Why the US Military Refuses to Retire This Classic Rifle

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

Is there anything wrong with sticking with the old and proven platforms? Not honestly, when you think about it, at least. The M2HB machine gun has been used since the end of the First World War and has yet to receive a suitable replacement.

Modernization

We’re currently seeing the shift to new rifles and handguns in the United States Military. While this shows a shifting set of priorities for the United States, it isn’t the whole story. Many fighters, bombers, and ships are decades older than the servicemembers using them.

Why Do Weapons Stick Around?

A suitable alternative has yet to be developed in the case of something like the Browning M2HB. Many have tried, but few have struck the right balance of performance, viability, and cost-effectiveness as the 100-year-old Browning.

Do Weapons Lose Efficacy?

More or less, a weapon can become less effective. This can come down to normal wear and tear seen throughout the lifespan of a weapon. Many of the heavy machine guns used by the US military are still receiving new parts, but the receivers and other parts might be original.

Do All Old Weapons See Service?

That’ll depend on your definition of service. Being used in drill or ceremonial positions is still active service. However, that doesn’t compare to seeing the likes of active combat.

29. Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier

• Year put into service: 1975
• Type: Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
• Designer/original manufacturer: Newport New Shipbuilding

The 10 Nimitz class aircraft carriers of the U.S. Navy have been the largest warships ever built until the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, the first of which was deployed by the U.S. Navy on Oct. 4, 2022. When fully loaded, the 317-meter (1,040-foot) long warship typically accommodates about 4,700 personnel, including 1,500 aircrew members, and it can carry up to 60 aircraft with a maximum speed of more than 30 knots.

28. M67

• Year put into service: 1968
• Type: Hand grenade
• Designer/original manufacturer: US Military

The M67 2.5-inch diameter sphere-shaped fragmentation grenade supplements small arms fire in close combat. The grenade detonates four to five seconds after the release of the safety lever, with a lethal blast radius of 5 meters (16 feet) and a good chance of inflicting injuries up to three times that radius. It became the most widely used frag grenade of U.S. troops in the Vietnam War after 1969.

27. AAV-7

• Year put into service: 1972
• Type: Amphibious armored personnel carrier
• Designer/original manufacturer: United Defense

In the late 1960s, the Pentagon determined that the U.S. armed forces needed an armored personnel carrier with both sea-going and terrestrial mobile capabilities, a better vehicle than the one used to land troops on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day. The result was the AAV-7, aka the “Battle Bus,” a mainstay of the U.S. Marine Corps that proved effective in moving troops from sea to land under combat situations.

26. USS Blue Ridge Class Amphibious Command Ship

• Year put into service: 1971
• Type: Amphibious command and control ship
• Designer/original manufacturer: US Military

The USS Blue Ridge Class Amphibious Command Ship is the only vessel designed from the ground up to act as a command and control center for U.S. Navy and Marine Corps fleet leaders. Earlier versions were too slow to keep up with amphibious assault forces. The ship’s crew includes about 560 enlisted personnel and 34 officers. The existing vessels are expected to remain in service until 2039.

25. BGM-71 TOW

• Year put into service: 1970
• Type: Anti-tank missile
• Designer/original manufacturer: Hughes Aircraft Company

The BGM-71 TOW is one of two missiles on this list of America’s oldest weapons still in service. Research and development of wire-guided missiles date back to the 1950s in France. These missiles use thin, unspooling wires to guide them toward their nearby targets. The TOW system is one of the most widely used anti-tank missiles. TOWs can be manually carried or mounted on vehicles, and they have proven effective against mobile targets thousands of meters away.

24. Remington 870

• Year put into service: 1969
• Type: Shotgun
• Designer/original manufacturer: Remington

Familiar to gun owners, the Remington 870 is also the oldest shotgun still used by the U.S. military, thanks to its dependability and hard punch. The Marine Corps sought in the late ’60s to replace older World War II-era shotties. The result was the Model 870 Mark 1, similar to the civilian version 870 but fitted with a bayonet adapter, rifle sights, and an extended magazine of eight rounds, including one in the chamber.

