not my list , but from a UK teevee prog

10- katana
9- wather PPK
8- swiss pike
7 arquebus
6 - war boomerang
5 - thompson SMG
4 - BARRET m82a1 .50CAL AMR
3- English longbow
2- ak-47
1 - the human body

some stange choices , but considering the appaling bloopers they made in the prog , its not too bad a list

just watched a bit ( from the ak-47 )
never knew that all ak mags fit all most all type's of ak's

Hmm i'd agree with some of the list the Thompson SMG for example is a great choice but the walther ppk??? I always figured that it was a) Didnt carry enough ammunition to be of any great use to an army (except for maybe German officers during ww2) and b) Didnt carry enough of a punch to really drop a man... Just my thoughts so dont flame me if im wrong

I was under the impression that katanas were somewhat overrated. I mean sure they're nice, but generally aren't they of about the same sharpness as most European swords?Other than that decent choices I suppose, although I didn't think the war boomerrang would be considered one of the top ten.

Of course my top three would be a bit diffrent. #1 would be the human mind instead of body. The #2 weapon would be of coures the nuclear warhead. Other than the human mind, no other weapon has had as much effect on history. #3 would of course be the AK-47, since those have been used in numerous conflicts, they've seen quite some history.

As a general class of weapons, I think the airplane should be on this list. Look how many other weapons the airplane has made possible: Arieal bombs (inculding: Smart Bombs and Nuclear Bombs). Technology from airplanes helped in developing winged missile, such as cruise missiles. Radar, and infedred tracking systems were both developed because of airplanes.

Also, look how much the strategy of war has changed because of the airplane. For the first time ever, you can bypass the battlefeild and attack an enemy directly. Also, aircraft gives you a bird's eye view of the world. You can fly over your opponents head and spy on him from above. If airplanes and flying haven't changed the way wars are faught, what has?

Tim

Instead of the Thompson.. which was a GREAT SMG.. I would consider the Garand M-1 Rifle to be in its place.. Only because the rifle was more proliffic than the thompson.

Originally posted by kitanis
Instead of the Thompson.. which was a GREAT SMG.. I would consider the Garand M-1 Rifle to be in its place.. Only because the rifle was more proliffic than the thompson.

I would agree the Thompson turned out to be far to expensive. Thats why alot of people ended up getting the much cheaper M3 ''Grease gun'' During WW2 a Thompson cost the goverment $209 to make a single one. A grease gun could be manufactured for under $20.

The M-1 Garand was a excellent weapon General George S. Patton called it "the greatest implement of battle ever devised."


I would have also replaced the war boomerang with the Roman gladius. Im rather shocked its not on the list.

The PPK that would be no where near my list Id replace it with either the Colt Peacemaker or the Model 1873 Winchester

[edit on 20-9-2005 by ShadowXIX]

I think the war boomerang was in the list because the design is around 6000 years old and is shaped the same way as an aircraft wing (pretty intuitive for the time i think you'd agree).

The walther PPK wouldnt be in my list either but the program claimed it was the first double action automatic pistol. Still dont think it should be in top 10. The pike was in the list because you could turn a bunch of muppets into an effective fighting force with very little training and cost in resources.


The Longbow (welsh or english) deserved number 2 spot for its rate of fire accuracy and lethality. It wasnt bettered by any gunpowder weapon till the mid 19th century breach loading rifles.

Cheers

D

I'd pick the M1911 over the PKK since it's reliable and powerful
I'd pick the German Stg-44 over the Thompson

Alot of other items don't really ring a bell...

The AK is a fantastic weapon, but it's suffers from accuracy issues, it only achieved moderate accuracy.

The double action pistol confers it's user the advantage of being the guy that fires first. The guy that fires first usually wins. For that reason alone I think the PPK deserves to be on the list. (before you accuse me of bias I have three 1911's and only one PPK )

I think that a list of the greatest weapons ever would have to include: the club, the rock, the sling shot, the knife, the spear, the bow and arrow, and the use of dogs, the horse and lets certainly not exclude the trebuchet. These weapons, over the span of history, are certainly responsible for the greatest loss of life which is, in a manner of speaking, the reason that weapons exist in the first place....to help the enemy to die for HIS cause.

I've not really heard of a specific "war boomerang" before,I believe it was mostly used for hunting,the traditional boomerang is not really the same as the modern ones,they are longer on one end and tend to return to the general vicinity of the thrower rather than returning straight to your hand.

Aboriginal culture goes back at least 40,000 years and it's possible the boomerang is much older than 6000 years.The design,flat on the bottom and curved on top like an aircraft wing is an incredible discovery for a very primitive people who never discovered the bow and arrow.

