Top 5 Navy SEALs Weapons

The United States Navy’s Sea, Air and Land teams (a.k.a Navy SEALs or just SEALs) are the primary special operations force of the U.S Navy. The SEALs have a long and varied history that can be traced back to World War 2, when the Amphibious Scout and Raider school was established in 1942 at Fort Pierce.

This school trained a select group of Army and Navy personnel in the art of beach reconnaissance. Specially trained commandos were tasked with identifying suitable beachheads for landings as well as guiding the assault waves to the beach. Nearly two decades to the Vietnam war and the Navy SEALs were officially formed in order to fulfill the Navy’s requirement for a team of specially-trained commandos who were capable of operating on sea, air and land.

Specially trained in unconventional areas of warfare like hand-to-hand combat, HALO parachuting and demolition work, most of the earliest SEALs were drawn from the Navy’s UDT or Underwater Demolition Teams. In Vietnam, the SEALs would be involved in a large variety of counter-insurgency, anti-guerrilla operations. For example, the controversial CIA-sponsored Phoenix Program, which targeted key North Vietnamese Army personnel and Vietcong sympathizers for assassination and capture.

In recent years, the Navy SEALs have taken part in many operations, some of which are still classified to this day. With so many operations under their belt, there is surely no doubt that the Navy SEALs make use of only the best equipment. That being said, here are the top 5 weapons used by the Navy SEALs.

Colt M4A1

Due to the demanding nature of the missions that special operations soldiers are regularly called on to perform, the SEALs need weapons that are hard-hitting, durable and adaptable to a variety of tactical situations. So, this is why they make use of the venerable Colt M4A1. A carbine version of the M16A2, the M4A1 is lighter and shorter than the standard issue. Along with this, it fires the same powerful NATO 5.56 round, which makes obtaining ammunition relatively easy.

SEALs make use of the M4A1 combined with the SOPMOD (Special Operations Peculiar) accessory kit, which allows operators to customize their weapons in order to suit the needs of the mission at hand. From sound suppressors for clandestine ops, to an attachable M203 grenade launcher for extra firepower, the M4A1 is a flexible and tough weapon that will be in use for many years to come.

Heckler & Koch MP5

One of the most popular submachine guns (SMGs) in the world, the H&K MP5, with its iconic curved magazine, is popular with both military and law enforcement agencies all over the world. Chambered for the ubiquitous 9mm NATO round, the H&K MP5 is the weapon of choice for SEALs fighting in close quarter environments.

The MP5 was carried by members of the UK’s elite SAS or Special Air Service regiment during the Iran Embassy Siege and has ever since been the weapon of choice for operators everywhere. The SEALs carry an MP5 Navy or MP5N, which has been specially designed by Hecker and Koch for the U.S Navy.

Featuring an ambidextrous trigger group, selectable firing rates and an attachable sound suppressor, the MP5 Navy is favored by SEAL operators everywhere for its high fire rate, accuracy and controllability.

Sig Sauer P226

The SEALs are renowned for making use of a diverse range of firearms, all of which have been thoroughly tested for reliability and effectiveness. Previously, the SEALs were armed with the venerable but powerful Colt M1911 before testing out the Beretta M9. However, after several incidences where a SEAL was injured as a result of the slides on their M9s catastrophically failing, the SEALs decided that a new handgun was needed.

This incident gave rise to the humorous saying “You’re not a SEAL till you’ve eaten Italian steel” and also resulted in most SEALs switching to the Sig Sauer P226.   Renowned for its ability to stand up to insane amounts of punishment and praised by many operators for its toughness and accuracy, the P226 has proven itself time and time again to be a suitable backup weapon for the deadliest warriors in the US Navy.

Barrett Model 82

When SEALs need to take out a target at extreme distances, they look to the Barrett M82 or M107 to provide devastating, long-range fire. Firing the powerful .50-inch Browning 12.7x9mm cartridge, the M107 was ironically name the “Light Fifty.” Traditionally, the M107 has been used in an anti-vehicle and explosive ordnance disposal role. In some cases, the M107 can be used to take out targets at extreme ranges, as can be seen when a U.S Army Ranger sniper was able to engage and kill his target at a range of 2,300m.

During the Somali conflict, SEAL snipers made use of the M107 to eliminate light vehicles used by the Somali militia at long range. The 50 bmg ballistics round was able to easily disable or even destroy the heavy machine guns mounted on the technical used by the Somali militia forces.

FN MAG a.k.a M240

Manufactured by FabriqueNationaled’Herstal, the FN MAG or M240 is the general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) of choice for the SEALs. Firing a powerful 7.62mm NATO round and in use since the 1970s, the M240 has been in service for more than 4 decades. The M240 can be either belt or magazine fed and it is able to lay down an impressive 650 to 750 rounds per minute, which makes it ideal for special forces teams who usually operate in small groups.

Widely regarded as one of the finest GPMGs on the market, the M240 is renowned for its reliability and stopping power. Over the years, many different variants of the M240 have been released to better suit the needs of special operations soldiers.Some variants have been designed with shorter barrels and incorporate titanium construction in order to reduce the combat weight carried by each individual soldier.

Weapons are the jewelry of armed forces personnel so use always the protection of your small weapons Concealed Carry 1911 Holster.

For SEALs operating in the harshest conditions, the M240 offers an excellent combination of firepower and reliability – all within a light package.

Conclusion

The Navy SEALs are made up of some of the toughest men in the armed forces. Due to the demanding nature of their operations, they only choose the best quality equipment that offers a combination of reliability, toughness and stopping power.  As your body is a weapon all on its own, you need the best nutrition to ensure that you are able to keep on going, even in the toughest conditions. So, you also need to keep doing workouts and taking in drinks that are great for Navy Seals.