If you are a historical collector and you have ever considered picking up some weapons that were used in World War II, it is important to note that a wide array of pistols, machine guns and rifles were used throughout this time. Many of the same manufacturers are still producing similar models to this day but getting your hands on some of these  period pieces that are restored were still able to fire can be a wonderful experience for any collector.

The weapons used in World War II were selected for their reliability, power and accuracy. Some of the models are in fact so reliable that they still function easily for todays current owners. Many of the models have hardly been touched since the war and the manufacturers still continue to produce similar weapons today.

World War II collection arms are perhaps some of the most sought after military items in World War II history buffs. This is partially because of the innovations that took place between the first and second world war and how quickly weapons were able to adapt and become more deadly than ever before.

Each country tended to have its own preferred weapons but some of the most famous include:

M1918 BAR: otherwise known as the Browning automatic rifle the first version of this compact machine gun was built in World War I. The US ceased operations using the BAR in 1955 but the gun was extremely advanced for its time. Each magazine held 20 rounds with a selective fire between 350 rounds per minute or 550 rounds per minute depending on how the trigger was squeezed. The craftsmanship put into each one of these rifles made sure that they would be reliable and pretty much indestructible in the heat of battle.

Colt m1911: this was one of the standard issue pistols given to US soldiers throughout World War II. The same pistol still continues its service amongst security professionals, operators and law enforcement officials around the world. It featured a seven round detachable box magazine and semi automatic fire.  It has been used as early as WWI in combat.

M1 Carbine: The M1 carbine became one of the most reliable rifles in World War 2.  The M1 Garand series would be the most produced American small arm for World War II and the rifle served with American forces up until 1973. It held 15 rounds and was capable of firing around 850 rounds per minute. The rifle was especially known for its punch as it was capable of firing at 1,950 feet per second with amazing accuracy.  Like  other guns, they also had bayonets that were detachable and used as military knives in combat.

M1 Thompson (Tommy Gun)– this gun was made famous shortly after world war one and was developed by the son of an Army Lieut. Col. who wanted to produce a submachine gun that would perform well in a trench warfare environment. The tommy gun would prove the perfect weapon for confined spaces. The weapon would see used by American forces, Australian, British and Canadian forces throughout World War II. Several magazines were created including a 30 round detachable box magazine, 50 rounds drum and 100 round drum. In a compact weapon it was capable of firing up to 1500 rounds per minute from a weapon weighing just over 10 pounds and this gave it amazing maneuverability and close range applications.

For more details around some of the guns used in World War II, take some time and look at the video below.