Top 6 Popular Sidearms Used By Special Forces

Firearms are used to bring justice when it’s in the right hands. But that is not always the case. Nevertheless, no one could deny the importance of firearms these days. Whether it’s for protection or hunting purposes, the usage of firearms is increasing rapidly. Weapons used by military individuals are nothing like civilians do. Their weapons are specifically designed for handling combat situations. Today we are going to discuss the sidearms used by special forces in the article below.

• SIG-Sauer P226

The SIG-Sauer p226 is one of the most popular pistols among the SOF community. This pistol was designed and developed as an improved version of P220. In the US Xm9 trials of 1982-84, SIg-Sauer P226 is one of the two sidearms that passed technical requirements but lost at the last moment to Beretta 92SB-F for overall costings. The frame of the pistol is covered by aluminum alloy which is why it is lightweight compared to other sidearms. 

• Glock 19

Undoubtedly, the Glock 19 is one of the best sidearm used by special forces. It is ideal for a more versatile role because of its reduced dimensions compared to the standard-sized option. The gun is praised worldwide by the military and other law enforcement agencies as well. It features a 9mm caliber safe-action with 15 rounds magazine capacity and hexagonal barrel rifling. It is about 6.85* in length and weighs about 29.99 oz. As being a lightweight weapon, the compact design makes it more comfortable to carry even if it’s loaded. The Navy SEAL, USMC ( United States Marine Corps), and Army Rangers usually use the gun, but other special forces are also started using this beast. 

• M9 

Beretta M9 needs no introduction. It has great qualities as a handgun. It is the most used handgun by the U.S Army. M9 is a 9*19mm Parabellum pistol. The magazine contains 15 rounds of bullets. The slide has an open-top design. When unloaded, the Baretta M9 weighs about 33 ounces. Though it might not be the best for carrying, it sure is a reliable, easy-to-use weapon.

• CZ 75 

Mostly popular among the law enforcement forces of the European region, but many special forces used to carry the weapon in live combats. CZ 75 is a short-recoiled, automatic 9mm, hammer-forged barrel pistol. It represents a significant step forward in the designs of auto pistols. What makes this pistol so incredibly accurate is its full internal rail side and its hammer-forged barrel. Most of the pistol slides outside of the frame but CZ75 slides inside which is why accuracy is the main feature of the weapon. 

• HK U.S.P

The Heckler & Koch USP is a fascinating semi-automatic pistol with a mechanically locked breach that is used for short recoil method of operation. This system process is implemented with a captive soil spring around the guide rod that lowers the force of the slide slinging backward. 

It weighs around 1.65lb and the magazine capacity is 13 rounds. The gun was meant to be a service pistol from the very beginning, thus it became widely popular later on and adopted by at least four countries as the general issue sidearm.  

• Makarov PM

The Makarov is considered one of the best compact self-defense pistols of its time and. It may not be the most accurate and lethal at ranges beyond 20 meters, it’s still a reliable self-defense weapon. Though many versions of Makarov PM were developed, the original was made of parts. The Soviets designed the weapon and it was perfect for them because it was cheap and easy to produce. The blowback-operated design of the gun is very compact for a service pistol. It has 8 rounds of magazine capacity. At one point it was massively used by the Russian special forces. 

The world of weapons will change day by day. But the impacts created by these weapons mentioned above will echo throughout history.