Call of Duty isn't just a game, it's an institution! The CoD games are balletic bullet bonanzas of destruction, and you are at the eye of the hurricane. The Call of Duty series has seen you journey from the Second World War to the modern day, all the way to the future and then back again, and this roller coaster shows no signs of stopping. A strange development cycle sees the title passed between its masters at Infinity Ward and the virtuosos at Treyarch, but the result is always the same: multiplayer mayhem and carnage par excellence. Gamers worldwide agree, as the series has sold an astonishing 250 million copies, for a total of over $15 billion in profit. Call of Duty has seen action figures. Call of Duty has seen comic books. Call of Duty has seen *trading cards*, and it looks like nothing can stop this train.
One of the most engaging things about the Call of Duty series is its gunplay, and you can't spell gunplay without GUNS! It replicates with extraordinary fidelity a vast arsenal of weapons from the many eras it represents, and players learn well the difference between a trusty Garand and an AK-47. How much do you know about the guns that you use to rock fools' worlds? We've put together a list of some of the deadliest - and occasionally most obscure - guns the series features. Can you call them all out? Take a breath and take your shot!
The FAMAS in the weapon's name is actually a French acronym for Fusil d'Assaut de la Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne. It is a Bullpup assault rifle, known as The Bugle by French troops who wield it. It fires an astonishing 1,200 rounds per minute.
The BAR, which is short for Browning Automatic Rifle, was a portable machine gun, meant to be used by a single infantryman. Introduced in WW1 for use by American troops, it was occasionally even fired from the hip, which must have been quite a sight!
Used by Commonwealth troops in WW2, the Bren is a man-portable machinegun. It had an effective range of about 600 yards if properly steadied on its bipod, and was generally used as a two-person weapon- one firing and one loading.
The 61 Skorpion is a Czechoslovak machine pistol. It is meant as a weapon for security staff and drivers, as opposed to being a battlefield weapon, and can fire up to 850 rounds per minute with some accuracy on automatic fire settings.
The M1911 is a pistol used by the American Army. It was used from WW1 up through the Vietnam War as a trusted sidearm. It is still in use today in many police organizations, giving it over a century of use!
The Beretta 93R is a machine pistol, manufactured by the Italian company Beretta. The "R" in its designation stands for Raffica, which refers to its burst fire capability.
The RPG-7 is a Russian-made antitank weapon. It is shoulder-mounted and unguided, and is wildly used all over the world by both militaries and militia to fight armored vehicles.
The Panzerschreck, or "Tank's fear," was a German anti-armor weapon in WWII. It was inspired by the American bazooka, and could fire an 88 mm shell, giving it potent armor penetration for the era.
The M1A1 Carbine is a semi-auto carbine. It became standard issue for GIs in WWII, after studies showed that the M1 Garand was too unwieldy. Having wide access to semi-automatic weapons was a major advantage for American troops in the field!
The M240B is a heavy machinegun of Belgian design, although it sees a lot of use in the American military. It can be mounted on a bipod or tripod, but is frequently vehicular-mounted. It is a standard anti-infantry weapon on the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, for example.
The FGM-148 Javelin is a missile designed to be fired and then for the operator to seek immediate cover. It has its own guidance system, and will fly into the air and strike its target from above, where the weakest armor is.
The Winchester 1200 is a pump-action shotgun created in 1963 for the US military, as well as for civilian use. The military version is bayonet capable, but let's hope it doesn't come to that!
The MP 18 is the father of all submachine guns. It was designed for use by "stormtroopers" in WW1, troops who were specifically trained to breach trench lines. The small design and rapid fire capability of the MP 18 was perfect for firing into packed trenches.
The M1941 is a light machine gun, designed to favor accuracy and penetrating power over weight of fire. It was actually invented by a lawyer from Boston, Melvin Johnson, and was known as the Johnny Gun.
The TDI Vector actually has a new name now, as it is no longer created by TDI: The KRISS Vector. It is a submachine gun with a distinct profile and up to a 33-round magazine. It is accurate out to 55 yards, or longer if it has a detachable barrel extension.
The Heckler & Koch HK45 was designed to be a next-level combat pistol, supposedly for the US military to refit their entire combat force. This did not happen due to budgetary issues, but the Heckler & Koch HK45 still thrives on the commercial market.
The Heckler & Koch G36C is a modern assault rifle, created in 1997, and is the primary weapon for the German Bundeswehr. There have been concerns about overheating when used in prolonged combat, but the manufacturer claims the defects have been fixed.
A machine gun manned by a crew of 2-3 people, the M60E3 is a belt-fed weapon that can fire 500-650 RPM. It can notably have a grenade launcher attachment, which it frequently uses for effect. It was known as the "Pig" due to its ponderous bulk.
