1. Colt M1911
   Lee–Enfield
2. Springfield M1903A1
   Winchester Model 70

A strong combination of an easy to carry heft and significant stopping power made the Colt M1911 a favorite for allied forces both in WW2 and in the years to come. It also has short recoil, which greatly aids in accuracy.

1. Turban
   Kepi
2. M1 Helmet
   Hachimaki

An iconic piece of American war equipment, the M1 helmet was the quintessential US infantry headpiece. It has two layers, a hard outer shell and an inner piece that functions like a construction worker's hard hat. These layers of protection are great for insulating against explosive shocks and shrapnel.

1. M3A1
   Thompson Submachine Gun
2. M50 Reising
   United Defense M42

Over 1.5 million military Thompson submachine guns were produced during World War II.

1. M1917 Enfield
   Springfield M1903A1
2. M2 Carbine
   M4 Survival Rifle

The M2 Carbine was an enhanced version of the well loved M1 carbine with a significant change: it was capable of alternating fire modes between semi automatic and full automatic fire. Though limited by ammunition, this was still a meaningful difference!

1. M1941 Johnson machine gun
   Breda 30
2. Winchester M1897
   M18 recoilless rifle

This weapon, colloquially called the Johnny Gun, was an American LMG used during the second world war. It was lighter than the cumbersome BAR, and was especially favored by small, mobile units like commandos.

1. MG42
   ZB vz. 26
2. MG34
   Browning M2HB Heavy Machine Gun

The Browning M2HB Heavy Machine Gun, known to its friends as "Ma Deuce", is an incredible weapon. Usually vehicle mounted, its efficiency is second to none: incredibly this weapon, which predates WW2, is still in official use today!

1. Stahlhelm
   Dreyse M1907
2. 35M rifle
   Colt M1914

The Dreyse M1907 was an older model pistol dating back to Austrian use in the Great War. Its use in WW2 was largely due to it being employed by Volkssturm units of militia. There were plenty of them lying around and they were easy to manufacture allowing for wide deployment.

1. Kepi
   M1 Carbine
2. Steyr M1912
   Gewehr 41

The Steyr M1912 is another Austrian pistol that dates back to the Great War. After the Anschluss, fond memories of this weapon led the Wehrmacht to order tens of thousands of them for the upcoming second World War.

1. Beret
   Brodie
2. Bulgarian M36
   Adrian Helmet

The Adrian Helmet, and its descendant the M26, were French helmets used in the Great War and WW2. It was the first steel helmet to be used in a modern combat setting, and was specifically designed to deal with the dangers posed by shrapnel caused by artillery fire.

1. Walther P38
   Colt M1911
2. M1917 Enfield
   Pistole vz. 24

The Colt M1911 was one of the most well known weapons of WWII. The US commissioned an astonishing 2.7 million of these bad boys and, incredibly, the weapon is still in use in segments of the US military today!

1. Beret
   Brodie
2. Kepi
   Patrol Cap

Although they are now the basic military head wear of many militaries, in WW2 berets were primarily used by tanker crews as a mark of their peculiar occupation. They were also used by airborne regiments, like the "Red Devils" from the UK.

1. Mauser C96
   Astra 900
2. vz. 24 (used as G24(t))
   Pistole vz. 24

The Mauser C96 was a semi automatic pistol that was produced in vast numbers. It used a kind of funny looking wooden stock, and its semi-circular handle gave it the distinct nickname "the broom handle".

1. Baretta 22
   Colt 45
2. Walther PP
   Suomi KP

The Walther PP's acronym stands for the German words for "police pistol" indicating that this is a law enforcement weapon. It's a bit of a misnomer however, as what that means in the context of WW2 is controlling occupied population and hunting insurgents.

1. Pith Helmet
   Sailor cap
2. Peaked Cap
   Garrison Cap

The humble sailor cap is a stylish peaked cap which became popular in the 19th century. Variants of it were used by many of the navies involved in WW2. It is still in use today, but it is largely ceremonial in nature.

