Military Self Defense Weapons

• The United States Military uses weapons like these to protect themselves and the country. Nathan Blaney/Photodisc/Getty Images

  While they're in the field, the various branches of the military are equipped with weaponry that is designed to ensure their protection and to make sure they have the upper hand in any sort of fight. Some of these weapons have been in use since the 1500's, while others are state-of-the-art weaponry.

M16

• Both the Marines and the Army feature this weapon. The M16 has been the standard issue rifle for the United States Marine Corps since the 1960's. According to the U.S. Marines, "every Marine is trained to fire it." The military likes this weapon because it is lightweight and has an effective range of 550 meters. During Operation Iraqi-Freedom, the weapon was upgraded so that it could attach scopes, night-vision and a variety of other tools to maximize the weapons efficiency.

Bayonet

• The Bayonet is a knife that attaches to the end of most military issue rifles. It's used in close combat situations when a soldier cannot fire his weapon. Marines are taught to use bayonets as both an offensive and defensive weapon in their martial arts training course. The bayonet is one of the oldest military self-defense weapons that is still used today. According to Infantry-Weapons, the bayonet was invented sometime between 1550 and 1580.

M249 SAW

• Another popular self-defense weapon is the M249 Squadron Automatic Weapon, or SAW. The SAW's built in bipod makes it a versatile weapon in that it can be used hand held or it can be mounted to a vehicle. The SAW can be effective covering targets as far away as 1000 meters. It can use either 30 round M16 magazines or an ammunition belt. It's a gas-powered rifle, and is air cooled to keep form over heating after prolonged use.

M9 Baretta

• According to Military Factory, in 1980 the United States Army selected the Italian weapons manufacture, Beretta, to develop a replacement to their standard long time sidearm, the Colt. Beretta refined a handgun they already had on the market to the Army's specifications and rechristened it, the M9. The M9 Beretta is now used by the Army, the Marines and many other law enforcement agencies across the country. The M9 holds a magazine of 15 rounds and, fully loaded, weighs around two and a half pounds.

M203 Grenade Launcher

• The M203 is a grenade launcher that can be attached to the bottom of the barrel on the M16. According to Grenade Launcher, the M203 was developed after Vietnam to replace the M79. The M79 was a stand-alone grenade launcher, which eliminated the ability to fire small arms. The M79 was also thought to be inconvenient to lug around. M203 eliminated both of those problems. Having the M203 attached to the M16 allows the soldier to fire it when he desires without having to grab another weapon. The M203 is a very versatile weapon. With its 40mm grenades, it can fire high explosives, smoke, CS gas and other things that are useful in battle.