Worst firearms named. Worst weapon in WWII Le Ma's Revolver

The second world War became a testing ground for hundreds of new weapons. Opponents wanted to create their own "weapon of retaliation", but in combat conditions it often had not only low efficiency, but also posed a threat to those who used it.

Pistol Nambu Type 14 (Japan)

Despite the fact that the Nambu pistol was the main personal weapon of the Japanese Imperial Army from the 1920s to the 1940s, it is considered one of the worst automatic pistols of the Second World War. The Nambu had low firing power, was heavy and inconvenient to operate. A feature of its design was the ability to fire before the breech of the weapon was locked. Because of this, an accidental touch of the trigger often led to a spontaneous shot. No wonder it was believed that Nambu is more dangerous for its master than for the enemy.

Heavy flamethrower Grossflammenwerfer (Germany)

The heavy German flamethrower of the Second World War was an ordinary cylinder equipped with a compressed gas cylinder and brackets for hand carrying. This structure was connected to the hose with the help of an arcuate outlet pipe. The large weight of the flamethrower required a calculation of at least two people.

Because of the high danger that this "liquid bomb" carried, criminals or deserters were usually assigned to the calculation. The military of the anti-Hitler coalition considered the Grossflammenwerfer a barbaric weapon and, whenever possible, tried not to take the Wehrmacht soldiers using it prisoner.

STEN MK II submachine gun (UK)

This weapon, with a range of 70 meters and a capacity of 32 rounds, was put into service by the British military in 1940. To the disappointment of the British soldiers, the mechanism of the STEN pistol was slightly unfinished and very often did not work. In addition, there were reports of bullets bouncing off targets in shooting ranges.

British military security expert Jill Dogert, trying to justify the failure of the development, wrote: "At that time the UK was trying to take over and a lot of weapons were needed, the STEN was quick and easy to assemble, and it was much better than nothing."

Crank arms (Germany)

In 1943, the Wehrmacht officially adopted the Krummerlauf ("Bent Barrel") cover firing device. It was a standard assault rifle with a curved barrel attached, a periscopic sight, a 30-round capacity and a 2-kilometer range, which was supposed to fire from cover at an angle of 30 and 45 degrees.

Soviet soldiers called such weapons "treacherous", designed "for cowardly shooting from around the corner." The idea was promising, but it was not possible to implement it properly. Having spent a lot of time and money on the design of the Krummerlauf, the German developers decided that the mass production of the rifle would fly out a penny, and the efficiency would be extremely low.

Bazooka (USA)

The Americans began to use massively the M1 hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher in 1942 in the North African campaign. It was single rocket launcher with an explosive weight of 1.5 kilograms and a firing range of 150 meters. One of the problems with the "bazooka" is a powerful flash that could throw fire at the shooter. Later models of the grenade launcher already had a rear armored shield.

Another problem is more serious. The bazooka was effective only at short distances, but it was extremely difficult for American infantrymen to approach an enemy tank in desert conditions. For the entire time of World War II, there was not a single recorded case of the destruction of a tank by a bazooka.

"Gustav" and "Dora" (Germany)

Two supermassive German guns with a caliber of more than 80 centimeters "Gustav" and "Dora" were supposed not only to intimidate the enemy, but also to inflict significant damage on him. These giants, which had no analogues in the world, could only be transported in parts. The assembly, installation and operation of the guns was carried out in a previously prepared place with the participation of unthinkable amount service personnel - about 4000 people.

Of the two guns, only "Gustav" took part in the battle. During the siege of Sevastopol in 1942, he fired 42 rounds of shells weighing 4,800 kilograms each. German military expert Alexander Ludek called the giant cannons "technological masterpieces," but stated that they were "in fact, a waste of materials, technological knowledge, and human resources."

