Despite World War II ending just years prior, the military machine of the United States did not slow down in the 1950s. Although most of Europe was rebuilding during this time, war was raging throughout the Korean Peninsula and Southeast Asia was still up for grabs for the surviving military powers. Even though the U.S. military could take a breath during this time before plunging back into conflict, the arms development continued and many weapons introduced in this decade would have a resounding impact for years to come. (These are 26 guns in the arsenal of the U.S. Army.)
Here 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the small arms introduced during the 1950s, specifically those that were American made. To identify American military guns introduced in the 1950s, 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.
Two guns that would gain a massive following in this time were the AR-10 and AR-15. Both were developed and manufactured by ArmaLite and Colt. These guns would bear some resemblance but there is a distinct difference between the two, namely the caliber of rounds chambered by each.
Separately, the Saco M60 would enter the battlefield in 1957 as the next generation of general purpose machine guns. Going forward, Saco Defense would develop a family of these machine guns and an assortment of other small arms that would make their way into the service of the U.S. Army and other militaries around the world.
While the sheer number of guns produced in the post-war years of World War II would wane, they would set a precedent for many small arms for decades to come. (These are the 18 newest guns currently in use by the U.S. military.)
Here is a look at the American-made military guns of the 1950s:
ArmaLite AR-10
Source: Le-boulanger / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Battle rifle
- Year introduced: 1958
- Manufacturer: ArmaLite / Colt
- Firing action: Gas-operated rotating bolt
- Caliber and feed: 7.62x51mm NATO, .308 Winchester; 20-round detachable box magazine
Colt AR-15
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Select-fire automatic rifle
- Year introduced: 1958
- Manufacturer: ArmaLite / Colt
- Firing action: Rotating bolt, direct impingement system
- Caliber and feed: 5.56x45mm NATO, .223 Remington, .45 ACP, 5.7x28mm, 6.8mm Remington SPC; 20-, 30-, 40-, 45-, 90- or 100-round magazine
Ithaca M6
Source: hiramtom / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Type: Aircrew survival rifle
- Year introduced: 1952
- Manufacturer: Ithaca Gun Company
- Firing action: Manual firing pin selector lever, dual-shot
- Caliber and feed: .22 Hornet, .410; 9 x .22 Hornet, 4 x .410 shells
M40 RR
- Type: 106mm recoilless rifle
- Year introduced: 1955
- Manufacturer: Watervilet Arsenal
- Firing action: Single-shot, reusable gun tube, recoilless
- Caliber and feed: 105x607mmR; Single-shot
Model 870
Source: simonov / Flickr
- Type: Pump-action shotgun
- Year introduced: 1950
- Manufacturer: Remington Arms
- Firing action: Pump-action repeating
- Caliber and feed: 12-, 16-, 20- or 28-gauge, .410 bore; 4- or 7-round tubular magazine
Model 870 Wingmaster
Source: Burnyburnout / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year introduced: 1951
- Manufacturer: Remington Arms
- Firing action: Manually-operated pump-action slide
- Caliber and feed: 12-, 16-, 20- or 28-gauge, .410 bore; 5-round tubular magazine
Python
Source: szuppo / Flickr
- Type: Six-shot revolver
- Year introduced: 1955
- Manufacturer: Colt
- Firing action: Double-action, repeating
- Caliber and feed: .357 Magnum; 6-shot rotating cylinder
Saco M60
Source: MarcusBurns / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: General purpose machine gun
- Year introduced: 1957
- Manufacturer: Saco Defense
- Firing action: Gas-operated open bolt
- Caliber and feed: 7.62x51mm NATO; Disintegrating link belt of various counts
Smith & Wesson Model 29
Source: 2015 Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- Type: Six-shot revolver
- Year introduced: 1955
- Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson
- Firing action: Double-action, rotating cylinder
- Caliber and feed: .44 Magnum, .44 Special; 6-round rotating cylinder
Springfield M14
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Battle rifle
- Year introduced: 1959
- Manufacturer: Springfield Armory
- Firing action: Gas-operated, rotating bolt, selective fire
- Caliber and feed: 7.62x51mm NATO; 20-round detachable box magazine
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