23. Mk 19

• Year put into service: 1968
• Type: Grenade launcher
• Designer/original manufacturer: Saco Defense

The Mk 19 grenade launcher is a potent weapon capable of firing 40mm high explosive grenades at a rate of up to 60 rounds per minute (40 rpm for sustained fire) that can penetrate up to 50mm of armor plating with a direct hit. The heavy vehicle- or tripod-mounted weapon is so potent it is dangerous to use against targets closer than 75 meters (82 yards) away.

22. M197 Vulcan

• Year put into service: 1967
• Type: Rotary cannon
• Designer/original manufacturer: General Dynamics

The electric three-barrel M197 is the newer of the three rotary “Gatling” guns on this list. It was developed primarily to arm U.S. Army gunboat helicopters with a better weapon than the ones used during the Vietnam War, which fired smaller 7.62mm NATO cartridges.

The M197 Vulcan is typically mounted on the nose of modern attack helicopters, fed by a 700-round, chain-linked magazine of large 20mm rounds. Typically, the gun is fired in bursts of 30 to 50 rounds. Modern versions replace the chain-linked magazine with a chainless system less prone to jamming.

21. CH-47 Chinook

• Year put into service: 1966
• Type: Transport helicopter
• Designer/original manufacturer: Boeing

During the Vietnam War, the easily recognized tandem rotor helicopter workhorse debuted hauling artillery to firebases. It remains a valuable way to move heavy equipment and personnel quickly. It proved particularly useful during the war in Afghanistan as it could fly heavy equipment above the peaks of the mountainous landscape better than other helicopters in the U.S. arsenal.

20. GE M134 Minigun

• Year put into service: 1963
• Type: Rotary medium machine gun
• Designer/original manufacturer: General Electric

The M134 Minigun is the vehicle-mounted version of the M61 Vulcan six-barrel Gatling-style rotary gun that has been affixed to aircraft since 1946. These brutal “suppression” weapons can spew between 2,000 and 6,000 rounds per minute, obliterating almost anything in their way. Unlike the Hollywood depiction of the Minigun, where brawny action stars wield them against the bad guys, Miniguns require heavy external power packs, necessitating them to be affixed to air, land, or sea vehicles.

19. LGM-30 Minuteman

• Year put into service: 1962
• Type: Intercontinental ballistic missile
• Designer/original manufacturer: Boeing

The Minuteman was the first intercontinental ballistic missile capable of deploying multiple warheads for greater destructive power, and it continues to be an essential part of the U.S. nuclear triad of sea, air, and land atomic delivery system. The latest version, the Minuteman III, has a range of about 6,000 miles, and the U.S. Air Force maintains an estimated 450 of these ICBMs, which are based in Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota. The Sentinel system is replacing the Minuteman missiles.

18. M109 Paladin

• Year put into service: 1962
• Type: self-propelled artillery
• Designer/original manufacturer: United Defense

The 28-ton, 30-foot-long M109 Paladin is a self-propelled artillery system that, as the name implies, does not require a tow vehicle like conventional artillery weapons. It is a continuous track tank with a 155mm artillery gun as a turret.

Operated by a six-person crew, the Paladin can lob six rounds per minute at targets up to 11 miles away. It is defended from close-range fire by a .50 caliber M2 heavy machine gun, another of America’s oldest weapons still in service.

17. M88 Hercules

• Year put into service: 1961
• Type: Armored recovery vehicle
• Designer/original manufacturer: Bowen McLaughlin York

The Hercules series Armored Recovery Vehicle is one of the world’s most powerful tow trucks. This armored support vehicle is a tank without a turret whose primary role is to recover damaged or stuck armored vehicles, including tanks, under fire. The Hercules is protected by a mounted .50 caliber machine gun and smoke grenade dischargers that can hide the vehicle in a cloud of white smoke.

16. RC-135S Cobra Ball

• Year put into service: 1961
• Type: Reconnaissance aircraft
• Designer/original manufacturer: Boeing

The RC-135S Cobra Ball conducts missions under the direct order of the White House Joint Chiefs of Staff, collecting visual and electronic data on ballistic targets. The core task of this militarized Boeing 707 is to verify treaty compliance by collecting intelligence that is not acquirable by other means – intel that goes right to the president. A typical crew consists of two pilots and a navigator, plus a team of mission specialists, electronic warfare officers, and systems engineers. There are three still in use by the US Air Force.