Fau (Germany)

The Third Reich was the first to launch the production of cruise ballistic missiles in the hope that it latest weapon can turn the tide of the war. It all began in 1943 with the V-1, whose deployment bases were located in northern France. The missiles targeted the British Isles, in particular London.

Until the end of the war, about 10 thousand of such warheads were fired in the English capital, but the lack of maneuverability prevented many of them from reaching their destination. 25% of the V-1 was destroyed by British aviation, 17% - by anti-aircraft artillery, 20% of the shells did not reach the islands and fell into the sea. In addition, every fifth rocket failed to launch.

Next in line was the V-2, which made its first suborbital flight, soaring to an altitude of 188 kilometers. But in combat missions, due to low accuracy, the rocket showed itself weakly: only half of the projectiles fired fell into a designated area with a diameter of 10 kilometers. About 2,000 V-2s preparing to launch exploded before or immediately after the launch.

German Armament Minister Albert Speer, in his memoirs, called the creation of the "V-2" a mistake. In his opinion, one should not spend the limited resources that the Reich had on such an expensive and ineffective project, but use them to create an anti-aircraft missile to protect German cities from Allied bombing.

Despite the failure of the two "V" models, a third appeared in Germany, but this time not a rocket, but a super-heavy gun Vergeltungswaffe (or "English cannon"). Another "weapon of retaliation" 124 meters long, 150 mm in caliber, weighing 76 tons was mounted directly into the hillside. Like its predecessors in the V-line, the supergun was supposed to send shells across the English Channel.

"V-3" worked on the principle of a multi-charge, code, a series of successive detonations accelerated the projectile as it moved along the barrel. The maximum range of the warhead was 93 kilometers. Of the two prototypes built, only the second gun was used in combat. From January 11 to February 22, 1945, she fired 183 shells at the newly liberated Luxembourg, but the effectiveness of the shelling was extremely low. 142 projectiles that reached the target killed only 10 people.

Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka kamikaze plane (Japan)

By the fall of 1944, the Japanese were also able to create a rocket-powered weapon with which they intended to fight the American fleet. It was the Oka kamikaze plane, stuffed with a 1000-kilogram bomb, which was lifted into the air by another more powerful machine, the Mitsubishi G4M. After undocking from the carrier rocket, the kamikaze pilot had to, in planning mode, bring his projectile plane as close as possible to the target, then turn on the rocket engine and ram the ship.

The US Navy quickly got used to neutralizing the reactive threat. The launch range of the "Oka" was significantly less than the radius of the fighter cover of the aircraft carrier group, and therefore most of the Mitsubishi G4M went astray on approach, and did not have time to release a shell. Only once did a kamikaze missile manage to sink an American cruiser.

"Non-rotating projectiles" (UK)

My contribution to rocket armament The British also contributed to World War II. "Non-rotating projectiles" are anti-aircraft missiles with attached wires and parachutes, which were supposed to create a kind of minefield in the air. While the projectile slowly descended, it posed a threat to planes flying nearby, which could snag the wire, pull the rocket to the body and explode.

However, in reality, "non-rotating shells" did not pose the main danger to the enemy. With a slight change in the strength and direction of the wind, the missiles could well glide to the ship from which they were launched. Despite the risk of self-detonation, the British used this weapon extensively in the early days of the war.

Tracked mines "Goliath" (Germany)

With the help of Goliath remotely controlled tracked vehicles, the Germans could deliver a 66-kilogram bomb to almost any target, including armored vehicles, crowds, buildings or bridges. Since 1942, more than 4600 Goliaths have been manufactured, including those carrying 88-kilogram mines.

To the dismay of the Germans, self-propelled mines were extremely bulky, cumbersome and difficult to control. In addition, the toy was too expensive (from 1000 to 3000 Reichsmarks) and vulnerable to any anti-tank weapon. Nevertheless, the Germans persisted in using the Goliaths until the end of the war.

The criteria for creating this list were the reliability, safety and usefulness of the weapon at the time of its creation.

