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Heckler & Koch Mark 23 Mod 0

Designed: 1991-1995
Designer: Helmut Weldle
Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch
Caliber: .45 Automatic Colt Pistol
Capacity: 12
Variants: Suppressor with weaponlight

The Mark 23 was a handgun designed for and tested in USSOCOM's Offensive Handgun Weapon System trial, for a double-stack .45 ACP pistol. HK's entry in the trial was based on the prototype for their then-in-development USP40, and the result is a slightly-bulkier version of what later became that. It's effectively the Desert Eagle of actual combat pistols, however; Clancy games will have you believe it's carried by every "Operator" in existence, but real special forces operators hated the thing - weighing 5 pounds, about as much as an unloaded MP5, and over a foot long with the full SOCOM suppressor and LAM kit - and generally just stuck to single-stack 1911-based sidearms when they needed something in .45.
The Mark 23 was also available in a civilian version, but production was discontinued in July 2010, likely in favor of the USP Tactical, which is only half as heavy and available in multiple calibers.


Springfield Armory M1911A1

Designed: 1927 (Colt)
Designer: John Moses Browning
Manufacturer: Springfield Armory, Inc.
Caliber: .45 ACP
Capacity: 7, 8
Variants: Weaponlight

Famous American pistol, possibly second only to the AK-47 in number of both original weapons and clones based on them built. Replaced the .38 Long Colt M1892 revolver as the sidearm of American armed forces in February 1911. Following World War I, the gun was further optimized for combat to become the M1911A1 - the upgrades included an enlarged ejection port and grip safety tang, to respectively prevent jams and the slide from biting into the user's hand when firing. Remained the US Army's standard-issue sidearm until 1985, when NATO pressure forced them to adopt the 9x19mm Beretta 92FS; updated versions persist as the sidearm of units such as the USMC 1st Force Recon, the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team, and the Los Angeles Police Department's SWAT team.


CZ-75B

Designed: 1990s
Designer: Josef and František Koucký
Manufacturer: Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod
Caliber: 9x19mm Parabellum, .40 Smith & Wesson
Capacity: 12 (.40 S&W), 16 (9mm)
Variants: None

One of the original "Wonder Nines", began life in 1969 as the Koucký brothers were asked to create a 9x19mm pistol, given complete freedom of design; the result came about in 1975. Similar to the earlier Browning Hi-Power (the first auto-pistol to use double-stacked magazines), the weapon included features such as a manual safety (allowing for "condition one" carrying, with a round chambered and the hammer cocked, when it's engaged) and a slide that rides inside the frame, contributing to the weapon's high accuracy. The CZ 75B was born in the early 1990s, when the design was updated to include a firing pin block.


Makarov PM

Designed: 1946-1949
Designer: Nikolay Makarov
Manufacturer: Izhevsk Mechanical Plant
Caliber: 9x18mm Makarov
Capacity: 8
Variants: None

Designed following World War II as part of an effort to replace both the Tokarev TT-33 pistol and the Nagant M1895 the Tokarev itself tried and failed to replace. Rather than use an existing cartridge from the Soviet inventory, Makarov looked to B.V. Semin's newly-designed 9x18mm cartridge. His design was nominally a clone of Walther's wartime "Ultra", itself basically an enlarged Walther PP chambered for the unsuccessful 9x18mm Ultra round. In 1951 the design was selected as the winner of the competition to replace the M1895 and TT, thanks to its simplicity, economy, ease of manufacturing and reasonable stopping power (about equivalent to the German 9x19mm round most NATO forces were adopting at the time), and entered service as the "Pistolet Makarova" (Makarov's Pistol); it remained the sidearm for Soviet armed forces until the USSR's collapse in 1991, and both the original Makarov and the improved PMM designed in 1990 have continued service in the modern Russian army, even a full decade after the Yarygin MP-443 formally replaced them as the PYa in 2003. Imported models by Baikal, including larger adjustable sights and available in either 9mm Makarov or .380 ACP, are also mildly popular (though hard to acquire around here, thanks to agreements between them and the US restricting handgun imports; Cold War-era models from East Germany and the Soviet Union are easier to acquire, however, as the fact that East Germany and the Soviet Union don't exist anymore means the guns qualify for "Curio and Relic" status).
As a note, 9mm Makarov and 9mm Parabellum are not interchangeable. Under normal circumstances, it would be possible (but not very wise) to load a 9x18mm cartridge into and fire it from a weapon chambered for 9x19mm - the Soviets designed the Makarov round to use a 9.22mm bullet specifically to prevent this. This was likely a result of the previous war, where their 7.62mm Tokarev round was simply a slightly more powerful version of the 7.63x25mm Mauser round - allowing German units who had captured Soviet SMGs during the war to load their own ammo into them and fire them without issue.


