As horrible as the Second World War may have been, there can be no question that one of the defining aspects of the war was the weapons put into the hands of troops around the world. With every rifle earmarked for a soldier, there was a likelihood this soldier would be placed on a battlefield and told to capture an essential objective for both the Allied and Axis powers to win the war.
69. Modello 1870 Italian Vetterli
- Year entered service: 1870
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Italy
- Action: Single-shot; manual-pull bolt-action
- Caliber & feed: 10.4x47mmR; 6.5mm & Single shot; 4-round integral magazine
68. Lebel Model 1886
- Year entered service: 1887
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: France
- Action: Bolt-action lever
- Caliber & feed: 8mm Lebel & 8-round tube magazine
67. Mannlicher Model 1888
- Year entered service: 1888
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Austria-Hungary
- Action: Manually-actuated straight-pull bolt; repeating
- Caliber & feed: 8mm Mannlicher & 5-round integral magazine
66. Mauser Model 1888 (Gew 88)
- Year entered service: 1888
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt mechanism
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x57mm Mauser & 5-round clip with fixed integral magazine
65. Infantry Model 1889 (Belgian Mauser)
- Year entered service: 1889
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Belgium
- Action: Manually-actuated straight-pull bolt; repeating
- Caliber & feed: 7.65x53mm Belgian Mauser & 5-round integral magazine
64. Berthier Rifle
- Year entered service: 1890
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: France
- Action: Manual-pull bolt-action
63. Model 1889 Schmidt-Rubin
- Year entered service: 1890
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Switzerland
- Action: Manually-actuated straight-pull bolt-action system
62. Rifle Model 1890 (Turkish Mauser)
- Year entered service: 1890
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Turkey
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
61. Mosin-Nagant Model 1891
- Year entered service: 1891
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Russia
- Action: Manual bolt-action
60. Carcano Modello 1891 (M91)
- Year entered service: 1892
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle / infantry carbine
- Country of origin: Italy
- Action: Manually-operated bolt-action system
59. Krag-Jorgensen Model 1894
- Year entered service: 1894
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Norway
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
58. Marlin Model 1894
- Year entered service: 1894
- Type: Carbine rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated lever-action system
57. Winchester Model 1894
- Year entered service: 1894
- Type: Lever-action rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated lever-action
56. Lee-Enfield
- Year entered service: 1895
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Action: Manually-operated bolt-action system
55. Mannlicher Model 1895
- Year entered service: 1895
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Austria-Hungary
- Action: Manually-actuated straight-pull bolt; repeating
54. Mauser Model 1898 (Gew 98)
- Year entered service: 1898
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt mechanism
53. Arisaka Type 30
- Year entered service: 1899
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle / infantry carbine
- Country of origin: Japan
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
52. Mondragon Rifle (Fusil Mondragon)
- Year entered service: 1900
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Mexico
- Action: Gas-operated; rotating bolt; also manual bolt-action
51. Mannlicher-Schonauer Model 1903
- Year entered service: 1903
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Greece
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
50. Springfield Model 1903 (M1903)
- Year entered service: 1903
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle / sniper rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
49. Model 1904 Vergueiro-Mauser
- Year entered service: 1904
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Portugal
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
48. Arisaka Type 38
- Year entered service: 1905
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle/infantry carbine
- Country of origin: Japan
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
47. Ross Rifle
- Year entered service: 1905
- Type: Straight-pull bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Canada
- Action: Manual pull, bolt-action system
46. Arisaka Type 44 Cavalry Rifle
- Year entered service: 1912
- Type: Carbine service weapon
- Country of origin: Japan
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
45. Enfield Pattern 1914
- Year entered service: 1914
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle/sniper rifle
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
44. Fedorov Avtomat M1916
- Year entered service: 1915
- Type: Automatic rifle
- Country of origin: Russia
- Action: Short-recoil; locked breech; closed bolt; select-fire
43. Winchester Model 1915
- Year entered service: 1915
- Type: Lever-action rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Lever-action; repeat fire
42. Fusil Automatique Modele 1817 (Model 1917 RSC)
- Year entered service: 1917
- Type: Semi-automatic rifle/bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: France
- Action: Gas-operated; rotating belt
41. M1917 Enfield
- Year entered service: 1917
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
40. Browning M1918 BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle)
- Year entered service: 1918
- Type: Light machine gun
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Gas-operated piston; open-bolt; selective fire
39. Carl-Gustav m/21-m37
- Year entered service: 1921
- Type: Light machine gun
- Country of origin: Sweden
- Action: Gas-operated; tilting breach block
38. Springfield Model 1922
- Year entered service: 1922
- Type: Bolt-action training rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
37. Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 24
- Year entered service: 1924
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Czechoslovakia