1. Colt rifle with a rotating drum.
Although these rifles were a good increase in the firepower of the inhabitants of the Old West, already from the 1830s they began to show noticeable disadvantages: after each shot, the hot gas burned the shooter's hand, in addition, due to the special design of the rifle, gas leaks occurred in the front cylinder , which negatively affected the speed of the bullet.

2. The Liberator.
This pistol was made from sheet metal specifically for the resistance movement during World War II. Unfortunately, it was possible to shoot from it only once in the field, since most of the opponents were armed with semi-automatic pistols or machine guns. Reloading this pistol was such a hassle that it was easier to throw it away.

3. Gyrojet.
The Gyrojet is a hand-held rocket launcher created in the 1960s. It fired 13mm rockets and differed from most firearms in that the speed of the rocket fired increased after it was fired from the barrel. One of its main problems was the lack of firepower in close combat.

4. Boys Anti-tank Rifle.
It's early anti-tank weapon, which began to be used at the beginning of World War II. It was a 5-round rifle, weighing 16 kg and firing armor-piercing rounds at a distance of 300 meters. Unfortunately, her power was not enough to deal with the armor. german tanks and she sank into oblivion.

5. Nock Volley Gun.
This kind of pistol appeared around 1780. It was quite effective with 7 .50 caliber bullets firing simultaneously, but its deadly recoil could break any shooter's shoulder.

6. Revolver Cochran.
This revolver stands out for its horizontally rotating drum. Its disadvantage was that, if mishandled, it could shoot at the shooter himself.

7. Nambu (94 Shiki Kenju).
This pistol from the Second World War was not powerful enough, too bulky and awkward to use. In addition, due to its design, it was capable of making an accidental shot and was considered more dangerous for the one who used it than for the target.

8. Pepper Box revolver.
This revolver was mainly used during the pre-Coltian period. Its main disadvantages were enormous weight due to the multitude of barrels, terrifying inaccuracy, the possibility of an explosion and a shot from all barrels at once.

9. Grossflammenwerfer.
This is a German flamethrower from the First World War. To manage it, a team of 2 people was required, in which the convicts were usually used because of the high flammability of the weapon itself.

10. Shosha.
This French machine gun was so bad that the soldiers abandoned it in favor of a simple rifle. It was designed in such a way that dirt and dust entered all its cracks, making it much more difficult to shoot.

1. Revolver of the Cochran system

One of the rarest revolvers. Its peculiarity was the presence of a drum for cartridges, which rotated in a horizontal plane. Whenever a shot was fired, a spare round was pointed at the shooter. This was very risky, since in the event of wear of the metal parts of the revolver and the uncontrolled spread of hot gas after the combustion of gunpowder, a cartridge aimed at the shooter could "work" in the shot cartridge.

2. Pistol Nambu (94 Shiki Kenju)

Source: radikal.ru

Project of a Japanese pistol during the Second World War. Considered one of the worst automatic pistols. It was distinguished by low firing power, was heavy and inconvenient in operation. Often misfired. The unfinished design of the pistol made it possible to fire even before the breech of the weapon was locked. An accidental touch of the trigger also led to a spontaneous shot. In general, as they said then, this pistol was more dangerous for its owner than for his enemy.

3. Allen & Thurber (multi-barrel revolver)

Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com

This type of firearm was popular before the introduction of the Colt revolvers. Was too heavy due to the large number of barrels. In addition, due to the fact that the shooting was carried out in bursts, all the barrels periodically fired, and all the bullets went to the target at once! As a rule, in such cases, the revolver failed, and the shooter received serious wrist injuries. They also sometimes exploded in the hands and were inaccurate when fired.