Glock pistol

Designed: 1979-1982
Designer: Gaston Glock
Manufacturer: Glock Ges.m.b.H.
Caliber: 9x19mm Parabellum, 10mm Auto, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .380 ACP, .357 SIG, .45 GAP
Capacity: 10, 15, 17, 19, 31 (9mm); 10, 15 (10mm); 6, 10, 13 (.45); 13, 15 (.40); 6, 10, 15 (.380); 9, 13, 15 (.357)
Variants: Glock 19 in 9mm; Glock 21 in .45

The Glock line is the most famous of the "plastic pistols", firearms made primarily with synthetic polymers. There are dozens of weapons in the Glock line, in different sizes and calibers. Their popularity has also extended into the submachine gun market - many modern SMG's are specifically designed to load from Glock magazines, due to their ubiquity and the fact that basically every Western pistol cartridge in current production has three or more Glock variants designed to fire it.
The line was initially met with some resistance in the market and in gun-control circles - in particular, there were fears that the polymer construction would render it invisible to x-ray scanners. This is not the case, as Glocks are 80% metal by weight, complete with unremovable metal strips in the grip for structural strength; other polymer guns use heavier polymers which are strong enough to eliminate the need for metal parts outside of the action itself but are still visible via x-rays.
As trivia, the 17 in the original pistol's name comes from the fact that it was Gaston Glock's 17th patent, though there are some who believe it refers to the 17-round capacity of its usual magazines (these are usually the people unaware there are Glocks other than the 17 but still presenting themselves as "experts" on it because they played Modern Warfare 2).
As of 2002, the LAPD has approved its officers carrying any of the 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP variants; the LAPD SWAT team instead goes for the Kimber Custom TLE (Tactical Law Enforcement) II, an M1911-based pistol.


Heckler & Koch P7M8

Designed: 1982-1983
Designer: Helmut Weldle
Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch
Caliber: 9x19mm Parabellum
Capacity: 8
Variants: Weaponlight

Officially designated by H&K as the "Polizei Selbstlade-Pistole" (Police self-loading pistol), or PSP, design began in 1976 following the Munich Olympics massacre as the West German police saw the need to upgrade from its .32 ACP weapons. The PSP entered service with the German Federal Police's famous GSG 9 and the German Army's special forces formations in 1979 as the P7, alongside the Walther P5 and the SIG-Sauer P225 (as the P6).
The most famous aspect of the P7 is its unique decocking lever. Located at the front of the grip, it acts much like a grip safety, requiring the user to squeeze it to cock the weapon (requiring 15 pounds of force to cock the weapon but then only 2 pounds to keep it in place). As long as it is depressed, the weapon functions like any other single-action semi-auto pistol, recocking itself with every shot; as soon as the lever is released, the weapon decocks itself and is put on safe.
The P7M8 is an upgraded variant, with new features primarily targeted at American preferences - the most notable of these is replacing the heel-mounted magazine release with ambidextrous release levers at the base of the trigger guard, with the location of the heel-mounted release now housing a lanyard attachment loop; this version sees use in several police departments such as the New Jersey State Police.


Heckler & Koch USP45

Designed: 1989-1992
Designer: Helmut Weldle
Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch
Caliber: .45 ACP
Capacity: 12
Variants: Suppressor with weaponlight

The "Universale Selbstladepistole" (Universal Self-loading Pistol), one of the more popular pistols around due to its wide variety of calibers (initially chambered for .40 S&W, followed by 9x19 and then .45 ACP versions, as well as Compact versions available in .357 SIG). Upgraded 9mm version adopted by the German Bundeswehr in 1994 as the P8, replacing the aging Walther P38; the Compact version in 9mm, with a spurred hammer, was also adopted by the German State Police as the P10, while the Army's Kommando Spezialkräfte (Special Forces Command) and the Navy's Kampfschwimmer (Combat Swimmers) use the Tactical model, also in 9mm, as the P12. Prototypes for the gun were tested for USSOCOM's Offensive Handgun Weapon System trial, which lead to the similar Mark 23 Mod 0 in .45 ACP - the prototypes were then refined to create the smaller, lighter USP40.

