Military Grade Weapons: Guns, Grenades and Missles

Over the years, technological advancements have significantly changed the types of weapons available to the military, therefore evolving the way in which modern countries wage war. From guns to grenades to missiles, the military can choose between a number of different types of military grade weapons to suit various combat situations.

The type of weapon a soldier can select will depend on a variety of factors, including:

• the goal of the altercation (i.e. Taking down a city will require a stronger artillery than taking down a smaller village would.)
• the location of combat (i.e. Climate and surroundings can influence the effectiveness of different weapons.)
• the soldier's experience
• the target's size and distance.

With the vast number of choices the military has to choose from, clearly, proper training and a thorough knowledge of each weapon's capabilities and drawbacks is essential to being able to use them effectively and appropriately.

Here is a look at the different classes of military grade weapons, along with the primary uses of each. Keep in mind that our discussion will be focusing on weapons an individual can use, rather than more complicated weapons systems and structures.

Military Guns

When military grade guns, soldiers can choose between a variety of arms, including:

• M-4 Carbine: Used primarily by specific Army units, such as the Army Rangers, the M-4 is a lightweight assault rifle with a shortened barrel. Not only are these rifles ideal for closer range shooting, but they can also hit further range targets when fitted with a grenade launcher.
• M16A2 Rifle: Known commonly as the M-16, these rifles are standard issue, used by nearly every soldier working in combat. The advantages of the M-16s include their:
  • ability to fire large amounts of shots quickly
  • light weight
  • longevity
  • low cost (New M-16s cost the military less than $600 per unit.)
  • simplicity. (i.e. Not much training is needed to operate these military grade arms.)
• M-24 Sniper's Weapon System: In use since 1998, the M-24 is a type of bolt-action rifle used primarily by the Army for long-range targets. To increase precision, magnifying scopes can be attached to M-24s. Because these types of rifles carry six shots (one in the chamber and five in the magazine), they are ideal for a single target in clear sight, rather than a number of semi to fully hidden targets.

Depending on a given situation, soldiers may also be issued a number of other types of military grade guns, such as machine guns or Squad Automatic Weapons (SAWs).

Grenades

A hand grenade is a type of small, round explosive device that fits in the palm of your hand. To activate hand grenades, a soldier needs to follow these steps:

1. Remove the safety, which is known as the thumb clip.
2. Hold the protruding lever (known as the Spoon lever) with one hand and pull the pin at the top of the unit out. Keep in mind that, at this point, the grenade is not yet armed but is still dangerous. In fact, you can still reinsert the pin if you don't wish to use the grenade.
3. Drop or throw the grenade to activate its explosion.

While some grenades are used for destructive purposes, others may be used simply to generate smoke cover or to send a signal. The U.S. military distributes the M67 fragmentation grenade as standard military issue.

Missiles

When soldiers need more firepower to take down enemy tanks or fortified units, they typically opt for some type of missile. A missile is a type of weapons projectile that carries some type of explosive to a distant target. While some types of missiles can be fired from shoulder-carried systems, others can be manipulated from distant locations with the use of remote controls.