When it comes to historical collectors pieces small arms guns from World War I or perhaps some of the most sought after pieces. Ultimately there were nearly 100 different weapons used by each side in World War I and the process of development and technology in warfare was occurring in an absolutely staggering rate during this time. A few of the weapons used in this war are still produced today and some of the collectors pieces are still just as reliable as the day that they came off the production line, firing without issue. Here is a rundown of some of the most popular World War I small arms that you can find as a collector today:
Colt M1911: still one of the most successful small arms pistols of the 20th century, this colt model semi automatic pistol was created in the early 20th century and still stands as one of the top operating pistols for law enforcement and security around the world.
Remington Model 10 Pump action shotgun: the Remington model ten was used as a warfare shotgun throughout World War I and World War II. It was perfect for close range fire and for working as a service trench gun. Around 5000 model tends were used throughout World War I for close quarters combat and clearing cities. Just over a quarter of 1 million of the same design would be produced leading up to service in the 1930s and the U.S. Army stopped using this design towards the end of the Vietnam War.
Springfield M1903: this bolt action rifle was produced in mass quantities throughout World War I and was a common service rifle and it was equipped with a bayonet that many soldiers used for theater knives. It worked well as both a long gun with accuracy at a variety of ranges and was known for its massive reliability. Redesigns prior to World War I would include a 40 around vertical magazine that gave an amazing rate of fire with unmatched range. Although the gun was produced originally before 1900, it was reworked massively through the early 1900s and eventually became capable of shooting up to 15 rounds per minute in bolt action format with the ability to shoot a target at over 650 yards away unscoped.
Winchester 1915: this lever action service rifle was created and modified for Imperial Russian forces in World War I. Produced in the United States Remington was producing a five around projecting case under the receiver with a lever action. Although the gun was limited to single shots it was easy to reload with its bolt action method.
Lee Enfield: this bolt action repeating rifle was used by the British Empire from 1895 through to 1957. It’s estimated that more than 17 million of these were produced throughout the length of its operation as the standard infantry rifle. This was the standard in situ rifle for British forces in World War I and the rifle was known for its light weight construction as well as it’s amazing effective range of nearly 2000 yards. Five round charger clips were loaded into the top of the weapon body and this rifle could even be used with a scope to produce a sniper rifle as well.
Check out the video below for more details around the top guns used in WWI.