World War II remains one of the most pivotal conflicts in history. It significantly influenced the modern world and the United States played a key role in it. The success of the U.S. infantry in this worldwide struggle can, in part, be credited to the deployment of small arms.
A range of small arms took on specific roles within the U.S. infantry’s arsenal, where the purpose of each firearm was often determined by its caliber. Caliber of a gun refers to the size of the bore of the firearm, with larger caliber guns capable of firing larger projectiles, causing more damage to enemy assets, as in anti-material rifles today. During WWII, the U.S. used guns of ranging calibers, each designed for a different purpose.
To identify the highest-caliber American infantry guns of WWII, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed WW2 infantry firearms, a list compiled by Military Factory, an online database of military vehicles, aircraft, arms, and more. The WWII firearms are listed from lowest caliber to highest caliber, excluding shotguns. Supplemental information about the year the gun entered service, type of gun, and firing action also came from Military Factory.
The M1911 pistol, an iconic small arm used during WWII, had a design that had been in service for decades prior to the war. Renowned for its stopping power and reliability, and chambered in .45 ACP, the M1911 served as the sidearm for officer and non-commissioned officers that provided a potent backup in close-quarters combat.
The Thompson submachine gun, popularly known as a “Tommy Gun,” was another firearm used in close quarters combat. The Thompson was a select-fire weapon capable of firing in both semi-automatic and fully automatic modes, giving soldiers the ability to unleash a barrage of bullets when necessary. The submachine gun was also chambered for .45 ACP. Originally designed during the Prohibition era for law enforcement, it eventually found its place on the battlefield and in the hands of soldiers during WWII.
Many guns on the list share ammunition, which optimizes distributing ammunition in the field. Additionally, although some of these weapons may have different names for their ammunition, the bore or width of the round is the same as other brands because many rifles share uniform chamberimg. For instance, .30-06 Springfield ammunition shares a similar caliber with a .303 British round or a 7.92x57mm Mauser, although variations may exist in other aspects like the length of the round or the propellant within it.
The success of the U.S. infantry in World War II was significantly impacted by the use of small arms. These guns, particularly at higher calibers, gave American soldiers increased firepower that contributed to their success throughout the war.
Here are the highest-caliber guns of World War II.
60. Springfield Model 1922
- Type: Bolt-action training rifle
- Year entered service: 1922
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .22LR & 5-round internal magazine
59. Winchester Model 69
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Year entered service: 1935
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .22 Long & 5- or 10-round detachable box magazine
58. Krag-Jorgensen Model 1894
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle / sniper rifle
- Year entered service: 1894
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 6.5x55mm M94 Norwegian Krag; 8x58R; .30-40 Krag & 5-round internal magazine
57. Type 96
- Type: Light machine gun
- Year entered service: 1936
- Action: Gas-operated
- Caliber & feed: 6.5x50mm Arisaka & 30-round detachable box magazine
56. Beretta Model 1935
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Year entered service: 1935
- Action: Blowback; semi-automatic
- Caliber & feed: 7.65x17mm Browning SR (.32 ACP) & 8-round detachable box magazine
55. Browning .303
- Type: Medium machine gun / aircraft machine gun
- Year entered service: 1936
- Action: Recoil-operated; full-automatic fire; belt-fed
- Caliber & feed: .303 British (7.7mm) & Belt-fed (various lengths)
54. Browning M1917
- Type: Belt-fed, water-cooled heavy machine gun
- Year entered service: 1917
- Action: Recoil-operated; automatic
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield & 250-round fabric belt
53. Browning M1918 BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle)
- Type: Light machine gun
- Year entered service: 1918
- Action: Gas-operated piston; open-bolt; selective fire
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield & 20-round detachable box magazine
52. Browning M1919 GPMG
- Type: Medium machine gun
- Year entered service: 1919
- Action: Gas-operated; belt-fed; air-cooled
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield; 7.62x51mm NATO; .303 British; 7.92x57mm Mauser; 6.5x55mm Mauser; 7.62x54mmR & 250-round fabric belt
51. Colt Browning M1895
- Type: Air-cooled, belt-fed machine gun
- Year entered service: 1895
- Action: Gas-operated; closed-bolt; lever-actuated
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield; .30-40 Krag; 7x57mm; 6.5x52mm & 240-round fabric belt
50. Enfield Pattern 1914
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle / sniper rifle
- Year entered service: 1914