4. Grossflammenwerfer

Source: wikimedia.org

Heavy German flamethrower from the Second World War. It was a simple cylindrical tank with a compressed gas cylinder and brackets for manual carrying, connected with an arcuate outlet pipe to a fire hose. Its heavy weight required a crew of at least two soldiers. Because of the enormous risk this "liquid bomb" posed for its servants, as a rule, convicted criminals or captured Wehrmacht deserters were assigned to the combat crew. In addition, the soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition, considering flamethrowers to be exclusively barbaric weapons, did not take German flamethrowers prisoner.

Martin Dougherty's book, The World's Worst Weapon, by a renowned contemporary author of military literature, describes a long history of over-ambitious but unsuccessful weapons.

From revolver knuckle dagger to rocket ammunition. We present the TOP-8 of the most unsuccessful weapons in the world.

STEN MK II submachine gun

Unfortunately, the STEN MK II pistol mechanism often did not fire. In addition, there were reports of pistol bullets bouncing off targets.

“At the time the UK was trying to take over and a lot of weapons were needed, STEN was quick and easy to assemble, and it was much better than nothing,” Dougherty writes in the book.

• Country: UK
• Entered service: 1940
• Type: Submachine gun
• Firing range: 70 meters
• Capacity: 32 rounds

Bazooka

One of the striking problems of the bazooka is the massive flash that it created when fired, the flash exposed the position of the shooters and gave them away dust, debris and flames. Later versions of the bazooka included a rear armor shield.

‘The best thing about the bazooka was that it became the basis for better weaponthat came later, 'writes Dougherty.

• Country: USA
• Entered service: 1942
• Type: unguided anti-tank weapon
• Firing range: about 150 meters
• Capacity: Single rocket launcher / 1.5 kg explosive

Revolver Le Ma

Was another great idea for a fight, but suffered from poor execution. Designed as a cavalry weapon at the end of the American Civil War, the Le Ma revolver has a 9-round drum and one round in the lower barrel.

The shooter must switch the movable striker to select the projectile to shoot. It was a great idea in theory; in practice, the weapon turned out to be very poorly designed and practically unsuitable for combat.

• Country: USA
• Entered service: 1856
• Type: Pistol
• Shot range: 50 meters
• Capacity: 9 rounds

Curved weapon

A crooked weapon looks like a good idea, if physicists, taking it from old American cartoons, could translate it into real life.

This weapon was supposed to shoot from cover, with a curved barrel - 30 and 45 degrees, and have a mounted periscope sight on a fairly standard assault rifle.

After spending time and money on design, it was decided that this rifle would be expensive and unsuccessful to produce in large numbers.

• Country: Nazi Germany
• Entered service: 1945
• Type: firearms
• Firing range: 2 km
• Capacity: 30 rounds

Shosh Machine Gun

In 1915, at the height of the First World War, the French light machine gun Shosh showed by example what a machine gun should not be.

The weapon was poorly made to the point that it fired very hard. The trigger was often clogged, and even when it worked perfectly, 20 rounds per minute was not enough for a fight.

• Country: France
• Entered service: 1915
• Type: Support Weapon
• Firing range: about 1 km
• Capacity: 20 rounds

Gyrojet (rocket pistol)

The Gyrojet pistol was one of the most creative ideas in modern history firearms.

Gyrojet pistols used rocket thrust to fire ammunition. However, the weapon was terribly inaccurate and was therefore discontinued.

• Country: USA
• Entered service: 1965
• Type: Pistol
• Firing range: 55 meters
• Capacity: 6 rounds

Pistol Mars

In the early 20th century, inventors tried to create a self-loading pistol. Eventually the Colt M1911 will become the standard, but before that, many mistakes were made, such as the Mars pistol.

Mars was very difficult to operate and threw used cartridges directly in the face of the shooters.

"About 80 was made, after which Mars was rightfully discontinued," Dougherty writes.

• Country: UK
• Entered service: 1900
• Type: Pistol
• Firing range: 40 m
• Capacity: 6 rounds

Revolver Knuckle Dagger Apache

Perhaps not a single weapon on this list will surpass the promises and ineffectiveness of the Apach revolver. This revolver was supposed to combine the effective ingredients of a knife, brass knuckles, and a small-bore revolver into a neat folding contraption.

