifle
• Year introduced: 1959
• Manufacturer: Springfield Armory
• Firing action: Gas-operated, rotating bolt, selective fire
• Caliber and feed: 7.62x51mm NATO; 20-round detachable box magazine