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
36. CZ Model 1924 (Mauser) Short Rifle
- Year entered service: 1924
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Guatemala
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
35. ZH-29
- Year entered service: 1929
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Czechoslovakia
- Action: Semi-automatic; gas-operated
34. Fabrique Nationale FN M1930 (BAR)
- Year entered service: 1930
- Type: Light machine gun
- Country of origin: Belgium
- Action: Gas-operated; tilting breach block
33. Fabrique Nationale FN Mle D (BAR)
- Year entered service: 1932
- Type: Light machine gun
- Country of origin: Belgium
- Action: Gas-operated; tilting breech block
32. FEG 35M (Mannlicher M1935)
- Year entered service: 1935
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Hungary
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
31. Kb wz.35 (Marosczek)
- Year entered service: 1935
- Type: Anti-tank rifle / anti-material rifle
- Country of origin: Poland
- Action: Manually-operated bolt-action system
30. Mauser Karabiner Kar 98k
- Year entered service: 1935
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Bolt-action
29. Type 24 (Chiang Kai-Shek Rifle)
- Year entered service: 1935
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Taiwan
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action; repeat-fire
28. M1 Garand
- Year entered service: 1936
- Type: Battle rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Self-loading; gas-action piston
27. MAS 36 (modele 36 / mle 36)
- Year entered service: 1936
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: France
- Action: Manually-operated bolt-action system
26. Winchester Model 70
- Year entered service: 1936
- Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
25. Arisaka Type 97
- Year entered service: 1937
- Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
- Country of origin: Japan
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
24. Boys 0.55in
- Year entered service: 1937
- Type: Anti-tank rifle / anti-material rifle
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Action: Manually-operated bolt-action system
23. Panzerbuchse 38 (PzB 38)
- Year entered service: 1938
- Type: Anti-tank rifle / anti-material rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Single-shot; manually-actuated bolt-action
22. Solothurn S18-100
- Year entered service: 1938
- Type: Bullpup anti-tank rifle / anti-material rifle
- Country of origin: Switzerland
- Action: Semi-automatic
21. Tokarev SVT-38
- Year entered service: 1938
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Soviet Union
- Action: Self-loading; semi-automatic
20. Arisaka Type 99
- Year entered service: 1939
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle/infantry carbine
- Country of origin: Japan
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
19. Panzerbuchse 39 (PzB 39)
- Year entered service: 1939
- Type: Anti-tank rifle / anti-material rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Single-shot; manually-actuated bolt-action
18. Tokarev SVT-40
- Year entered service: 1940
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Soviet Union
- Action: Gas-operated, semi-automatic
17. Degtyarev PTRD 1941
- Year entered service: 1941
- Type: Anti-tank rifle / anti-material rifle
- Country of origin: Soviet Union
- Action: Manually-operated bolt; semi-automatic breach
16. Johnson Model 1941
- Year entered service: 1941
- Type: Semi-automatic rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Semi-automatic; short-recoil; rotating bolt
15. Remington Model 1903 (Springfield)
- Year entered service: 1941
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
14. Walther Gewehr 41 (G41 / Gew 41)
- Year entered service: 1941
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Gas-operated; semi-automatic
13. Carl-Gustav m/42
- Year entered service: 1942
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Sweden
- Action: Gas-operated; direct impingement
12. Charlton Automatic Rifle
- Year entered service: 1942
- Type: Semi-automatic rifle / light machine gun
- Country of origin: New Zealand
- Action: Gas-operated; semi/full-automatic fire
11. Fallschirmjagergewehr 42 (FG42 / FjG42)
- Year entered service: 1942
- Type: Automatic rifle / light machine gun
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Gas-operated; select fire
10. M1 Carbine
- Year entered service: 1942
- Type: Semi-automatic / full-automatic carbine
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Gas-operated, short-stroke piston; semi-automatic
9. Sturmgewehr 44 (StG44) / Maschinenpistole 44 (MP44)
- Year entered service: 1942
- Type: Assault rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Gas-operated; locked-breech; tilting bolt; select-fire
8. Walther Gewehr 43 (G43 / Gew 43)
- Year entered service: 1943
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Gas-operated; semi-automatic
7. Arisaka Type 4 / Type 5
- Year entered service: 1944
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Japan
- Action: Self-loading; gas-operated; rotating belt
6. M2 Carbine
- Year entered service: 1944
- Type: Select-fire automatic carbine
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Selective-fire (semi/full-automatic) capability; gas-operated, short-stroke piston
5. M3 Carbine
- Year entered service: 1944
- Type: Sniper carbine rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Selective-fire (semi/full-automatic) capability; gas-operated, short-stroke piston
4. Gustloff Volkssturmgewehr
- Year entered service: 1945
- Type: Semi-automatic rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Semi-automatic; gas-delayed blowback
3. Simonov SKS
- Year entered service: 1945
- Type: Semi-automatic carbine
- Country of origin: Soviet Union
- Action: Self-loading short-stroke gas piston
2. Sturmgewehr 45 (StG45) / Maschinenpistole 45 (MP45)
- Year entered service: 1945
- Type: Assault rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Gas-operated; locked-breech; tilting bolt; select-fire
1. Volkssturmgewehr VG
- Year entered service: 1945
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Manually-operated bolt-action system
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