Most Effective Hand Held Weapon

[Sayeret]

What is the most effective hand held weaponin history? Like during it's time was it the most effective hand held weapon? Like the previous threads I've made, this thread and poll with the intention that there are no correct answers rather to create a discussion.

[ogukuo72]

Remote control to launch nuclear missiles.

[Minardiau]

The Bow

It gave armies a cheap and effective weapon that could and was used by the "lower class" as an effective counter to the more highly trained armoured knights of europe.

[Asheren]

Bow require a lot of training. Crossbow was cheap, can be used by unskilled person and is able to penetrate plate armour.

[catalyst]

cross bow - took the weapons of the rulers to the common people.

also allowed the conscription armies to become truely effective on the field.

[gaijinsamurai]

I voted for the AK, but EFFECTIVE can mean a lot of things, depending on the circumstances. What's the most effective weapon for the clerk at the convenience store who fears a robbery? A .45. For bringing down a Huey or delaying a convoy? An RPG-7. For clearing a bunker? A couple of frag or willie peter grenades or possibly a flame-thrower (but I suppose that's not a "hand-held" weapon, is it?).

[Para]

Most of this just depends were you are going to use and against what. Every weapon has it's niche in combat, a cross bow is fine but it takes an age to reload, a long bow is fine but it takes years for some one to train on it and become really good. A flame thrower is great for fairly close work and will stop most things including tanks.

[KEEPER0311]

the M1 grande, an effective weapon that was massed produced. Was one of the first semi-automatic rifle that the everyday infantry could use.

[DeltaWhisky58]

I'm sorry to say this, but the subject of this poll, i.e. "Most Effective Hand Held Weapons Of Their Times" is rather contradicted by the options, most are hardly worthy of further consideration. The Bowie knife - gimme a break!

To give two examples:

1. The Longbow
2. The Lee Enfield rifle

In it's day, The British Longbow was a weapon beyond compare, at Agincourt in 1415, British Longbowmen slaughtered thousands of French knights at long range and were all but immune from the enemey. Similarly in the early part of WW1, British soldiers of the regular army equipped with the No.III Lee Enfield .303 rifle (SMLE) were so highly trained at aimed volley fire, the Germans thought that the Brits had huge numbers of machine guns - some soldiers were geting off 30 aimed shots per minute with a bolt action rifle - fact!

These two options are the only ones which truly stand out as worthy of comparison, because they are the only two which were truly unique in their field at the time. I would rate both as being equal. As for the other options - sorry, not even in with a lookespecially the knife and the two handguns.

The AK-47 is prolific, cheap, and it works but is it the most effective in its class available now - no way! There are many far more effective assault weapons avaialble. The main factor in favour of the AK is it is available and anyone can use it - but not necessarily effectively.

[UraBudanov]

Russian AK hands down

[Bryson C]

AK-47, but no M-16?

[Flukeman]

A flame thrower is great for fairly close work and will stop most things including tanks.

How often have you used a flame thrower in training or combat ?

[SuperShot5000]

RPG's, but you'll need a lot of ammo to run a battle with it. Blackhawks in Somalia, T-72s's in Tajikistan, APC's and soft-skin vehicles in Chechnya, Commies in Afghanistan, fortified buildings in Iraq, where can you go wrong?

Don't flame me that I'm anti-American, because I live here for Christ's sake.

But I do gotta admit that the AK-47 has made the second biggest impact on history, tied with nukes.

Regards,
SuperShot5000

[2/1kiwi]

The Taiaha

[dangerdan]

M14 and the M1A (yes there is a small difference)

Theyre reliable, dependable, and accurate

[DeltaWhisky58]

Sorry guys - Most Effective Hand Held Weapons Of Their Times - you are all missing the point here. Apart from the Lee Enfield Rifle and The Longbow, none of the other weapons here fit in the categry and none are significantly different if effect to others in use at the same time.

[James]

I voted for the 1911 pistol. It has been in constant and succesful use with the U.S. for 84 years. I also own 3, and am something of a pistol snob.

I have Glock 17 though. Don't tell anyone.

[Bryson C]

If I have to pick one from the list. I will pick the AK-47, although not the most technically advanced rifle, it was produced in large numbers and available to anyone. It proved effective in combat and played a significant role in modern conflicts.

[StukaJr]

Half of the weapons on the list are not even handheld weapons - I've voted for the RPG-7 though, since no other weapon was both effective against both armored and soft targets... But then it's not fitting of the handheld category...