Following a wholesale modernization program in the later interwar period, the French adopted a new handgun just in time for the Second World War.

A product of Sino-Soviet cooperation, the Soviet TT33 pistol was one of many designs to see widespread production and use by the People’s Republic of China and other communist states and movements around the world.

The standard issue sidearm of the Austrian half of the Hapsburg Empire’s forces in the Great War was a solid if eclectic handgun that would prove cable in locals such as the Balkans, Eastern Front and Italian Alps.

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.

In the aftermath of the Second World War Germany found itself divided. As it raised its own army to fight alongside NATO, the new West Germany looked to update the old wartime sidearm of the Wehrmacht.

The standard issue sidearm of Hungary in the Second World War was a simple, robust automatic chambering the 9x17mm cartridge. The last design by the legendary Rudolf Frommer, it would see service with the Hungarian as well as German armies during the conflict.

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.

The excellent handgun adopted by Poland on the eve of the Second World War would go on to be one of the most common in German service during the conflict, seeing service on all fronts of the European Theater.

The standard service pistol of Mussolini’s armies during the Second World War was a simple blowback automatic, and would serve on for decades in Italian service as well as helping to build the global brand of Beretta.

A crude Spanish copy of the Colt Model 1903 became the most common French handgun of the Great War, seeing extensive service in that conflict. Despite its almost disposable nature the pistol would remain in service for decades beyond as well.

The slightly larger forerunner to the famous Walther PPK, the Polizei Pistole was used by German police and military officers during the Second World War. Remaining in production until the capture of the Walther factory in May of 1945, several were captured by US troops at that time.

The Tokarev TT33 pistol served the Soviet Union throughout the Great Patriotic War and beyond, as well as a large number of Eastern Bloc nations in the Cold War era.