15. M72 LAW

• Year put into service: 1961
• Type: Anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher
• Designer/original manufacturer: FA Spinale, CB Weeks, and PV Choate

During World War II, the Germans were the first to introduce the bazooka into combat. By the Vietnam War, the United States had developed an effective shoulder-fired lightweight anti-tank weapon, or LAW. The M72 series of disposable, single-shot rocket launchers can fire different kinds of ordnance used against tanks and other mobile land vehicles. The weapon has a dangerous backblast of a least 45 feet from the open back end of the firing tube. In 2018, the LAW received a major upgrade. 

14. M113 APC

• Year put into service: 1960
• Type: Armored personnel carrier
• Designer/original manufacturer: FMC Corporation

The Vietnam War-era M113 armored personnel carrier has played an important role in moving Ukrainian soldiers during their defense against Russian invaders. This 12-ton tracked APC can travel at speeds up to 42 miles per hour, carrying 11 soldiers and a driver. The APC is protected by a mounted M2 .50 caliber machine gun and a 7.62mm M6 machine gun fired from inside the cabin. There are still some 5,000 in use by the United States.

13. M18A1 Claymore

• Year put into service: 1960
• Type: Directional fragmentation anti-personnel mine
• Designer/original manufacturer: Norman MacLeod

Named after a medieval Scottish sword, the Claymore is an antipersonnel mine armed with hundreds of 3.2-millimeter steel balls that spray out in a 60-degree arc to about 100 meters when the C4 explosive behind them is detonated. Unlike conventional mines, the Claymore stands upright, sending its blast horizontally instead of vertically. Claymores are typically set up to prevent ambushes or infiltration attempts by enemy forces. It is detonated by remote control when an ambush or infiltration is detected by a sentry.

12. M14

• Year put into service: 1957
• Type: Battle rifle (currently used ceremonially)
• Designer/original manufacturer: Springfield Armory

The M14 rifle has long been retired as a service or basic training weapon. It was the last standard-issue rifle before it was replaced by more modern assault rifles, starting with the M16 in 1964. The semi-automatic M14 replaced the M1 Garand, a vital standard-issue rifle of World War II and the Korean War. Firing NATO 7.62mm rounds, the M14 is a more powerful and accurate rifle than modern assault rifles, but modern rifles are lighter and can spread bursts of fire over a wider range more rapidly than the M14. While not used in combat, it is still used as a ceremonial gun of the U.S. Tomb Guard.

11. KC-135 Stratotanker

• Year put into service: 1957
• Type: Aerial refueling and transport aircraft
• Designer/original manufacturer: Boeing

The Stratotanker has played a simple but vital and technically complicated role as an aerial refueler for the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force aircraft. It has been used in every major U.S. conflict involving air support since the Vietnam War. The aircraft is also used to transport wounded personnel during aeromedical evacuations. The Stratotanker, developed by Boeing alongside its commercial Boeing 707, can carry up to 83,000 pounds of cargo, depending on the aircraft’s fuel cargo configuration.

10. M60

• Year put into service: 1957
• Type: Medium machine gun
• Designer/original manufacturer: Saco Defense

Weighing just 23 pounds, this fearsome general-purpose machine gun became one of the most iconic weapons of the U.S. in Vietnam. The 42-inch-long weapon, nicknamed “The Pig,” could spit out a sustained rate of fire at 100 rounds per minute, but this extreme rate meant the barrel had to be swapped out about every 10 minutes in combat situations. The Pig’s belt-loaded ammo could be discharged by one very strong soldier, but the gun requires a team of three to transport, set up, and load. While it has been mostly phased out, it is still used on the Sikorsky Seahawk helicopter. 

9. Caterpillar D9

• Year put into service: 1955
• Type: Bulldozer
• Designer/original manufacturer: Caterpillar

Often a key element of military engagement is the need to eliminate obstructions like natural and human-made barriers and booby traps or to create sand mounds and recover stuck armored vehicles. This is where a good old civilian Caterpillar bulldozer comes into play. The commercial version is painted in Caterpillar’s trademarked yellow, while the military version is painted to blend with the environment. The military D9 is also armored to protect its two-person crew from small arms fire and artillery shell fragments, and it can be armed with a mounted machine gun.