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Heckler & Koch MP5

Designed: 1964-1966
Designer: Tilo Möller, Manfred Guhring, Georg Seidl, Helmut Baureuter
Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch
Caliber: 9x19mm Parabellum
Capacity: 15, 30
Variants: Surefire 628 forend weaponlight, with or without Aimpoint red dot scope

The G3's success lead to Heckler & Koch developing versions of it in multiple other calibers. Among the most famous was the HK54, the 9x19mm SMG version, more often known by its German Federal Police designation of "Maschinenpistole 5". Common among special forces and police units ever since the British Special Air Service used the weapon in breaking the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege with only one hostage killed, effectively becoming the de-facto Western SMG of choice over the IMI Uzi.
This game includes four variants of the weapon: the A2, the A3, and the SD2 and SD3. The A2 and SD2 are variants with a fixed stock, while the A3 and SD3 use a sliding stock. All are fitted with a three-position "SEF" fire selector; the SD2 and SD3, as their name suggests (short for "Schalldämpfer", or "suppressor") also include integrated suppressors which restrict the velocity of fired bullets so they remain subsonic, although this means the weapon cannot be used with ammunition that is already meant to fire at a lower velocity to compliment a detachable suppressor.
Attempts have since been made to replace it, with the variable-caliber UMP and the MP7 PDW, but overall they have not seen nearly as much success as the MP5.


Heckler & Koch UMP45

Designed: 1990s
Designer: Unknown
Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch
Caliber: .45 ACP
Capacity: 25
Variants: Weaponlight, with or without Aimpoint red dot scope

The "Universale Maschinenpistole" was designed as a cheaper, more modern, multi-caliber successor to the MP5, initially designed for .45 ACP and .40 S&W, shortly followed by a 9mm version. Its caliber can usually be inferred just from looking below the barrel - 9mm version uses curved 30-round magazines similar to those of the MP5 series, .40 version uses a straight magazine with the same capacity, .45 version uses a straight 25-round magazine and is also typically given a vertical foregrip to help handle the greater recoil. Added features it has over the MP5 include the ability to attach rails directly to the weapon (one above the receiver, three on the handguard) for alternate optics, flashlights, and foregrips, and a bolt catch to hold the bolt open when the magazine is emptied and quickly load the first round of the next one (there is not a single UMP in video games to take advantage of this - if the need to actually load bullets into the chamber is acknowledged at all then it's all about the HK Slap). Though meant to replace the MP5, the UMP has at best managed to complement it, between MP5 production continuing, a shift in focus from submachine guns to short-barreled carbines and the then-new PDW concept, early UMP models apparently being rather frail (a recall order was placed in 2000 due to charging handles breaking), and those customers who still preferred SMGs being particularly attached to the MP5's they already had. Also came in semi-auto-only variant, the Universal Self-loading Carbine, which was designed in response to the US 1994 Assault Weapons Ban with a longer barrel, a fixed thumbhole stock, and a single-stack 10-round magazine; as of 2013 the USC is no longer in production.


IMI Mini-Uzi

Designed: 1980
Designer: Uziel Gal
Manufacturer: Israeli Military Industries
Caliber: 9x19mm Parabellum
Capacity: 20, 25, 32, 40, 50
Variants: With or without suppressor

Originally designed shortly after World War II for the Israeli Defense Force, the Uzi became the premier submachine gun of the Western world, famed for its high accuracy and controllable rate of fire, even competing for a number of years with the H&K MP5 before the latter proved to be even better. Smaller variants came about in the 80's; the Mini-Uzi, in particular, has an increased fire rate of 950 rounds per minute (compare 600 for the full-size Uzi; this means the standard 32-round magazine barely lasts two seconds in full-auto). The Uzi was still in use with multiple nations for years on end, in particular the German Bundeswehr from 1959 until recently (as the "MP2", though relegated to reserve units after the domestic H&K MP5's adoption in 1985, and officially replaced with the MP7 as of 2007) and the US Secret Service from the 60s to the 90s (the most notable use being one Agent Robert Wanko producing an Uzi from inside a briefcase to cover the wounded President Reagan after the assassination attempt in March 1981). Current users of the Mini-Uzi include Estonia, the Romanian Military Police, the Italian and Haitian National Police, Honduras (alongside the full-size Uzi), Brazil, and Peru.


Škorpion vz. 61

Designed: 1959
Designer: Miroslav Rybář
Manufacturer: Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod, Zastava Arms
Caliber: .32 ACP
Capacity: 10, 20
Variants: None

Czech submachine gun designed for use by security and special forces. Notable for possibly being one of the first submachine guns created to fire from a closed bolt (as opposed to the open bolt most WWII-era SMGs used; open-bolt weapons are less mechanically complex, but at the cost of accuracy, due to said bolt throwing itself forward with every pull of the trigger before the bullet is fired). Originally designed for the .32 ACP cartridge (versions in various 9mm calibers were designed in the 60s but canned), the original vz. 61 was eventually followed by the vz. 82 in 9mm Makarov, the vz. 83 in .380 ACP, the modernized Sa. 361 in 9mm Parabellum, and the semi-auto CZ-91S in every caliber above. Among gamers, this gun is probably most famous as GoldenEye's terminally useless Klobb.


