Weapons used during

The Vietnam War

 Colt M16
• The M16 is an assault rifle, and in the 1960s and 70s, there
wasn’t a more effective and influential weapon than this
one.

• Even though it was based on earlier rifles, the M16 was a

revolutionary weapon that improved how US infantry
weapons operated.

• Even today M16 design is still the base on which modern

rifles are built such as the semi-automatic AR-15 rifle.
Guns originated from the Colt M16

M16

M16A2

M4A1

M16A4
 Napalm Strike
• Napalm is a jelly-like form of gasoline used in fire bombs and flamethrowers. It’s
a deadly, painful weapon, it sticks to skin, causing severe burns and making it
one of the most horrible weapons used in combat.

• Napalm was considered the most successful weapon employed in the Vietnam
War.

• A 2,500-square-yard area could be swallowed up by flame by a single bomb.

• However, dropping napalm from a high-speed plane was not very accurate,
causing the death and injuries of many innocent civilians.
 Impact
• The images of victims suffering from napalm burns made people question U.S tactics
and war in general. Thousands of pictures and videos of Vietnamese citizens suffering
were reported daily in press and television.

• The more the media emphasized on the pain caused by napalm, the more it helped to
strengthen the antiwar movement.
 AK-47
• During the Vietnam War, most of Vietnamese weapons came from
the Soviet Union and China.

• For instance the AK47, which was used by the Soviet Union at that
time and became the primary weapon for the Vietnamese. They
are considered as the most widely used assault rifle in the world
to this day.

• It is strong, compact, reliable and extremely durable. Because it

was more durable and less affected by the conditions in Vietnam,
some American soldiers preferred it more than the standard M16.
 Booby Traps
Punji stakes

• The Vietnamese often used booby traps to slow down and

disrupt the enemies mobility.

• They were also arranged in killing zones and served as a signal

to announce an ambush.

• There were two types of Booby traps, explosive and

nonexplosive.

• The nonexplosive included: punji stakes, bear traps and double-

spike caltrops.

Bear traps: Double-spike caltrops:

• The explosive included: mud ball mine, grenade tin can
mine and cartridge trap.

• But the Booby traps also induced a severe mental fatigue on

American soldiers by putting them under stress all the time,
and it even causes long-lasting psychological trauma.

Grenade tin can mine

M18 Claymore
Other Main Colt XM148

Weapons
Bangalore Torpedo

Browning M2 (HMG)
M1941 (82-PM 41)