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .303 British & 5-round stripper clips
49. Hotchkiss Model 1909
- Type: Light machine gun
- Year entered service: 1909
- Action: Gas-operated; magazine-/belt-fed
- Caliber & feed: 8mm Lebel; .303 British; .30-06 Springfield & 30-round strip magazine; also belt-fed
48. Johnson LMG
- Type: Light machine gun / squad support weapon
- Year entered service: 1941
- Action: Short recoil-operated; single-shot/full-automatic
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield & 25-round detachable box
47. Johnson Model 1941
- Type: Semi-automatic rifle
- Year entered service: 1941
- Action: Semi-automatic; short-recoil; rotating bolt
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield; 7x57mm Mauser & 10-round cylindrical magazine
46. Lewis Gun
- Type: Light machine gun
- Year entered service: 1914
- Action: Gas-operated
- Caliber & feed: .303 British; .30-06 Springfield; 7.92x57mm Mauser & 47- or 97-round detachable pan
45. M1 Carbine
- Type: Semi-automatic / full-automatic carbine
- Year entered service: 1942
- Action: Gas-operated, short-stroke piston; semi-automatic
- Caliber & feed: 30 M1 Carbine & 15- or 30-round detachable box magazine
44. M1 Garand
- Type: Battle rifle
- Year entered service: 1936
- Action: Self-loading; gas-action piston
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield & 8-round internal clip
43. M1917 Enfield
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Year entered service: 1917
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 7.62x63mm (.30-06 Springfield) & 6-round magazine
42. M2 Carbine
- Type: Select-fire automatic carbine
- Year entered service: 1944
- Action: Selective-fire (semi/full-automatic) capability; gas-operated, short-stroke piston
- Caliber & feed: 30 M1 Carbine & 15- or 30-round detachable box magazine
41. M3 Carbine
- Type: Sniper carbine rifle
- Year entered service: 1944
- Action: Selective-fire (semi/full-automatic) capability; gas-operated, short-stroke piston
- Caliber & feed: 30 M1 Carbine & 15- or 30-round detachable box magazine
40. Marlin Model 1914
- Type: Air-cooled, belt-fed machine gun
- Year entered service: 1914
- Action: Gas-operated; closed-bolt; lever-actuated
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield; 7.62x54mmR & 240-round fabric belt
39. Mosin-Nagant Model 1891
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle / carbine
- Year entered service: 1891
- Action: Manual bolt-action
- Caliber & feed: 7.62x54mmR; 7.62x53mmR; 7.92x57mm Mauser & 5-round internal magazine
38. PPSh-41
- Type: Submachine gun
- Year entered service: 1941
- Action: Blowback; open bolt
- Caliber & feed: 7.62x25mm Tokarev & 35-round detachable box; 71-round drum magazine
37. Remington Model 1903 (Springfield)
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Year entered service: 1941
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield & 5-round stripper clips
36. Ross Rifle
- Type: Straight-pull bolt-action service rifle
- Year entered service: 1905
- Action: Manual pull bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .303 British & 5-round magazine
35. Simonov SKS
- Type: Semi-automatic, self-loading carbine
- Year entered service: 1945
- Action: Self-loading; gas-action piston
- Caliber & feed: 7.62x39mm M1943 & 10-round internal box magazine
34. Springfield Model 1903 (M1903)
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle / sniper rifle
- Year entered service: 1903
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .30-03; .30-06 Springfield & 5-round internal magazine
33. Vickers Machine Gun
- Type: Medium machine gun
- Year entered service: 1912
- Action: Recoil operated; full-automatic
- Caliber & feed: .303 British; 7.62x51mm NATO; .30-06 & 250-round fabric belt
32. Winchester Model 1894
- Type: Lever-action rifle
- Year entered service: 1894
- Action: Manually-actuated lever-action
- Caliber & feed: .30-30 Winchester & 6- or 8-round tubular magazine
31. Winchester Model 70
- Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
- Year entered service: 1936
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield & 3-,4-, or 5-round box magazine
30. Colt Model 1903
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Year entered service: 1903
- Action: Single-action; blowback
- Caliber & feed: .32 ACP & 8-round detachable box magazine
29. Hotchkiss Model 1914
- Type: Medium machine gun
- Year entered service: 1914
- Action: Gas-operated piston
- Caliber & feed: 8x50mmR Lebel; 6.5x50mm Arisaka; 7.7x58mm Arisaka & 24- or 30-round metal strips; 250-round articulated metal belt
28. Beretta Model 1934
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Year entered service: 1934
- Action: Blowback; semi-automatic
- Caliber & feed: 9x17mm short / Corto (.380 ACP) & 7-round detachable box magazine
27. Browning Hi-power / FN GP 35
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Year entered service: 1935
- Action: Short recoil-operated; semi-automatic
- Caliber & feed: 9x19mm Parabellum; 7.65×21 Parabellum; .40 X&W; .357 SIG & 13-round detachable box magazine
26. Browning Model 1903 / FN M1903
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Year entered service: 1903
- Action: Semi-automatic; blowback
