The 1970s were a transitional decade for the United States in more ways than one. During this time, U.S. forces pulled out of Vietnam after roughly a decade of fighting in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Following this defeat, politicians and military leaders would turn their attention to the Cold War with the Soviet Union, and a new era of the U.S. military would begin. While this was true for all the higher-ups in a broad sense, the average American soldier would also see a new generation of weapons come to light.
Although Vietnam was initially fought with guns left over from World War II, there would be a new generation developed during this time that would go on to impact how U.S. soldiers were equipped for decades to come. These were the American-made guns of the 1970s. (These are the 18 newest guns currently in use by the U.S. military.)
To identify American military guns introduced in the 1970s, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of small arms from Military Factory, an online database of military vehicles, arms and aircraft. We ordered these guns alphabetically. We included supplemental information regarding type of small arm, year introduced, manufacturer, firing action, caliber and feed.
One weapons system that would revolutionize the world of small arms is the BGM-71 TOW / TOW-2, which is an anti-tank guided missile system. Introduced in 1970, it would go on to be one of the most pervasive anti-tank weapons systems in the world. Capable of hitting targets up to 12,000 feet away with 127mm or 152mm missiles. The TOW has been outfitted to a number of military vehicles as well as attack helicopters due to its operational effectiveness. It can also be fired by infantry units as well, but these require a tripod.
There are a number of other revolutionary weapons that came from this decade that would go on to influence small arms for years to come. (These are the future military guns of the world.)
Here is a look at the American military guns introduced in the 1970s:
AMT Hardballer
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Year introduced: 1977
- Manufacturer: Arcadia Machine & Tool / Galena Industries
- Firing action: Semi-automatic, short-recoil, locked breech
- Caliber and feed .45 ACP, .40 S&W, .400 Corbon; 7- or 8-round box magazine
BGM-71 TOW / TOW-2
- Type: Anti-tank guided missile system
- Year introduced: 1970
- Manufacturer: Hughes Aircraft / Raytheon
- Firing action: Tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided
- Caliber and feed 127mm, 152mm; Single-shot, reusable
Bushmaster Arm Pistol
- Type: Bullpup personal defense weapon
- Year introduced: 1977
- Manufacturer: Bushmaster Firearms
- Firing action: Gas-operated, rotating bolt, long-stroke gas piston
- Caliber and feed 5.56x45mm NATO; 20-round detachable box magazine
Colt IMP (Individual Multipurpose Weapon)
- Type: Aircrew survival weapon
- Year introduced: 1972
- Manufacturer: Colt Defense
- Firing action: Automatic fire
- Caliber and feed .221-17 IMP; 10- or 30-round detachable box magazine
Ingram MAC-10 (M10)
- Type: Submachine gun
- Year introduced: 1970
- Manufacturer: Military Armament Corporation
- Firing action: Blowback-operation, full-automatic fire
- Caliber and feed .45 ACP, 9x19mm Parabellum, .380 ACP; 30- or 32-round detachable box magazine
M202 FLASH (Flame Assault Shoulder Weapon)
- Type: Shoulder-fired incendiary rocket launcher
- Year introduced: 1978
- Manufacturer: State Factories
- Firing action: Trigger-actuated
- Caliber and feed 66mm; Four-shot, reusable launcher
M240
- Type: Medium machine gun
- Year introduced: 1977
- Manufacturer: Fabrique Nationale
- Firing action: Gas-operated, open bolt, belt-fed, full-automatic
- Caliber and feed 7.62x51mm NATO; Disintegrating metal link feed of various counts
M47 Dragon
- Type: Portable wire-guided anti-tank missile system
- Year introduced: 1975
- Manufacturer: Raytheon / McDonnell Douglas
- Firing action: Line-of-sight, hollow charge
- Caliber and feed 140mm; Single-shot, single use
Mini-14
- Type: Semi-automatic, self-loading rifle
- Year introduced: 1973
- Manufacturer: Sturm, Ruger & Company
- Firing action: Gas-actuated, rotating bolt, semi-automatic
- Caliber and feed .223 Remington, 5.56x45mm NATO, 7.62x39mm, 6.8mm Remington SPC, .300 Blackout; 5-, 10-, 20-, or 30-round detachable box magazine
Mossberg Model 590
- Type: Pump-action shotgun
- Year introduced: 1975
- Manufacturer: Mossberg
- Firing action: Pump-action slide
- Caliber and feed 12-gauge; 6-, 8-, or 9-round tubular magazine
Winchester Model 1300
- Type: Slide-action shotgun
- Year introduced: 1978
- Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms
- Firing action: Rotary bolt-action pump
- Caliber and feed 12-gauge, 20-gauge; 4-, 5-, 7- or 8-shot tubular magazine
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