1. Utility Cover
   Boonie Hat
2. M1C Cap
   Side Cap

The utility cover is an eight-pointed cap partly inspired by a railroad engineer's cap! It was popularized in WW2 by its use by the Marine Raiders, an elite unit within the Marines that has been described as "like a Marine, but more so!"

1. M50 Reisling
   Lewis Gun
2. Mauser HSc
   Sauer 38

The Mauser HSc's acronym is actually German for "self cocking hammer". It was initially designed to be a commercial pistol, but production was swung toward military purposes come WWII, with a preponderance of the weapons going to the Kriegsmarine.

1. Tam o' Shanter
   Beret
2. Marine Cap
   Pith Cotton Chancer

A Tam o' Shanter is a traditional Scottish bonnet, named after a fictional Scottish national hero. It is know for its distinctive round shape and the fuzzy ball that sits jauntily atop it. This was frequently used by, unsurprisingly, Scottish troops in WWII.

1. M1 Helmet
   Pith Helmet
2. Stahlhelm
   Aramid

The Stahlhelm is the most famous German helmet of the second world war. It cuts a distinctive curved silhouette, and was commonly used in military propaganda by both the Axis and the Allies. Its curved design does an excellent job of protecting against shrapnel caused by artillery and cannon fire.

1. Luger P08
   Pistole vz. 24
2. Colt M1917 revolver
   M50 Reisling

The Luger P08 is the distinct thin-barreled semi automatic pistol used by many German officers in WW2. Its particular profile has gotten quite a bit of commercial attention in the years since the war, and it is frequently seen as a "bad guy gun" in entertainment productions.

1. M1 Garand
   Lee-Enfield
2. MG-42
   Carcano

The Carcano is a distinct Italian-made bolt action rifle. It saw use by many nations in the time around WW2. The Finns used it in the short but sharp Winter War, and the Japanese used it in their battles against the United States.

1. M1 Garand
   M1 Carbine
2. Browning HP
   Carabiner 98b

The M1 Carbine was the standard-issue semi-automatic rifle of the WW2 American infantryman. It was inexpensive, light, and easy to produce en masse, but various complaints about its reliability came in after they first started being used in combat. In particular the weapon was criticized for a lack of stopping power.

1. Panama Hat
   Pickelhaube
2. Pith helmet
   Tropenhelm

The pith helmet is known for its characterful oversized mountain shape. It was generally issued to British troops in hotter climates, where the fact that it was raised from the head might make the wearer a little more ventilated.

1. M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle
   M3A1
2. MG42
   Gewehr 43

The M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, or BAR for short, was a light machinegun assigned to most American Infantry squads in WW2. It could even be fired on the move, from the hip, giving it extraordinary flexibility for a machine gun.

1. Gewehr 98
   M1917 Enfield
2. Colt M1914
   M1941 Johnson rifle

The Gewehr 98 was a German bolt action rifle used in limited quantities in WW2. It was a venerable design by that point, but it was still utilized by various Axis powers as well as notably by Nationalist Spain in their civil war against the Republicans.

1. Colt 1911
   Makarov
2. Nagant 1895
   Tokarev TT-33

The Tokarev TT-33 was a Soviet Union designed semi automatic pistol used in WW2. It was used by thousands of troops, but was primarily an officer's weapon. A Tokarev TT-33 was famously used in a piece of Russian propaganda where a soldier wielding one urges his comrades to victory.

1. M1 Garand
   Sten Gun
2. Bren Gun
   BAR

An early example of a light machine gun, the Bren was the standard LMG used by British Commonwealth troops in the second world war. In spite of its classification, it was quite heavy and best used with a bi- or tripod.

1. Jeep Cap
   Papakhi
2. Hatch Helm
   Sailor Cap

The Papakhi is a traditional Russian cap, worn by men in the Caucasus Mountains. Although the Soviet Union had forbidden their use as being connected with the old regime, by WW2 they had come back into use as the mark of an officer.

1. Jeep cap
   Ushanka
2. Fur Cap
   Garrison Cap

The Jeep cap is a simple woolen cap, meant to be worn underneath a helmet to keep the bearer's head warm. Its appearance is similar to a beanie or similar homespun hat. Patton was noted for despising the cap, as they appeared to him slovenly and casual to a level unbecoming the military.