Heckler & Koch SMG II

Designed: 1984
Designer: Unknown
Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch
Caliber: 9x19mm Parabellum
Capacity: 15, 30
Variants: None

The H&K SMG program was an attempt to improve the MP5 in the early 80's. The first two attempts were similar to each other - a modified, more boxy MP5 with a flush-fit sliding stock, an integrated foregrip, and suppressor. The main differences between the two are that the SMG I used a rear sight and scope mount similar to the HK21 general purpose machine gun, as well as a valve to modify the gas system so the user could choose whether fired bullets would be subsonic (easier to suppress) or supersonic (longer effective range). The SMG II went back to the MP5-style rear sight, switched to a selector-type switch for controlling the gas system, added a three-round burst mode, and used proprietary magazines. Both had prototypes built, but were never put into full production. Two more attempts at replacing the MP5 were made before the decade ended, leading to the MP2000 (basically the same as the SMG II but with a bolt-locking device and a removable foregrip) and then the MP5 PIP (Product Improvement Project, a still-boxy weapon using an ambidextrous charging handle similar to that of the later G36); those too failed, the latter without even seeing a working prototype, and the branches trying to improve the MP5 settled for the existing MP5 Navy.

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Benelli M3 Super 90

Designed: 1989
Designer: Benelli Armi SpA
Manufacturer: Benelli Armi SpA
Caliber: 12 gauge, 20 gauge
Capacity: 5+1, 7+1
Variants: Weaponlight

The third shotgun in Benelli's Super 90 series, the last to use the inertia recoil system used by the M1 and the only one in the series also capable of use in pump-action mode (which, discounting this game, is where it will inevitably be used in every bit of media featuring it). Still not as popular in media as the SPAS-12, despite still being in production and overall being safer to use and easier to acquire; when a production is using a Benelli shotgun, however, this is the go-to one for non-military applications.


Remington Model 11-87

Designed: 1987
Designer: Wayne Leek (Model 1100)
Manufacturer: Remington Arms
Caliber: 12 gauge, 20 gauge
Capacity: 7+1
Variants: Weaponlight

The 11-87 is a variant of the earlier Remington model 1100, a semi-automatic shotgun designed to fire with as little felt recoil as possible. Like the 1100, it incorporates a self-compensating gas system, allowing it to operate with any kind of shell, from lightly-loaded 2¾" shells to 3" Magnum ones. Some of the Magnum models include a barrel seal activator on the magazine tube, meant to divert more gas from the fired shells towards the piston and bolt and aid them in cycling lighter-loaded shells.

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Colt M4A1

Designed: 1984-1994
Designer: Colt's Manufacturing Company
Manufacturer: Colt Defense LLC, Bushmaster, U.S. Ordnance, Remington Arms, FN Herstal, various others
Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
Capacity: 20, 30
Variants: Weaponlight with standard sights, Aimpoint red dot scope, Trijicon reflex sight, or Trijicon 4x ACOG combined with suppressor and/or Beta C-mag

Carbine versions of the M16 rifle series (often under the name "CAR-15" or "Colt Commando") have existed nearly as long as the M16 series itself has; the M4, produced after the first Gulf War, is by far the most well-known and successful such carbine. Features a retractable stock and slightly-shortened barrel (14.5 inches, compared to the M16's 20-inch barrel and the 10.5-inch barrels of most earlier CAR-15 variants). In this respect, it is most similar to the Colt Model 727, an M16A2-based carbine that introduced the 14.5-inch barrel with the step-cut for the M203 grenade launcher (this configuration is sometimes called the "Abu Dhabi" carbine, after the capital of the United Arab Emirates whom the 727 was designed for). Original M4, made for general military use, is based on the M16A2, and as such it features semi-automatic and three-round burst fire modes; the better-known M4A1, initially designed for special forces, is instead capable of full-auto fire. Primarily used with the same combination rear sight/carry handle as the M16, though the M4 introduced a removable version of said handle, mounted on a rail on the upper receiver and able to be detached to mount alternate optics. The M4A1 began seeing use in police special response units in America following the North Hollywood shootout in 1997, where the two gunmen were wearing armored vests that completely stopped the 9mm bullets and buckshot fired by their MP5's and shotguns.
The weapon was involved in a lawsuit in late 2004, wherein Colt Defense LLC sued Heckler & Koch and Bushmaster for branding their similar carbines under the M4 name - while HK settled out-of-court and renamed their weapon to the HK416, Bushmaster fought back and won, in part because the label "M4" was being treated by pretty much everyone as a generic descriptor for the type of weapon rather than ones specifically manufactured by Colt, in part because Colt did not bother to sue fifteen other, less-well-known manufacturers of M4-branded carbines, and in part because M4 is a military-issue designation Colt Defense did not actually have any claim to.
The US Army began converting all original M4's to the M4A1 with a heavier barrel in 2014, due to issues with the burst-fire selector switch affecting trigger pull in semi-auto. Navy corpsmen below E5 and Marine officers below lieutenant colonel are also issued with the carbine instead of the M9 pistol (as the creed goes, "every Marine a rifleman"). Most non-American military users have since begun supplementing or replacing the M4A1 with newer weapons; the HK416 in particular is common in this case, with the LAPD SWAT team in particular supplementing its M4A1 carbines with it since 2010.