The Desert Eagle is a handgun with semi-automatic capabilities. Its most distinct feature is its design aesthetic, which has resulted in it being featured in dozens of films and TV shows. Correspondingly, it has seen a great deal of commercial success. Beauty matters in gun making, too!
The Lewis automatic machine gun was created by the British to fight in WW1, although it continued in a combat role as late as Korea. Its redundant name is proof of its age, and it also has a distinct round bullet magazine atop the weapon that gives it its unique profile.
The PPSH-41 was a Soviet submachine gun used as a primary infantry weapon by the USSR in WW2. It had a drum magazine and was effective up to 150 meters. Like many Soviet weapons, it was reliable and easy to assemble, and those factors allowed it to be produced en masse.
The AA-12 CQB, known as the Atchisson Assault Shotgun, is a fully automatic shotgun. Its special feature is a surprisingly low recoil, which combined with its automatic fire allows for vast damage in an enclosed area.
The M3 Submachinegun was a WW2-era submachinegun used by the American forces. Its distinct look gave it the nickname "the grease gun", since it looked remarkably like such a mechanic's tool. It was touted to be more accurate than the Thompson, but in reality it was a pretty inaccurate weapon.
The Steyr AUG A2 is an automatic rifle chiefly used by Austria's Bundesheer. It is a bullpup weapon whose chief defining feature is its modularity: It can be reconfigured for use as a sniper rifle or a submachine gun.
The Beretta 92SB is a semi-automatic pistol created by the Italian company Beretta. Its most distinct feature is its magazine feeding directly into the firing chamber- there is no "ramp" connecting the two, allowing for faster semi-automatic fire.
The Remington Model 700P is a bolt-action rifle designed for extreme accuracy at range. It has been mass-produced for civilian hunting use, and a variant model has been used as a military sniper rifle.
The SA80 is actually an entire family of weapons. They are bullpup-modeled weapons, with a pistol grip placed on the front mounting. They use a NATO-standard STANAG style magazine, with 30-round clips as standard.
The Type 100 Submachine Gun was a Japanese submachine gun used in WW2. It was created by the Nambu corporation. It did not see widespread use, as the Japanese were late to come around to SMGs. It was primarily used by their marine forces.
The FG 42 was an automatic rifle primarily used by German paratroops in WW2. Its design was considered so sophisticated that after the war the Allies essentially poached the design, resulting in the creation of the M60.
The M1 Garand, known as the M1 to its American users, was the primary infantry weapon of the US's Great War military contingent. It was exceedingly accurate and reliable, and was a semi-automatic weapon in a time of bolt action armaments, giving American troops a significant advantage!
The AK-47 is perhaps the most famous (and infamous) rifle of all time. It was created in the USSR and is an extremely rugged, dependable and powerful automatic rifle. It has seen use in militaries and insurgencies around the world.
The PP-2000 is a Russian made submachine gun. It is lightweight and compact, and capable for a large volume of fire at close range, making it perfect for security and counter-terrorism work.
The MG15 was originally a machine gun mounted on an aircraft's wing. Eventually the German infantry found a use for it as a support weapon. It had a 75-round saddle drum magazine, allowing for lengthy periods of fire.
The Glock 17 is an extremely popular polymer pistol. Made by an Austrian company, Glock has actually seen great success in the United States as a weapon for civilians and security forces.
The Remington ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) is an assault rifle with a fully modular design, allowing it to act as other weapons as needed. It is known as the "Masada", in recognition of the legendary fortress's defiance.
The Armsel Protecta, aka the Striker, is a shotgun with a distinctive drum magazine. It is largely used for riot control and other close quarters combat operations.
The Colt Anaconda is an extremely large bore handgun, made to compete with weapons like the .44 Magnum. They are largely used by gun enthusiasts and target shooters, as they are too large for practical use by law enforcement forces.
Can you identify the Call of Duty gun in this photo?
The S&W Shield
SIG P226
Astra A-100
Heckler & Koch MG4
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer
The Heckler & Koch MG4 is a light machinegun that has seen formal adoption by the Bundeswehr. It has a mechanism for preventing accidental firing, and has an effective range of 1,000 meters.
The Walther WA 2000 is a rarely seen weapon: a bullpup sniper rifle. It proved too expensive to be mass produced, and its finicky nature made it inappropriate for miitary adoption.
The Kar98k, also known as the 98 kurz, was a bolt action weapon and the primary German infantry rifle of WW2. It is not as flashy as some of the later semi-automatic weapons, but it was produced in vast quantities to meet war demands.