The brass knuckle component works well enough, but the knife is thin and flimsy. Revolver, practically without a barrel, which is why it is weak and inaccurate. In addition, due to a careless hook, the shooter could make unnecessary shots.

• Country: USA
• Entered service: 1880
• Type: For Personal Protection

Shooting Range: Melee

Sten gun MK II

Country: UK
Entered service: 1940
Type: submachine gun
Range of destruction: 70 meters
Magazine: 32 rounds

UK needed small arms, but did not have the resources and time for production. The result was the Sten gun MK II: it was easy to assemble and the cost to manufacture was minimal. The submachine gun often misfired; in addition, due to assembly defects, the bullets could generally lose destructive power, barely flying out of the barrel.

Bazooka

Country: USA
Entered service: 1942
Type: anti-tank weapon
Range of destruction: about 152 meters
Magazine: 1 rocket

The bazooka was inconvenient in operation and created problems both for the shooter himself and for the soldiers around him. Nevertheless, on the basis of this weapon, more advanced models subsequently appeared.

Revolver LeMat

Country: USA
Entered service: 1856
Type: pistol

Magazine: 9 rounds

The revolver was able to shoot buckshot - which, in principle, was a great idea for a personal weapon. Designed as a cavalryman's weaponry at the end civil warThe LeMat had 9 pistol rounds in the drum and another one loaded with buckshot in the secondary barrel. The soldier had to switch the movable firing pin manually to select the type of cartridge. In theory, everything worked well; in practice, it turned out that the ammunition switch sticks in 3 out of 5 cases, leaving the owner of the revolver unarmed.

Krummlauf

Country: Nazi Germany
Entered service: 1945
Type: assault rifle
Range of destruction: 15 meters
Magazine: 30 rounds

A cannon with a bent barrel can work in cartoons about Bugs Bunny, but in real life this is unlikely to work. The Krummlauf is designed for shooting around corners. The shooter chose the target using a special periscope. By the time the weapon was handed over to production, its incredibly high cost was revealed and the project was frozen.

Shosh Machine Gun

Country: France
Entered service: 1915
Type: machine gun
Range of destruction: 5000 meters
Magazine: 20 rounds

At the height of the First World War, the Shosh machine gun entered service with the French army - the embodiment of what a functional killing machine definitely should not be. The machine guns were made so carelessly that the shooter was injured from the incredibly strong recoil. The trigger constantly stuck, but even if everything went well, 20 rounds were clearly not enough to support the advancing soldiers with fire.

Country: USA
Entered service: 1965
Type: pistol
Range of destruction: 300 meters
Magazine: 6 rounds

The Gyrojet pistol is considered almost the most creative of the species - rocket ammunition is used as cartridges. However, the pistol was inaccurate and often exploded right in the hands of the fighter, causing serious injuries.

Mars

Country: UK
Entered service: 1900
Type: pistol
Range of destruction: 300 meters
Capacity: 6 rounds

In the early 20th century, many inventors struggled to create a simple, functional self-loading pistol... In the end, the Colt M1911 was created, which became the standard of personal weapons in Western countries. But before him, the British government was betting on the Mars pistol. Difficult to operate, he, moreover, threw the casings right in the face of the shooter.

Revolver Apache

Country: USA
Entered service: 1880
Type: revolver
Defeat Range: Melee

The designer tried to make a weapon combining a knife, brass knuckles and a small-bore revolver - all this had to unfold like a transformer killer. In practice, none of the components worked. The knife is thin and does not fit well in an unreliable hinge. The revolver fired appallingly inaccurately and was weak. Brass knuckles could injure a fighter's hand. As an added bonus, the trigger was so gentle that Apache's owner could easily shoot off his manhood by sneezing.