Heckler & Koch G36K

Designed: 1990-1994
Designer: Heckler & Koch
Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch
Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
Capacity: 30
Variants: ZF 3x4° dual optic and weaponlight with or without C-Mag

Efforts to replace the venerable G3 rifle started in the late 1970's - initially, this was focused on the G11, a unique weapon firing caseless 4.73mm rounds, only to come to a complete halt due to the Bundeswehr's defense budget cuts after the two halves of the country were reunified. At this point, interest grew in a domestic service rifle chambered for the NATO standard 5.56mm round, but such a weapon based on the G3's action (the G41) was rejected due to an absurdly high per-weapon price tag even for an H&K weapon. Thus work began on "Project 50", a weapon designed to use a short-stroke gas piston system inspired by the AR-18, which became the Gewehr 36. While designed to use proprietary translucent magazines, an adapter can also be attached for it to load STANAG magazines designed for the M16.
The G36K ("kurz", or short) is a variant with a shorter 12.5-inch barrel, and an attendant shorter forend (including a short rail to attach accessories, such as a vertical foregrip or the UTL flashlight from the USP pistol). The G36K cannot mount a bayonet, but is still compatible with the AG36 grenade launcher. It is most commonly issued with a modified version of the original G36 carry handle, featuring the 3x scope without the top-mounted reflex sight.
The weapon is rather notorious for its plastic furniture being unsuited for the harshness of actual combat, especially in the Middle Eastern deserts most of all combat Western armies have seen in the past fifteen years; the G36 series has been determined to overheat to the point that its accuracy is negatively affected if the weapon is fired at a rate faster than thirty rounds per minute. The cause determined has been back-and-forth between whether it's the fault of the weapon (HK has admitted it's not meant for sustained, continuous fire) or the ammunition (some Bundeswehr-issue ammo has been determined to have copper jackets that were too thin, and the manufacturer of the ammo has accepted blame for issues with the weapon); Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen ultimately determined in March 2015 that the weight-saving design of the rifle was ultimately the root cause of such issues, and in late April announced that the G36 has "no future in the German army in its current state of construction".


Heckler & Koch G36C

Designed: 1998
Designer: Heckler & Koch
Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch
Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
Capacity: 30
Variants: ZF 3x4° dual optic and weaponlight with or without C-Mag

The shortened carbine version of the G36 rifle series. Modifications to the original design include an even shorter (9 inch) barrel and forend (with extra rails added to the sides), a shorter gas piston and stock, and a relocated gas block. Also designed for the weapon was a new, low-profile carry handle with attached ironsights and a full-length picatinny rail, though the way the weapon is designed means the larger variants (such as the G36KV in use with the Latvian armed forces) can also use the railed handle, and that the G36C can use the larger handle with the integrated optics, as in this game. Designed in August 1998, entered service alongside its bigger brothers in 2001 and promptly became the most famous version of the weapon - it's a cold day in Hell when a game features a single G36 variant and it's not this one (ignore that this game only has it because of those official mods I'm running). The G36 is the first non-pistol weapon from H&K not based on the action of the G3 series, and much like it, its own action has gone on to be the basis for nearly every weapon they've designed since, including the XM8 and MP7.


Norinco Type 56

Designed: 1947
Designer: Mikhail Kalashnikov (AK-47)
Manufacturer: Norinco, Bangladesh Ordnance Factory
Caliber: 7.62x39mm
Capacity: 20, 30, 40
Variants: Standard; Kobra red dot sight, suppressor, and/or drum magazines

The Type 56 is a Chinese clone of the original AK-47, seeing prolific use in Africa, southeast Asia, and the Middle East - most famously, it was the most common rifle in use by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, where it dealt far more adequately with the harsh jungle environment than the M16. It is also more famous on the silver screen than the original AK, as the Cold War meant it was much easier for Western filmmakers to get ahold of Chinese copies than the original models to arm their film's bad guys with. Consequently, this and a tendency to just refer to every vaguely-Kalashnikov-inspired design as an "AK-47" means that the later 5.45mm models and even the redesigned, far more ubiquitous AKM are under-represented in media; even today (and partly thanks to Call of Duty propagating it) modern and even near-future Russian forces are still often shown as using the original AK-47 - that or a game will model any modern AK variant and still try to claim it's an AK-47, even when every other weapon in the game is correctly named and modeled.


