These 9 Foreign-Made Firearms Are Used Every Day by the US Military

Benelli rose to popularity in the wake of World War II, selling semiautomatic shotguns across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The most recent iterations of the Benelli M4 employ the same operation used in the company’s Ri semiautomatic rifle, which requires fewer operational parts and is known for its self-cleaning attributes. It is also popular with civilians. According to the NRA’s American Hunter, based on GunBroker.com sales for 2019, the M4 is in the top five best-selling semiautomatic shotguns.

The Brugger & Thomet APC9 is a series of submachine guns, also referred to as Sub Compact Weapons, typically used for protective security details. These guns come with retractable stocks and various customizable optics, depending on the intended use. It is yet to be seen how the Army plans to use the highly modular nature of this submachine gun going forward.

The Carl-Gustav M3 is a Multi-purpose Anti-armor Anti-personnel Weapon System designed to hit lightly armored targets. The M3 requires a crew of two, one to carry and fire the weapon and another to carry the ammunition and load the weapon. The current MAAWS electronics allow for integration with future MAAWS smart ammunition.

The HK 416 is one of the world’s most popular infantry weapons of the latest generation. The original controls of the HK416 are practically identical to the M4 rifles that it was originally based on. There are numerous variants of this type of weapon, and they tend to differentiate by which country or agency is adopting the HK16, whether it is special forces or basic infantry.

The HK417 is practically the same rifle as the HK416, although it is being chambered in a larger caliber version. The heavier-caliber round is a huge differentiating factor because it turns cover into concealment, and reaches out even farther. A 40mm grenade launcher can be mounted beneath the rail system.

The HK MP5 has seen action all across the world over the last half century, from Iran to Somalia and even Panama. The MP5 can switch between semiautomatic and automatic firing modes, which is capable of providing either greater accuracy or rate of fire, depending on the situation. It is primarily used for counterterrorism, close quarters combat, hostage rescue, and personal protection operations.

The HK MP7 works similar to a submachine gun but occupies a firearm category known as personal defense weapons. This gun offers more range, power, and control than a pistol but is lighter and handier than a traditional rifle or carbine. The HK MP7 is highly modular in nature as well, with the option to add optics, suppressors, and laser aiming units.

The M141 Bunker Defeat Munition is a single-shot rocket launcher that is designed to defeat bunkers, breach urban structures, and destroy lightly armored vehicles. The weapon is capable of using a variety of different ammunition types, which makes it a flexible system against various targets. It also works day or night in finding targets thanks to a thermal imaging system and a laser range finder.

The Sig Sauer P320 model is considered highly modular and adaptive because it has options for various interchangeable grips and or multiple sizes and calibers. Sig Sauer beat out both Glock and Beretta USA for the 2015 Modular Handgun System contract with the U.S. Army. The P320 replaces the Cold-War era M9 9mm pistol with better ergonomics and more modular features.