1. Walther PP, PPK
   Colt M1917 revolver
2. Luger P08
   Pistolet wz.35 Vis

The Pistolet wz.35 Vis was a Polish weapon based off the American Browning 9mm. It was very popular among German soldiers who captured them, and by the end of the war it became standard equipment for paratrooper units.

1. Gewehr 41
   Colt M1903
2. Nagant M1895
   Colt M1914

The Colt M1903 is known as the "pocket hammerless" which is quite unnecessarily confusing, as the pistol does in fact have a hammer. The trick is that the hammer is covered and concealed from view, and it being covered makes the weapon itself easier to conceal.

1. M4 Survival Rifle
   M1941 Johnson rifle
2. Beretta M1934
   Winchester Model 70

The Beretta M1934 was designed specifically to be a standard semi automatic sidearm for Italian military personnel. One thing notable about it is how its serial numbers refer to the Fascist calendar, making them somewhat unique as collector's items.

1. Winchester Model 1895
   PPSh-41
2. The Sten Gun
   MG34

The Winchester Model 1895 was somewhat venerable by the time WW2 rolled around, but it was used in some small numbers by various of the major powers. It was also notable for being a weapon sent by the USSR to the Spanish Republican militias.

1. Suomi KP/-31
   Smith & Wesson M&P Smith & Wesson M&P
2. Caubeen
   Browning HP

The Browning HP is an incredibly prolific military sidearm, used by dozens of militaries over the course of its long production life. In WW2 they were literally used by both sides during the war. Despite their heavier than normal trigger pull, they have proven an enduring and well-loved weapon.

1. Sturmgewehr 44
   M1A1 Thompson
2. Bren Infantry LMG
   Lee-Enfield Rifle

The M1A1 Thompson is a legendary weapon that has gone by many names, from the ubiquitous "Tommy Gun" to the "Chicago Typewriter". Although the weapon had serious jamming issues, soldiers found you still couldn't beat a Tommy when you needed a hand-held weapon with astounding rate of fire.

1. Nagant M1895
   Ruby pistol
2. MP 40
   Karabiner 98b

The Karabiner 98b is more interesting for what it is not than what it is- it is not actually a carbine at all! Rather, it was a rifle designed to appear to be one, so as to avoid the limitations of the Treaty of Versailles, which forbade the production of military rifles but allowed carbines.

1. Maxim Gun
   Erma EMP
2. MG42
   Maschinengewehr 30

The MG42 was designed to replace its predecessor, the '34, but in reality both were used until the end of the war. Relatively cheap and easy to produce, the MG42 was also extremely effective, firing an astonishing 1200 rounds per minute with a peculiar shriek that gave the weapon the nickname "Hitler's Buzzsaw".

1. Lebel Model 1886 rifle
   M1 Garand
2. Tokarev SVT-38
   M4 Survival Rifle

The Garand was the standard issue service rifle for the United States Army during WW2. As a result, an incredible 5.4 million were produced! General George Patton called "The greatest implement of war yet devised." Fritz better keep his head down!

1. M2 Carbine
   Krag-Jørgensen
2. M1941 Johnson rifle
   Kbk wz. 1929

The Krag-Jørgensen was a somewhat antiquated Norwegian rifle that saw some use in the second world war. The Germans actually forced the Norwegians to produce this weapon for their second line units, but due to sabotage and deliberate slow work on behalf of the laborers, relatively few, shoddy weapons saw service.

1. Tommy gun
   Erma EMP-35
2. Suomi KP/-31
   PPS-43

The Suomi KP/-31 is a submachine gun par excellence, with surprising accuracy and large ammunition storage. Its main weakness is its expense to produce, which proved suitably metaphorical when the Finns went up against the vast armies of Soviet Russia in the Winter War.

1. Chauchat
   Erma EMP-35
2. Karabiner 98a
   PPS-43

This bolt action rifle was the primary infantry rifle of the German Wehrmacht. Over the course of the war, these rifles would prove to be overtaken by submachine guns, but it still saw significant use until the very end.