AK-74

Designed: 1974
Designer: Mikhail Kalashnikov
Manufacturer: Izhmash, Kalashnikov Concern
Caliber: 5.45x39mm
Capacity: 30
Variants: Standard or Kobra red dot sight

Designed to replace the AKM in the 1970's - and so heavily based on it that the earliest models are reported to have been AKMs simply re-barreled to the new cartridge. The design ultimate followed the example set by NATO for a smaller cartridge fired at a higher velocity than earlier examples, thus generally allowing the same killing power, but with more ammo carried for the same weight. The smaller ammunition also results in lower recoil, allowing for greater accuracy at long range or in sustained fire than the AKM, plus even greater reliability than the legendary example set by its predecessor. That said, it has also ended up with some of the same issues the M16 faced in Vietnam - when the Soviets went to war in Chechnya, the 5.45mm bullet was demonstrated to deflect off of thick vegetation rather than plow through it like the original 7.62mm bullet typically would. Initially issued as both the standard AK-74 for regular soldiers, and the AKS-74 with a folding skeleton stock for paratroopers; service continues as the modernized, synthetic-furniture AK-74M, utilizing a new folding stock of the same general design as the original fixed model, which entered service in 1991. Attempts have been made over the last decade or so to replace it, but even with innovations such as getting two bullets out the barrel before recoil even affects the shooter (AN-94) or a counter-weight to negate the recoil from full-auto fire (AEK-971), every time the response is basically "we have plenty of AK-74s, we don't need a new rifle to replace them". That said, these attempts may have finally made some headway, as in December 2014 it was announced that the Russian Ground Forces would begin trial testing of an upgraded version of the AEK-971 and the new AK-12 in March 2015 (not that any news has come from that more than a year since).
Fun note: Mikhail's son Victor designed a submachine gun based on the AKS-74, the PP-19 Bizon. Alexei Dragunov, the youngest son of the Dragunov SVD's inventor, was also part of the PP-19 design team.


AKS-74U

Designed: 1973-1977
Designer: Mikhail Kalashnikov
Manufacturer: Tula Arms Factory, Izhmash
Caliber: 5.45x39mm
Capacity: 30
Variants: Standard or Kobra red dot sight

The shortened carbine variant of the AK-74, a lower-caliber version of the famed AK-47. Design began with "Project Modern" in 1973 (likely in response to the US Army's experience with AR-15-based carbines in Vietnam), calling for a fully-automatic carbine that weighed no more than 2.2kg, a length of 75cm with the stock unfolded, and firing its rounds at a muzzle velocity of 700m/s or greater - entries were made by Igor Stechkin (famous for the Stechkin automatic pistol, entering with the TKB-0116), Sergei Simonov (famous for the SKS and PTRS-41 rifles, entering with the AG-043), and Yevgeny Dragunov (famous for the SVD, entering with the MA), but the winner was ultimately Kalashnikov's own A1-75, based on his earlier PP1 proposal with the now-distinctive flash and noise suppressor attached to the muzzle. Meant for special forces, rear echelon troops, and otherwise general situations where a submachine gun would be more useful than a full-size assault rifle, as the shorter barrel results in lower muzzle velocity, thus lower effective range, than a regular assault rifle - but still generally greater velocity and range than a submachine gun. As of 2001 the Russian Army has began supplementing the weapon with the AK-105, the 5.45mm carbine version of the AK-100 series.
Possibly the second most-common AK variant in video games, possibly thanks to Metal Gear Solid 2. Also commonly listed as an actual submachine gun and/or modelled with the 7.62mm magazine of an AK-47/AKM, thanks to Call of Duty 4.

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Springfield Armory M1A

Designed: 1974
Designer: Elmer C. Ballance
Manufacturer: Springfield Armory, Inc.
Caliber: .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO
Capacity: 5, 10, 20
Variants: Standard walnut, synthetic black or forest camo stock

The M1A is the semi-automatic cousin to the M14 rifle, a troubled weapon that overall failed to find a niche in the US Army before it was replaced in general service by the famous M16. The M1A has had more success than the original M14, in part because the semi-auto-only nature of civilian-legal firearms in America was basically the only way a ten-pound weapon firing a full-size rifle cartridge was actually usable; the weapon is still rather popular among the American shooting public today, and is the weapon of choice for Ironman 3-gun competitions and other battle rifle-centric competitions. Being a civilian weapon, the M1A is designed for the higher-pressure .308 Winchester round, though surplus 7.62mm NATO rounds work just fine with it.