- Caliber & feed: 9x20mm SR Browning Long; 7.65x17mm SR Browning (.32 ACP) & 7- or 8-round detachable box magazine
25. Browning Model 1910 / FN M1910
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Year entered service: 1910
- Action: Blowback; semi-automatic
- Caliber & feed: .32 ACP; .380 ACP; 9x17mm Browning; 7.65x17mm Browning & 7- or 9-round detachable box magazine
24. Browning Model 1922
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Year entered service: 1922
- Action: Blowback; semi-automatic
- Caliber & feed: 9x17mm Browning Short (.380 ACP); 7.65x17mm SR Browning (.32 ACP) & 9-round detachable box magazine
23. MP38
- Type: Submachine gun
- Year entered service: 1938
- Action: Blowback; Full-automatic
- Caliber & feed: 9x19mm Parabellum & 32-round detachable box magazine
22. MP40
- Type: Submachine gun
- Year entered service: 1940
- Action: Blowback; Full-automatic
- Caliber & feed: 9x19mm Parabellum & 32-round detachable box magazine
21. Owen SMG (Owen Machine Carbine)
- Type: Submachine gun
- Year entered service: 1941
- Action: Blowback
- Caliber & feed: 9x19mm Parabellum & 32-round detachable box magazine
20. STEN SMG
- Type: Submachine gun / carbine
- Year entered service: 1941
- Action: Blowback; open bolt
- Caliber & feed: 9x19mm Parabellum & 32-round detachable box magazine
19. United Defense UD-42
- Type: Submachine gun
- Year entered service: 1942
- Action: Blowback; select-fire
- Caliber & feed: 9x19mm Parabellum & 20-round detachable box magazine
18. Walther PP
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Year entered service: 1929
- Action: Semi-automatic; straight blowback; double action
- Caliber & feed: 7.65x15mm Browning SR; 9x19mm Short & 9-round detachable box magazine
17. Walther PPK
- Type: Concealed-carry semi-automatic pistol
- Year entered service: 1931
- Action: Semi-automatic; straight blowback; double action
- Caliber & feed: 7.65x17mm Browning SR (.32 ACP) & 7-round detachable box magazine
16. Welrod (Assassin’s Pistol)
- Type: Bolt-action silenced pistol
- Year entered service: 1939
- Action: Bolt-action, manually-operated rotating bolt
- Caliber & feed: 9x19mm Parabellum; .32 ACP & 6-round magazine
15. Colt Model 1898
- Type: Six-shot revolver
- Year entered service: 1898
- Action: Rotating cylinder; double-action
- Caliber & feed: .45 Colt; .38 Special; .357 Magnum & 6-shot rotating cylinder
14. Marlin Model 1894
- Type: Carbine rifle
- Year entered service: 1894
- Action: Manually-actuated lever-action system
- Caliber & feed: .32-20 Winchester; .32 HR Magnum; .38 Spc & 6-,9-, or 10-round tubular magazine
13. Smith & Wesson Model 10 (38 Special)
- Type: Six-shot, double-action service revolver
- Year entered service: 1899
- Action: Single-action, double-action revolving cylinder
- Caliber & feed: .38 Long Colt; .38 Special & 6-shot rotating cylinder
12. Smith & Wesson 1st Model New Century (Triple Lock)
- Type: Service revolver
- Year entered service: 1908
- Action: Double-action; rotating cylinder
- Caliber & feed: .44 Special; .455 Webley & 6-shot rotating cylinder
11. Colt M1911
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Year entered service: 1911
- Action: Single-action; short recoil-operated
- Caliber & feed: .45 ACP & 7-round detachable box magazine
10. Colt Model 1917
- Type: Service revolver
- Year entered service: 1917
- Action: Double-action; rotating cylinder
- Caliber & feed: .45 ACP; .45 Auto Rim & 6-shot rotating cylinder
9. De Lisle Carbine
- Type: Silenced carbine
- Year entered service: 1943
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .45 ACP & 7- or 11-round detachable box magazine
8. M1 Thompson
- Type: Submachine gun
- Year entered service: 1938
- Action: Blowback; semi-automatic
- Caliber & feed: .45 ACP & 20- or 30-round box; 50-round drum
7. M3 (Grease Gun)
- Type: Submachine gun
- Year entered service: 1943
- Action: Open bolt; blowback
- Caliber & feed: .45 ACP; 9x19mm Parabellum & 30-round detachable box magazine
6. M3A1 (Grease Gun) Suppressed
- Type: Submachine gun
- Year entered service: 1944
- Action: Blowback; open bolt
- Caliber & feed: .45 ACP & 30-round detachable box magazine
5. Reising Model 50
- Type: Submachine gun / carbine
- Year entered service: 1941
- Action: Delayed blowback; closed-bolt
- Caliber & feed: .45 ACP; .30 Carbine & 12- or 20-round detachable box magazine
4. Smith & Wesson Model 1917
- Type: Six-shot service revolver
- Year entered service: 1917
- Action: Double-action; rotating cylinder
- Caliber & feed: .45 ACP; .45 Auto Rim & 6-shot rotating cylinder
3. Browning M2
- Type: Multi-role heavy machine gun
- Year entered service: 1921
- Action: Automatic short recoil-operated, air-cooled
- Caliber & feed: .50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO) & 110-round metalic link belt
2. Fabrique Nationale FN M2HB
- Type: Heavy machine gun
- Year entered service: 1933
- Action: Recoil-operated; automatic fire only
- Caliber & feed: 12.7x99mm & Metal-link belt fed
1. Boys 0.55in
- Type: Anti-tank rifle / anti-material rifle
- Year entered service: 1937
- Action: Manually-operated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 13.9mm (0.55 in) & 5-round detachable box magazine
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