When the United States finally entered the Great War in 1917 it found itself facing a significant shortage of modern rifles, and turned to a foreign design already in mass production domestically.

When the Kingdom of Italy marched to war in 1915 they carried the black powder Bodeo revolver in their holsters. Over the course of the conflict development of a reliable autoloader would prove problematic until later in the war.

Despite victory in the Spanish-American War of 1898, it was clear that the Krag rifles in American service were inferior to the Mausers used by their enemies. This prompt would lead to the development of a new universal short rifle that would serve in two world wars and beyond.

The cavalry carbine model of Italy’s Carcano is perhaps the most iconic of the series, having seen use by specialists such as the Arditi in the First World War as well as the Folgore paratroopers in the Second among many others.

Arguably the most iconic handgun in history, the M1911 .45 would serve the US Armed Forces for over a century, and is an established American icon.