Winchester Model 70

Designed: 1936
Designer: Thomas Crosley Johnson (Model 54)
Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms Company, U.S. Repeating Arms, Fabrique Nationale
Caliber: Varied; in-game claims .308 Winchester
Capacity: 3 to 5, depending on caliber
Variants: Synthetic black or olive drab furniture

"The Rifleman's Rifle", an iconic bolt-action weapon in continuous production since 1936. From 1964 it was challenged by the Remington Model 700; in the face of this and rising labor costs, multiple design changes were made to cut costs; these include various features cut but which were favored by old shooters, leading to pre-'64 models commanding a premium price. Further design changes came about in 1968 to address consumer concerns, including an "anti-bind" feature that made the bolt-action's operation smoother.
The .30-06 Springfield model saw some unofficial use by the US Marine Corps in the Pacific theater during World War II, fitted with upgrades such as leaf sights, checkered stocks with steel buttplates, and on some of them, reportedly, 8x Unertl scopes taken from their officially-issued M1903A1 Springfield sniper rifles. Many of them continued service through the Korean and Vietnam Wars, before versions of the Remington 700 replaced them and the semi-auto M21 in nearly every branch of the US military; the Marine Corps sniper Carlos Hathcock, in particular, made his famous kill by shooting through the scope of an opponent's Mosin-Nagant rifle with a Model 70. His rifle is on display at the Marine Corps Sniper Museum in Quantico, Virginia.


Barrett Model 95

Designed: 1995
Designer: Barrett Firearms Company
Manufacturer: Barrett Firearms Company
Caliber: .50 Browning Machine Gun
Capacity: 5
Variants: None

The M95 is a bullpup bolt-action sniper rifle, based on the earlier Model 90 (which in turn was based on the famous semi-auto Model 82). Changes the M90 made from the M82, aside from the obvious different action, included the addition of a Picatinny rail to mount whatever scope the user wanted (the weapon was initially designed for civilian shooters who wanted a bolt-action in .50 BMG) and a fluted muzzle to help reduce recoil. Changes from the M90 to the M95 were moving the pistol grip and trigger an inch forward, redesigning the bolt handle, and chrome-plating the barrel chamber.
In 1999, the M95 won a competition to become the XM107, a bolt-action anti-materiel rifle; however, it was then decided that the Army did not actually require a weapon with these specifications, and the semi-auto Model 82 was instead selected, entering service in 2002 as the M107. The M95 sees service in groups such as the Austrian Army's Jagdkommando special operations group, the Spanish Army and Navy, and reportedly the Royal Thai Navy SEALs.

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Daewoo Precision Industries K3

Designed: 1978-1987
Designer: Agency for Defense Development
Manufacturer: S&T Motiv Co. Ltd
Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
Capacity: 30, 70, 200
Variants: None

The Daewoo K3 is a South Korean-made light machine gun heavily based on the Belgian FN Minimi, developed to replace the M60 for frontline use and in service with the Republic of Korea Army since 1989. Meant to supplement Daewoo's earlier K1 SMG and K2 assault rifle (the K3 even uses the same folding stock as the K2), and as such can load the same cartridges and magazines as them. Due to the fact that most South Korean soldiers are not expected to see extended use of their weapons, the K3 is not designed for customization and was never updated to use picatinny rails.
One of the more famous uses of the K3 is in films and shows filmed in Canada, where its great resemblance to the Minimi has lead to it standing in for that weapon when acquiring Minimis was not possible. In fact, this is exactly what it's doing here in this game - all in-game info suggests this is the M249E2 SAW, but the distinctive stock and lack of a heat shield on the actual image and model says otherwise.
A controversy around the weapon erupted in 2007, due to the Armed Forces of the Phillipines' Modernization Program, with commentators attacking them for showing favoritism to a Western firearm (the Minimi) over the K3 and the Singaporean Ultimax 100; the AFP ultimately ended up acquiring nearly 6000 K3's.


Colt Model 606/CAR-15 Heavy Assault Rifle M2

Designed: 1960s
Designer: Rob Roy
Manufacturer: Colt Manufacturing Company
Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
Capacity: 50, 120
Variants: Trijicon reflex sight, Aimpoint red dot scope, or Trijicon 4x ACOG

The best I can figure is this is what the developers meant for this gun - a heavy-barreled automatic rifle based on the M16, modified to accept belted ammo. The weapon was tested for use as a helicopter door machine gun, but rejected; less than 20 of the weapons were created as a result.
If this were any other game, I'd suggest just going for an M249 instead (considering the in-game weapon apparently wants to be one, fitted with the M249E2's foregrip and heat shield). For a weapon system like this game uses, this is the superior one for the more varied options of optics. For a game like this where you don't win by just shooting everything that moves, I wouldn't suggest using anything belt-fed.


