Most useless weapon of the 20th Century

Most useless weapon of the 20th Century

What weapon wins this illustrious prize. Contenders will include the British Sticky Bomb, the Russian Dog Mine. Any others

 

Bacteriological weapons get my vote. It depends on what you mean by "useless".

 

Infective and / or more dangerous to their own side

 

More dangerous to their own side - I would like to make a controversial choice.

The Sten gun.

The Sten was a very cheap & simple gun. But this meant that (in early models at least) simply being thumped hard enough could set it off. And if the bolt failed to travel back far enough after firing to engage with the flange that held it in place, then it would fire again. And so on until the mag was empty.
Later models included an improved catch...

The closest my Grandad came to being killed during WW2 (he was a lorry driver for the RAF on the Egypt-Palestine run for most of it) was when some idiot on guard duty came into the bunker my grandad happened to be in, and dropped his sten. The entire mag was fired. Apparently sitting in a concrete box while a full mag of 9mm bullets ricocheted round was a rather interesting experience.

 

Bet that bunker wasn't a good place to be if you were easily shocked be bad language! I've hear that the early stens were a bit prone to falling apart if dropped.

 

UP AA Rocket Mark I was quite useless but maybe not most useless.

 

My vote goes to the sniper version of the StG44. Never in the history of weapons has a firearm been given so totally wrong a task to its character. Who was the idiot who came up with installing a scope on a fully automatic assault rifle? Not only was this weapon perfect in its original function, the Germans furthermore had absolutely no need whatsoever for a more potent sniper rifle and in any case this weapon was the most unsuitable of all.

Interesting topic btw, Ebar!

 

As a weapon it's successor the 9mm sub machingun L2A3. wasn't useless, dangerous maybe but not useless. My SMG was made in 1958 and the sear was badly worn making it very dodgy. Double tapping was a common atribute with this weapon but it could kill up to 100 m easily.

looking at the sten it is similar to the SMG so I would assume it too was dangerous but able to kill. So to classify aas useless is a bit harsh,the operator maybe the weapon not.

 

SMG

 

I would like to nominate Hermann Göring. Very useless, and a major participent in making Germany loose the war...

 

Was the Sten the cheapest infantry firearm of the entire war?

BTW if the Sten had been dangerous enough to endanger its user more than its target then it would have been withdrawn from service.

The Sten isn't useless. In fact I like it because its dirt cheap (would have made an excellent russian weapon). Well maybe it endangers its user much more than any other firearm should, but IMO that doesn't justify the harsh manner in which you judge this weapon.

 

Its spraying capacities were extremely useful in city fighting, such as during Market-Garden. So it did have a use.

 

sten

How can anyone call the sten useless? For price and simplicity you can't beat it, must have been thousands made and the Mkv was a great gun.You could take it to pieces and put it in your pocket, I know which end of it I would prefer to be if it was squirted into a room.

 

sten

further to my last remarks re. sten.Have just checked my own files and find I have vastly underestimated Sten production. A few more details.
Box magazine, direct copy of MP38, held the same 32 9mm Parabellum rounds.The gun could be made in the simplest machine shop,manufacture sub-contracted all over country.Production reached astonishing peaks,one special factory alone turning out 20,000 a week, and total made over two million.BSA mademore than 400,000 of Mk's 1and 2, all told probably more than over 3 1/2 million made of all marks.
Despite the frequency of jams and a reputation for stopping at the wrong moment,the gun fought on practically every battle front in every theatre.
Finally phased out in early 60's.
Quote."Almost reluctantly,britain produced a winner and seemed as bewildered as anyone else at its success"

 

Thats even more than all the AK-47s ever produced.

 

The Zeppelin airship bombers of WW1. A hugely expensive industry was required to design, produce, maintain and fly them, and their bombing raids on the UK achieved relatively minor damage. Once the British had high-performance fighters with guns firing incendiary bullets, they were - literally - shot down in flames.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and Discussion forum

 

useless weapons

the most useless and dangerous weapon was/is an officer with a map!

 

Rather, NCO-level knowledge of plans and objectives saves lives on the battlefield...

 

Re: useless weapons

:lol: :lol: :lol:
come on guys let's be serious, :lol: :lol:
how about a german rifle with a curved barrel and a prims so they can shot around corners, I do not remenber the real name.

 

Re: useless weapons

Tankpark is serious, an officer with a map is like a chocolate chisel. No use what so ever.