The traditional fighting weapons(still used in remote areas by those who live a traditional lifestyle)are the wooden spear propelled by the woomera(a wooden device to put more power into the throw) and a club with a heavy,knobby end called a nulla-nulla.Fairly primitive but effective none the less.

The best rifle on the planet is the Colt M4A1 Carbine assualt rifle. The best handgun on the planet is the HK Mark23. There is no other that come close to these weapons. Thats just my two cents though, feel free to correct me.

Question: Why is Swiss Pike a Great weapon?

Ain;t other medival pikes and Spears the same?

Browning M2 .50 cal. Heavy Machine Gun.

It started in 1917 and is still going strong.

And of course the AK47.

But the human mind is still the deadliest of all weapons.

Originally posted by ignorant_ape
not my list , but from a UK teevee prog

10- katana
9- wather PPK
8- swiss pike
7 arquebus
6 - war boomerang
5 - thompson SMG
4 - BARRET m82a1 .50CAL AMR
3- English longbow
2- ak-47
1 - the human body

some stange choices , but considering the appaling bloopers they made in the prog , its not too bad a list

What really defines the greatness of a weapon is not its excellency or quality, but its capability to make a real difference on the battlefield.

Neither the Thompson nor the M82 have any significance in the long term (along with the M4 carbine that was mentioned before; this gun hasnt changed anything) - Both are good weapons, but they are only temporary phenomenons. Neither did they change warfare significantly, nor were they exceptional inventions. The M82 isnt even the first, not is it best AMR.

Unlike the AK47, which isnt an exceptionally good weapon, but until now can and does turn a simple peasant hiding in the right place into a deadly threat against even the most elite troops. and it might be the only single firearm that can claim to be part of almost every household in large parts of the world, so its the only weapon ever that can be called a furniture

I cant judge the significance of the PPKs double action system, but if it really was the first to have that, it should be in this list because it CHANGED things. Again, the 1911 is a good weapon too, but it didnt have any influence on the way wars are fought.

Since this list is about handweapons, the Maxim and subsequent MGs should definately be in there. Its invention marked the end of the Napolean era firing line and singlehandedly turned warfare away from the open field battles to the current duck-and-cover style. And lets not forget the spear that was also mentioned before: probably the most used weapon, both as missile and hand-to-hand weapon since the earliest days of mankind.

[edit on 23/9/2005 by Lonestar24]

I am wondering why the Mauser bolt action rifle is not on the list.
Most of the better made rifles in the world at one time...from the black powder days to the early smokeless powder days were of a mauser type..single shot to the magazine fed types. From the straight bolt types to the turned down bolts we see today. These stayed in usage even into the days when automatic type rifles were coming along. Still in use and much prefered in the modern adaptations as a sporting rifle.
Agree with the posting of the English Longbow..
I never knew that a Arquebus was a matchlock rifle, I have always used the term matchlock rifle.
Agree with the poster who used the term " the human mind!!"


Thanks,
Orangetom

Originally posted by Lonestar24


What really defines the greatness of a weapon is not its excellency or quality, but its capability to make a real difference on the battlefield.

If thats the criteria some important weapons were ommited

The Maxim Machine Gun- In the Matabele war in 1893-94. In one engagement, fifty soldiers fought off 5,000 Matabele warriors with just four Maxim guns.

The Maxim Machine-Gun also inspired other inventors. The German Army's Maschinengewehr and the Russian Pulemyot Maxima were both based on Maxim's invention along with John Moses Browning

Model 1 (1857)Smith & Wesson

Not the first revolver ever made (Colt patented that in 1836), nor was it was the first firearm to use a self-contained cartridge (Jacques Flobert patented that in France in 1846)

The Model 1 is however was the first gun to combine those concepts

The Colt revolver The first revolver before that time Indians had a massive advantaged with arrows being able to fire 12 shots a minute compared to the guns of the time having 1-2 round per minutes.

Sorry, wanted to step back and adress this:

Originally posted by cyberdude78
I was under the impression that katanas were somewhat overrated. I mean sure they're nice, but generally aren't they of about the same sharpness as most European swords?

Not quite.
About the same time that Brits and Europeans where swinging iron swords that were more like sword shaped maces for all the edge they could hold, the Japanies had mastered elegently designed steal blades.

The fact that it was steal made it possible to have a lighter, sharper, and stronger blade than anything you could produce with iron. The shape of the blade made it possible to draw without needing a squire. The balance makes it extreamly manuverable.

The height of European swords came with the saber... and what does it kinda, sorta look like?

my top ten best weapons ever

1, The Nuclear Bomb
2, The Bazooka
3, The AK-74
4, The Lightsabre
5, The M79 Grenade Launcher
6, The Uzi Submachine Gun
7, The Flamethrower
8, The Automatic Shotgun
9, The FN P90 Submachine Gun
10, The RPG-7



[edit on 24-9-2005 by Neutrino]