The M14 automatic rifle served with the American military from 1959 until it was replaced in 1963 by the M16. In more recent years, modified M14 rifles have been deployed in Iraq for army marksmen, and US Navy SEAL operatives have also used adaptations of the original M14. It has always been seen as a lethal long-range weapon, and with a bullet velocity of 850 m/s, an accurate shot is probably going to kill. It was designed to improve on the M1 Garand, which had been used for the Second World War. It was designed to make a lighter rifle to assist the soldiers, thus letting the soldiers carry more ammunition, giving them an invaluable advantage. It uses 7.62mm .308 cartridges - these are large and heavy, which can cause problems when large ammunition supplies are needed. When used in Vietnam the M14 was criticised for being hard to carry through the dense forests, and the wooden stock was prone to warping in the hot climate. This wood has since been replaced by a man-made plastic casing. Get yourself a .308 by clicking the link.

The Vietnam War started because the country was split between communism in the north and capitalism in the south. The Viet Cong rebels who wanted to free the south started a powerful revolution during the Cold War. America continued to support the south, and when a war against the North began in November 1955, they offered assistance.

However, the American public were worried by the escalating crisis and angered by the casualties. Nearly 550,000 troops were in the area when President Nixon decided to withdraw. Eventually, the North Vietnamese Army defeated the unprotected south after all the American troops had returned to America in 1973.

The American soldiers used the Colt M1911 as their main sidearm. The early M16s had serious failures which caused the deaths of many American soldiers who were trying to fix their guns in the middle of the battle. These flaws were fixed by 1968, and most old models were replaced within a few years. The M1918 BAR was also used in the earlier stages of the war, and was seen as an impressive machine gun.

Checkout the rest of the weaponry used below.