The most awesome guns in the world

Drone technology and the payloads the remote-controlled vehicles can deliver are the focus of most conversations about weapons used in modern warfare.

But, while less technologically advanced, conventional “gun” systems are still an integral tool on the fields of battle.

We have rounded up the most iconic and devastating “guns” still in use by militaries today, and given some insight to what makes these weapons so effective.

The “most awesome guns in the world” are listed below.

Phalanx CIWS

The Phalanx close-in weapons system is primarily used to defend ships from missile attacks.

The weapon is radar-guided and uses a 20mm Gatling gun on a rotating base to counter incoming rockets and artillery fire.

Weighing 6.2 tons and reaching a height of 4.7m, the CIWS fires 20x102mm armour-piercing tungsten rounds, as well as high-explosive incendiary tracer rounds.

Rate of fire measures in at 4,500 rounds a minute, muzzle velocity hits the 1,100m/s mark, while the weapon’s effective firing range is 3.5km.

M134 Minigun

The M134 Minigun is a six-barrel machine gun with a rate of fire which ranges between 2,000-6,000 rounds per minute.

The weapon features Gatling-style rotating barrels, and is used by the US military’s army, air force, and navy divisions.

First designed in 1960, the gun fires 7.62x51mm NATO rounds at a muzzle velocity of 853m/s, and has a maximum firing range of 1,000m.

M102 howitzer on AC-130 gunship

The M102 cannon used in the AC-130 gunship is one of the more terrifying aerial weapons around.

The howitzer has been modified to fire from the rear of the gunship, and was first used by the USA in the Vietnam War.

It effectiveness at eliminating ground targets means it is still in service today, and the AC-130 has been credited with being the decisive factor in many successful incursions in the war in Afghanistan.

The M102 was originally designed in 1962, and weighed 1.4 tons. It fires a 105 x 372R shell and has an effective range of 11.5km. Its maximum rate of fire is 10 rounds per minute.

Desert Eagle

The Desert Eagle, gun of choice for Bullet-Tooth Tony from Snatch, is a semi-automatic handgun which is capable of firing .50 Action Express rounds.

The gun was designed between 1979 and 1982, and was worked on by both the United States and Israel.

It’s quite the hefty unit, with the Mark XIX spec weighing 1.99kg and measuring up to 37.5cm in length (10-inch barrel).

The Eagle has an effective firing range of 200m and a muzzle velocity of 470m/s.

M2 Browning .50 machine gun

The M2-Browning is a heavy machine gun which was designed towards the end of World War I, and has been used in virtually every large-scale military conflict since its introduction.

The gun weighs 38kg without its tripod, and fires .50 BMG (12.7x99mm) rounds at a muzzle velocity of 890m/s.

Its effective firing range is 1,800m, but bullets can be pushed close to the 6,800m mark if required.

M4 carbine and AK47 assault rifles

M4 carbine

The M4 carbine has been in service since 1994, with armed forces in the Kosovo War, Afghanistan War, Gaza War, Syrian civil war, and the fight against Mexican drug cartels utilising the US-made rifle.

The M4 fires 5.56x45mm NATO rounds, using a gas-operated, rotating bolt action. The weapon is capable of firing at 880m/s, is effective up to 500m, and can fire up to 900 rounds per minute.

AK47

The Kalashnikov has been in service since 1949, and is often referred to as the most reliable rifle ever made. Without the magazine it weighs 3.47kg, while the standard version is 88cm long.

The AK fires 7.62x39mm rounds, has a “practical automatic” rate of fire of 100 rounds per minute, and a muzzle velocity of 715m/s. Its effective firing range is 350m.

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