Generic Firearms

This is the result of having a 2 hour-long class and spending it watching a film. This was just a test to see how accurately I was able to illustrate all the main parts and features of a few choice firearms, so I used no real sources, and no visual aids.

For those of you who watch alot of movies and play alot of videogames, I can guarantee you that you've seen at least one of these guns in a movie or videogame. The four small arms depicted above are as follows, going clockwise starting from the top:

Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947 (AK47); this weapon is a symbol of Russia, and even though it's been in use for over 60 years, it continues to be the most popular assault rifle in the world. Designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov, a WWII Soviet veteran, his goal was to design a weapon system to match up with the Germans' MP44 "Sturmgewehr"(Storm Rifle). The gun uses .30 (7.62mm) caliber short rounds, with a 39mm long case. Original Kalashnikovs were made from hallowed steel, so the early models were alot heavier compared to later models. As fore mentioned, it's the most popular assault rifle in the world, and is used by several nations world wide, and has spawned clones in other countries such as China, with the Type 56, and Iraq, with the Tabuk. The average rate of fire is 600 rounds per minute. The main reasons why the gun is so popular is because of it's incredible reliability, its durability in any adverse condition, its tremendous firepower at close and medium ranges, and the fact that Kalishnikovs are very cheap and inexpensive to manufacture, so even the poorest of countries can get a hold of them. Personally, I love them and hold them dear, but they're just a little overrated in my opinion.

Colt Commando, one of the many assault rifles that uses the AR-15 weapon system format. At first glance it looks alot similar to the ever-so-popular M4 carbine, but the Colt Commando is more compact, and is about the size of a large submachine gun. The Colt Commando, as the name implies, is a product of Colt, and was originally designed during the Vietnam War, for close range combat in confined areas. The Colt Commando has quite a few variations, including the CAR-15, the model 733, and the original XM177. Early models were really loud and had alot of muzzle flash, and this was a real disadvantage, in that it could give away a soldier's position easily. Eventually, all these problems were resolved, and the gun became a success, and is used mainly for law enforcement nowadays. Its average rate of fire can range from 700 to 950 rounds per minute, and it uses standard 5.56x45mm NATO (.223 Remington) cartridges. I prefer the Commando over the M4, due to its compact size and heavy firepower. It took me a while to get the telescopic stock right, I don't draw these types of stocks at all.

Ingram MAC10, designed and patented by Gordon B. Ingram, the Military Armament Corporate (MAC) model 10 machine pistol is a pretty simple weapon; blow-back operation, made from stamped-steel, a folding stock made of metal wire, and a charging handle made from coiled lead. The MAC10 is commonly mistaken for the famous Uzi, of Israeli Military Industries. However, the MAC10 is alot different from the Uzi in several ways, particularly in ammo type; the Uzi uses basic 9x19mm cartridges, and while some variations of the MAC10 are 9mm as well, true MAC10s use .45 ACP (11.4mm) cartridges. This greatly enhances the firepower, and because the MAC10 has a ferocious rate of fire of 1,100 rounds per minute, it's suitable for close-range combat indoors and in urban areas, and its small size makes it easy to conceal. The MAC10 is really powerful, and can tear a target to shreds, but because of its high rate of fire and large-bore ammunition, it can be really hard to control when fired on full-auto. Putting the disadvantages aside, the Ingram MAC10 is my #1 favorite machine pistol.

Franchi SPAS-12 combat shotgun, a unique and versatile combat shotgun. Designed and patented by Luigi Franchi in the late 1970s, this weapon is just another example of incredible Italian engineering; this was the first combat shotgun to have select-operation capabilities. In other words, the SPAS-12 can fire either pump-action or semi-auto. Gun enthusiasts with less knowledge than others would think that a shotgun with both modes of fire is pointless, but in truth, it greatly enhances the versatility of the weapon. It incorporates all the advantages of both types of shotguns; semi-auto shotguns have a higher rate of fire and can get out more buckshot alot faster than a pump shotgun, while pump shotguns can use a variety of different loads, and can feed these loads with ease, and the pump-action can also be used to clear a jam when fired on semi-auto. "SPAS" has a variety of meanings, such as "Special Purpose Automatic Shotgun," "Special Purpose Assault Shotgun," and the hilarious "Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun." This weapon was designed as a military and law enforcement combat shotgun, not a sporting or civilian shotgun! The reason the SPAS-12 was named "Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun" was to comply with politically-correct gun laws. The only reason a civilian should own a weapon like the SPAS-12 is for collective purposes, it would be just too inconvenient to use for shooting trap, hunting, or even home security. The SPAS-12 is not a very practical weapon, even for combat. All the complex internal parts increase the weight of the gun, so it usually weighs around 9 pounds unloaded, and that's pretty heavy for a combat shotgun. But what I hate the most about the SPAS-12 is all the attention and fame it gets in movies and videogames! This weapon is overrated, and it makes me sick! I know, it's a very cool looking shotgun, but I've gotten over that, and so has Franchi, the company that manfactures them. Incidentally, Franchi has discontinued the production of the SPAS-12 since 2000, and it's just obsolete.