8. B-52 Stratofortress

• Year put into service: 1954
• Type: Strategic bomber
• Designer/original manufacturer: Boeing

The first long-range heavy bomber of the U.S. armed forces remains in service, even though its initial function as a potential nuclear bomb dropper has changed. The B-52 is used as a conventional lower-altitude bomber that can also be deployed for extended-range transport of ballistic and cruise missiles. The current modern version of the B-52, equipped with advanced communication systems and real-time intelligence feeds, has a lifespan that extends past 2040.

7. C-130 Hercules

• Year put into service: 1954
• Type: Transport aircraft
• Designer/original manufacturer: Lockheed

The C-130 is one of the U.S. military’s massive airlift planes, and it holds the record for the longest continuous production run of a military aircraft. This versatile behemoth can be modified to operate as a special operations gunship or for the insertion and extraction of special ops units. The latest version, the more spacious C130J Super Hercules, features upgraded avionics, requires a smaller crew than its predecessors to operate, and flies faster.

6. M15 Mine

• Year put into service: 1950
• Type: Anti-tank blast mine
• Designer/original manufacturer: US Military

First used in the Korean War, the M15 is a larger and more potent version of the M6 anti-tank mine developed shortly after WWII and of the M1 used against Nazi tanks. It has since been replaced by the modern and lighter M19 mine, but the U.S. still keeps them in stock as they are proven effective in disabling battle tanks and armored or unarmored vehicles. Enemy tank crews are likely to survive an M15 anti-tank mine, but crew in less protected vehicles would be less protected.

5. M61 Vulcan

• Year put into service: 1946
• Type: Rotary cannon
• Designer/original manufacturer: General Electric

The hydraulically or pneumatically operated 20mm six-barrel gatling gun-style rotary cannon has been an effective weapon for more than 75 years. The modern variant is capable of firing about 6,000 rounds per minute, with each barrel firing one of every six rounds, thus reducing overall wear and heat buildup. The M61 is mounted on fighter aircraft like the F-16 and F-22 Raptor. Though the M61 is huge, it is smaller than the massive 30mm GAU-9/A rotary cannon mounted on the nose of the A-10 “Warthog” Thunderbolt II.

4. M18 Smoke Grenade

• Year put into service: 1942
• Type: Smoke grenade
• Designer/original manufacturer: US Military

A few of the oldest military weapons that are still in service today are used because they provide a basic role. The M18 smoke grenade fits this category, as it is still in use after 80 years. It is the smokier version of the M16 used during WWII. The M16 could emit smoke in seven different colors, but the military determined that only four colors were necessary. The smoke of the M18 is commonly green, yellow, red, or white, though other colors are available.

3. M2 Browning

• Year put into service: 1919
• Type: Heavy machine gun
• Designer/original manufacturer: John Browning

The recoil-operated, air-cooled M2 Browning is one of four machine guns on this list, as well as one of the oldest military weapons that are still in service — more than a century after its debut. The relative simplicity and lethality of rapid-fire weapons like the M2 have kept them around since the technology emerged in the early 1900s. Heavy machine guns during WWI put an end to the hitherto common practice of mass infantry charges. The modern M2 can fire up to about 800 rounds per minute with a maximum range of 6,800 meters and a more accurate maximum effective range of about 2,000 meters.

2. M1911

• Year put into service: 1911
• Type: Semi-automatic pistol
• Designer/original manufacturer: John Browning

The genius of the legendary small arms and machine gun designer John Browning (1855-1926) is illustrated by the fact that three of his weapons are still used today (in their modern variants), more than a century later: the M2 and M1919 machine guns and the M1911 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. This powerful gun remained a primary handgun until it was replaced in the 1980s with the Beretta M9, an effective 9mm pistol. U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations units still use the M1911 under the modern M45 designation.

1. M1903 Springfield

• Year put into service: 1903
• Type: Bolt-action rifle
• Designer/original manufacturer: Springfield Armory

Like the M14, the M1903 Springfield is one of the weapons ceremonially used by the Tomb Guard, wielded “mostly for show,” as described by the Society of the Honor Guard. The use of these two rifles, and others, in this role, is owed mostly to their important roles in past wars. The M1903 was the standard military infantry rifle in WWI. Its service was continued into WWII, but it saw limited use in Korea and Vietnam.