M60

Designed: 1940s-1957
Designer: Saco Defense
Manufacturer: Saco Defense, U.S. Ordnance
Caliber: 7.62x51mm NATO
Capacity: 100
Variants: None

If you're in any way familiar with World War II weapons, you're likely familiar with the hard-on Internet weapon experts seem to have for anything Nazi Germany designed - often trying to claim that the only innovative or working designs from the mid-20th century came from or were derived from things made by the Nazis, even ones that actually had nothing to do with them like the AK-47. Turns out, people who just got done fighting the Nazis felt the same way - efforts to replace the M1918 BAR and M1919 machine gun were focused on weapons heavily based on the German MG 42 machine gun and FG 42 paratrooper rifle. Unfortunately, it was more FG 42 than MG 42 - and what the designers failed (or probably refused) to account for was the fact that the FG 42 was in no way suited to the role their weapon was meant for. Soldiers appreciated the resulting M60's handling, mechanical simplicity, and ability to go through hundreds of rounds before a barrel change was necessary - some anecdotes say that gunners would sometimes shoot until the barrel heated to the point it became translucent enough to show the bullets going through it before they would swap out for a fresh one - but it was also heavy, prone to damaging itself just from being loaded or fired by literally beating itself to death, and suffered from various other user-unfriendly and just plain baffling decisions including no handle for removing an overheated barrel (requiring issuing of an asbestos glove to machine gun crews) and the trigger group being attached by a single pin (thus frequently resulting in a runaway gun whenever that single pin broke under the strain of suppressive fire). The later M60E3 was designed to address several of these issues, as well as reduce the weight - unfortunately, all this really did was make the weapon even more prone to damaging itself while used for the purpose it was designed for. The M240 has overall replaced the M60 in most uses, despite being even heavier and not at all suited for anything except tripod or vehicle mountings; only the Coast Guard, Navy, and some reserve units are still using versions of the M60 as of 2005, and even then with actual improvements to both portability and reliability, they have started looking to replace those with the lighter yet still more reliable Mark 48 system.

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ARWEN 37

Designed: 1977
Designer: Royal Small Arms Factory
Manufacturer: Royal Small Arms Factory, Police Ordnance Company Inc.
Caliber: 37mm
Capacity: 5
Variants: None

A non-lethal launcher designed by the British RSAF in Enfield; the name is an acronym for "Anti Riot Weapon ENfield". Designed for a request from the British military, asking for a multi-shot riot control weapon to replace the old American single-shot Federal Riot Gun in use since the 30's. Three prototypes were tested, one semi-auto, one pump-action, and one with a rotary drum; the latter was chosen and put into production. As of 2001, the trademarks and patents for the weapon belong to the Canadian Police Ordnance Company, Inc.; ammunition for the weapon, from various baton rounds to CS gas and area impact rounds, have been in production since 1991 by Sage Control Ordnance, Inc., in Michigan, sold only to law enforcement agencies.


M79

Designed: 1953-1960
Designer: Springfield Armory
Manufacturer: Springfield Armory, Action Manufacturing Company, Exotic Metal Products, Kanaar Corporation, Thompson-Ramo-Woolridge
Caliber: 40x46mm grenade
Capacity: 1
Variants: None

The Special Purpose Individual Weapon projects of the 1950s and 1960s, an attempt to replace current rifles with flechette-based weapons, were overall a failure. However, one nugget of success came about: attempts to create an explosive weapon with more accuracy and destructive power than muzzle-mounted rifle grenades and more portability than mortars lead to the development of the superb 40x46mm grenade round. Springfield Armory later created the S-3 single-shot break-open launcher for the round, which was eventually refined into the S-5. Fitted with a new leaf sight to account for trajectories, the S-5 was officially adopted by the US armed forces as the M79, just in time for things to go south in Vietnam. It was popular among troops stationed there (who gave it several affectionate nicknames, including "Thumper" and "Blooper"), but too heavy to carry alongside a rifle, cumbersome, and slow to load and fire; it was effectively replaced in its sole role by the rifle-mounted M203 in 1969, though due to its longer barrel giving it an effective range over double that of the M203, it still seems some limited use even today, such as for clearing IEDs in the coolest way possible.
Despite the above about the weapon's weight, this and Left 4 Dead 2 are the only two games in existence that feature the weapon and don't force you to carry an assault rifle alongside it, which may or may not also have the M203 attached to it for good measure.