The United States Navy SEALs have been in operation for almost 62 years in which they have had countless missions. While not every mission is known, many have gone down in history for the significant impact they have made. The most elite division of the group is SEAL Team Six, who in May 2011, infiltrated a compound in Pakistan, engaged multiple enemy combatants, and took out the most wanted man in the world — Osama bin Laden.
This elite Special Forces unit is the tip of the spear for the U.S. military and the stories around it are the stuff of legend. (SEAL Team 6 is one of 17 of America’s most elite special forces.) The U.S. Navy SEALs Special Forces are renowned for their high-stakes missions and aptitude for conducting classified operations. To carry out these operations, the SEALs employ a variety of firearms that are versatile and adaptable to many tactical scenarios.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed the online database MilitaryFactory’s catalog of Navy SEALs Weapons to determine the guns used by U.S. Navy SEALs Special Forces. We removed guns that are similar to each other and guns that are believed to no longer be in use by the SEALs. We ranked the guns according to when they entered service. Supplemental data on the type of weapon, maximum effective range, and the caliber of ammunition each gun uses also came from MilitaryFactory.
All equipment in the SEALs’ armory plays a crucial role and each handgun is favored for different reasons. The Sig Sauer P228 is the long-time standard sidearm of the SEALs. Along with several others on this list, it corresponds with the theme of small compact weapons that still pack a hefty punch. Similarly, the Beretta M9 is known for its reliability under harsh conditions, which comes in handy with the unpredictable warfare situations that the SEALs often face.
One of the larger weapons in the Navy SEALs arsenal is the FGM-148 Javelin. It is a man-portable, “fire-and-forget” anti-tank missile developed by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. The Javelin allows Navy SEALs to engage armored vehicles, fortifications, and other hardened targets from a safe distance, with a maximum range of over 8,000 feet — far beyond the capacity of many similar shoulder-fired weapons.
These firearms are a significant part of what makes the Navy SEALs such an exceptionally effective force, but ultimately their effectiveness is decided by those behind the gun. (U.S. Special Forces such as the SEALs often fight in clandestine operations — the U.S. government is involved in secret wars in 15 countries.)
Here are the weapons used by the Navy SEALs.
32. M72 LAW
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Year entered service: 1963
- Type: Anti-tank rocket launcher
- Maximum effective range: 1,640 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 66mm
31. General Electric GAU-17/A Minigun
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Year entered service: 1965
- Type: Six-barrel gatling gun
- Maximum effective range: 3,280 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 7.62x51mm NATO
30. Mossberg Model 590
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Year entered service: 1975
- Type: Pump-action shotgun
- Maximum effective range: 130 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 12-gauge
29. Hawk MM-1 MGL
Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
- Year entered service: 1980
- Type: Automatic grenade launcher
- Maximum effective range: 740 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 40x46mm
28. FIM-92 Stinger
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Year entered service: 1981
- Type: Air defense missile system
- Maximum effective range: 15,750 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 70mm
27. Smith & Wesson Model 686
- Year entered service: 1981
- Type: Six-shot revolver
- Maximum effective range: 300 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: .357 Magnum
26. Barrett M82
- Year entered service: 1982
- Type: Anti-materiel rifle
- Maximum effective range: 1,850 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: .50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO)
25. ST Kinetics Ultimax 100
- Year entered service: 1982
- Type: Light machine gun
- Maximum effective range: 3,280 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 5.56x45mm NATO
24. Kalashnikov AKSU-74
Source: blinow61 / iStock via Getty Images
- Year entered service: 1983
- Type: Submachine gun
- Maximum effective range: 656 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 5.45x39mm Soviet
23. Colt M45 MEU
- Year entered service: 1986
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Maximum effective range: 165 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: .45 ACP
22. Saco M60E3
- Year entered service: 1986
- Type: Light machine gun
- Maximum effective range: 3,600 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 7.62x51mm NATO
21. M136 Light Anti-Armor Weapon (AT4)
Source: usairforce / Flickr
- Year entered service: 1987
- Type: Anti-armor rocket launcher
- Maximum effective range: 985 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 84mm
20. Remington M24 SWS
- Year entered service: 1987
- Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
- Maximum effective range: 2,624 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 7.62x51mm NATO
19. SIG-Sauer P228
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Year entered service: 1988
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Maximum effective range: 165 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 9x19mm parabellum
18. Beretta M9
Source: Tivoly / iStock via Getty Images
- Year entered service: 1990
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Maximum effective range: 164 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 9x19mm parabellum
17. Colt M16A4
Source: zim286 / iStock via Getty Images
- Year entered service: 1990
- Type: Assault rifle
- Maximum effective range: 1,968 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 5.56x45mm NATO
16. Heckler & Koch HK MP5K
- Year entered service: 1991
- Type: Submachine gun
- Maximum effective range: 656 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 9x19mm parabellum
15. Colt M4
Source: Bulgac / iStock via Getty Images
- Year entered service: 1994
- Type: Assault carbine
- Maximum effective range: 1,640 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 5.56x45mm NATO
14. FGM-148 Javelin
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Year entered service: 1996
- Type: Anti-tank guided missile launcher
- Maximum effective range: 8,202 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 127mm
13. Heckler & Koch HK GMG
- Year entered service: 1996
- Type: Automatic grenade launcher
- Maximum effective range: 5,000 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 40x53mm
12. Heckler & Koch Mk23 Mod 0
- Year entered service: 1996
- Type: Semi-automatic pistol
- Maximum effective range: 82 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: .45 ACP
11. Accuracy International AW50
- Year entered service: 1999
- Type: Anti-materiel rifle
- Maximum effective range: 4,921 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 12.7x99mm NATO
10. Benelli M4 Super 90
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Year entered service: 1999
- Type: Semi-automatic shotgun
- Maximum effective range: 164 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 12-gauge
9. McMillan TAC-50
- Year entered service: 2000
- Type: Anti-materiel rifle
- Maximum effective range: 6,561 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 12.7x99mm
8. Navy Mark 12 Special Purpose Rifle
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Year entered service: 2002
- Type: Designated marksman rifle
- Maximum effective range: 1,800 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 5.56x45mm NATO
7. Fabrique National Mk 48 LWMG
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Year entered service: 2003
- Type: Light weight machine gun
- Maximum effective range: 2,624 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 7.62x51mm NATO
6. Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR
Source: usairforce / Flickr
- Year entered service: 2004
- Type: Designated marksman rifle
- Maximum effective range: 1,500 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 7.62x51mm NATO
5. M32 MGL
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Year entered service: 2006
- Type: Six-shot grenade launcher
- Maximum effective range: 1,315 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 40x46mm grenade
4. Barrett M107
Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
- Year entered service: 2008
- Type: Anti-personnel sniper rifle
- Maximum effective range: 1,850 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: .50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO)
3. M39 Enhanced Marksman Rifle
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Year entered service: 2008
- Type: Designated marksman rifle
- Maximum effective range: 2,550 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 7.62x51mm NATO
2. AirTronic PSRL-1
- Year entered service: 2009
- Type: Anti-personnel shoulder-fired rocket launcher
- Maximum effective range: 2,625 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: 40mm Rocket
1. Accuracy International Mk13
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Year entered service: 2017
- Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
- Maximum effective range: 3,940 ft.
- Caliber/ammunition: .300 Winchester magnum
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