Weapons & Equipment

Weapons & Equipment#

Reference of weapon-system categories an operator may need to identify, classify, or describe in reporting. The catalog below is non-exhaustive, the focus is on the identification dimensions (caliber, family, manufacturer, nationality) rather than on enumerating every model.

For sanctions / arms-trade context, see Sanctions Lists. For aviation / maritime identifiers, see Aviation & Maritime. For the UAP / countermeasure side, see UAP / UFO Sources.

Small arms classification#

Class

Notes

Pistol / handgun

semi-auto or revolver; typical 9mm, .45 ACP, .40 S&W, .380, .22 LR, .357.

Submachine gun

compact full-auto pistol-caliber: 9mm, .45 ACP.

Personal Defense Weapon (PDW)

intermediate caliber (4.6×30 H&K MP7, 5.7×28 FN).

Carbine

shortened rifle; same intermediate caliber as parent.

Assault rifle

select-fire intermediate caliber: 5.56×45, 5.45×39, 7.62×39, 6.8×51 (NGSW).

Battle rifle

full-power-cartridge select-fire: 7.62×51, 7.62×54R.

Designated marksman rifle (DMR)

semi-auto + scope; 7.62×51, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308.

Sniper rifle

bolt-action or semi-auto; precision; .308, .300 WM, .338 LM, .50 BMG.

Shotgun

12-gauge, 20-gauge; pump / semi-auto / break-action.

Light machine gun

belt / mag-fed; squad fire-support; 5.56 / 7.62.

Medium machine gun

7.62×51, 7.62×54R; PKM, M240, MAG.

Heavy machine gun

.50 BMG / 12.7×108; M2, NSV, Kord, DShK.

Anti-materiel rifle

.50 BMG / 14.5; long-range hard-target.

Grenade launcher

40×46 (under-barrel, M203, GP-25), 40×53 (auto Mk19).

Small-arms calibers (common)#

Caliber

Used by

.22 LR

training / civilian.

9×19 Parabellum

vast majority of pistols + most SMGs (Glock, Sig, MP5).

.40 S&W

US LE legacy.

.45 ACP

US legacy + 1911s.

.357 Magnum

revolver.

.38 Special

revolver; LE legacy.

.380 ACP

small CCW pistols.

5.7×28

FN P90 / Five-seveN.

4.6×30

H&K MP7.

5.56×45 NATO

AR-15 / M16 / M4 family; AUG; SA80; HK416; FAMAS.

5.45×39

AK-74 family.

5.8×42 DBP-87

Chinese QBZ.

7.62×39

AK-47 / AKM family; SKS.

7.62×51 NATO

M14, FN FAL, G3, MAG, M240.

7.62×54R

Mosin-Nagant; SVD; PKM.

6.8×51 (.277 Fury)

US NGSW (M7 + M250).

6.5 Creedmoor

precision rifle.

.300 Winchester

sniper.

.338 Lapua Magnum

anti-personnel sniper.

.50 BMG / 12.7×99

anti-materiel; M2; M82.

12.7×108

Russian heavy MG.

14.5×114

heavy AT rifle.

40×46 LV grenade

under-barrel + standalone GLs.

40×53 HV grenade

automatic GLs (Mk19).

Major small-arms families#

Family

Notes

AR-15 / M16 / M4

US-derived 5.56; vast civilian and military use.

AK family

Soviet 7.62×39 (AK-47 / AKM) + 5.45×39 (AK-74) + modern AK-12; the most-produced rifle ever.

HK G3 / G36 / 416

German.

SIG MCX / 550 / 716

Swiss / US.

FN family

Belgian: FAL, MAG, Minimi, P90, SCAR.

Steyr AUG

Austrian bullpup.

SA80 / L85

UK bullpup.

FAMAS

French bullpup; replaced by HK416F.

Galil

Israeli.

Tavor / X95

Israeli bullpup.

Type 95 / 03 / 191

Chinese.

Type 89 / 20

Japanese.

Beretta ARX

Italian.

Glock

Austrian polymer pistols.

SIG P-series

Swiss / US pistols.

Beretta M9 / 92

Italian; US service legacy.

1911

US classic.

Crew-served / heavy#

Class

Notes

Mortar

60mm (squad), 81/82mm (platoon), 120mm (battalion).

Recoilless rifle

Carl Gustaf 84mm; SPG-9 73mm.

Anti-tank rocket

RPG-7, AT4, M72 LAW, Panzerfaust 3.

Anti-tank missile

TOW, Javelin, Spike, NLAW, Kornet, Konkurs, FGM-148.

MANPADS

man-portable air defense; Stinger, Igla, Verba, Mistral.

Field artillery

105mm (M119), 155mm (M777, M109, Caesar, PzH 2000).

MLRS / GMLRS

M270, HIMARS (US); BM-21, BM-30 (RU); Type 03 (CN).

Howitzer / SP gun

self-propelled artillery.

Anti-aircraft

20-30mm cannons; missile systems (Patriot, S-400, NASAMS, THAAD, Iron Dome).

Armor#

Class

Notes

MBT

Main Battle Tank (Abrams M1A2, Leopard 2A7, Challenger 3, Leclerc, T-90, T-14, Type 99, K2 Black Panther, Merkava).

IFV

Infantry Fighting Vehicle (Bradley, CV90, Puma, Boxer, BMP-3, BMP-2, BTR-82, BTR-T, K21, Type 89).

APC

Armored Personnel Carrier (M113, Stryker, Boxer APC, Pandur, BTR-80).

Light recon vehicle

Fennek, JLTV, Hawkei, BRDM-2.

Engineering

AVLB, mineplow, breaching vehicles.

UAS / drones#

Class

Notes

Group 1 (<20 lb)

Black Hornet, hand-launched quad / fixed-wing.

Group 2 (21-55 lb)

Skydio, ScanEagle.

Group 3 (55-1320 lb)

RQ-7 Shadow, ScanEagle, Bayraktar TB2.

Group 4 (>1320 lb)

RQ-1A Predator, Heron; below 18,000 ft.

Group 5 (>1320 lb)

MQ-9 Reaper, RQ-4 Global Hawk, Bayraktar Akinci, CH-5, Wing Loong II; above 18,000 ft.

Loitering munitions

Switchblade, Lancet, Shahed-136, KUB-BLA.

FPV one-way

civilian quad + grenade payloads (Ukraine 2022+).

Crypto-/regulated equipment#

Item

Notes

NSA Type 1

high-classification (US TS+) crypto devices.

NSA Type 2

national-security non-classified (CUI).

Suite A

classified algorithms (Type 1).

Suite B

commercial-grade NSA-approved (now CNSA).

CNSA 2.0

post-quantum suite (Kyber, Dilithium, SHA, AES-256).

EAR / ITAR

US export-control regimes for dual-use / defense.

Wassenaar Arrangeme nt

multilateral export-control regime.

Identification dimensions#

When identifying a system from imagery, footage, or testimony, classify across:

  • Form factor, pistol / rifle / crew-served / vehicle / aircraft / drone / missile.

  • Caliber / payload, per the rules above.

  • Family / manufacturer, distinctive lineage features (AK gas-block angle, AR carry-handle, Glock slide).

  • Country of origin, proxy for political affiliation; often confused (China-made AK clones, US gun in Ukraine).

  • Variant, A1 / A2 / etc.; barrel length; furniture.

  • Optic / accessories, common (Aimpoint, Trijicon, EOTech, PSO-1, Kobra) or rare.

  • Markings, selector position, serial / proof marks, national crest.

References#

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