M1 carbine and M2 Carbine- Were widely used by the South Vietnamese Military, Police and Security Forces, the Viet Cong, and the US Military.Also used by the South Vietnamese, South Koreans and Laotians M1 Garand - Was used by the Marine Corps during the early stages of the war.soldier with an M14 watches as supplies are dropped in Vietnam, 1967. L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle - Used by Australian and New Zealand soldiers in VietnamĪ U.S.Walther PPK with suppressor - It was used by Special Forces and spies.High Standard HDM - It was replaced by the Smith & Wesson Model 39 as the main suppressed pistol because of its caliber.M1917 revolver - Used by the South Vietnamese and US forces during the beginning of the war alongside the Smith & Wesson Model 10.Smith & Wesson Model 12 - Given to helicopter pilots.Smith & Wesson Model 15 (USAF M15) - carried by USAF Security Police Units.Smith & Wesson Model 27 carried by MACV-SOG.Smith & Wesson Model 29 carried by US Special Forces.Colt Commander - Replaced the Colt M1903 pistol in the mid-60s.Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless - Carried by General Officers, but it was replaced by the Colt Commander in the Mid-60s.Colt M1911A1 - It was the main side arm of the US Army and other countries except the ones in the Commonwealth.Smith & Wesson Mark 22 Mod.0 "Hush Puppy" - Suppressed pistol used by SEALs, among others.Also used on an unofficial basis by US Reconnaissance and Special Forces units. Browning High Power pistol - used by Australian and New Zealand forces.The KA-BAR knife was the most famous edged weapon of the war. Weapons of the ARVN, US, South Korean, Australian, and New Zealand Forces Small arms The Hueys were also successfully used in MEDIVAC and search and rescue roles. In the latter role, the "Huey" as it became affectionately known, was outfitted with a variety of armaments including M60 machineguns, multi-barreled 7.62 mm Gatling guns and unguided air-to-surface rockets. The Bell UH-1 Iroquois was used extensively in counter-guerilla operations both as a troop carrier and a gunship. The Vietnam War was the first conflict that saw wide scale tactical deployment of helicopters. Offshore naval fire played a pivotal role in the Battle for the city of Hue, providing accurate fire in support of the U.S. Navy had the run of the coastline, using aircraft carriers as platforms for offshore strikes and other naval vessels for offshore artillery support. air power was credited with breaking the siege of Khe Sanh and blunting the 1972 Communist offensive against South Vietnam. The United States had air superiority though many aircraft were lost to surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery. It was countered by the long-range, American 175 mm M107 Self-Propelled Gun. With its 17-mile (27 km) range, the Soviet 130 mm M-46 towed field gun was a highly regarded weapon and used to good effect by the NVA. Artillery was used extensively by both sides but the Americans were able to ferry the lightweight 105 mm M102 howitzer by helicopter to remote locations on quick notice. The M67A1 flamethrower tank (nicknamed the Zippo) was an M48 variant used in Vietnam. They played an important role in infantry support though there were few tank versus tank battles. The heavily armored, 90 mm M48A3 Patton tank saw extensive action during the Vietnam War and over 600 were deployed with US Forces. According to a congressional report, the jamming was caused primarily by a change in gunpowder which was done without adequate testing and reflected a decision for which the safety of soldiers was a secondary consideration. Often the gun suffered from a jamming flaw known as "failure to extract," which meant that a spent cartridge case remained lodged in the chamber after a bullet flew out the muzzle. The American M16, which replaced the M14, was lighter and considered more accurate than the AK-47 but was prone to jamming. The ubiquitous Soviet AK-47 was widely regarded as the best assault rifle of the war and it was not uncommon to see U.S. 5 Substitute standard weapons used by irregular forcesĬommunist forces were p00p principally armed with Chinese and Soviet weaponry though some Viet Cong guerrilla units were equipped with Western infantry weapons either captured from French stocks during the first Indochina war or from ARVN units or requisitioned through illicit purchase.4.4.2 Automatic and semi-automatic rifles.3 Weapons of the ARVN, US, South Korean, Australian, and New Zealand Forces.