Service Weapons Seen Overseas

[soonerboomer]

Like most here, I'm from the United States. However, I do get to travel occasionally to different parts of the world. When I see a uniformed officer, soldier, or security guard I find it interesting to see what they're carrying. I'm curious what other people have seen too.
Please tell us:
1) the country you visited
2) what guns you saw
3) and who was carrying them

I'll start...

Costa Rica
Makarov - bank security
Star model ? - bank security
Glock 17 - national police
S&W model 10 - toll booth security
Mossberg 590 - national police at government building
except for those of the national police all the guns I saw were well used with worn bluing.

 

[happygeek]

[Southern, 3rd world part of] Philippines:

Government troops had M60s, M16A1s & A2s, M14s, 1911s, really pretty much everything they had to include their trucks and gear seemed to be U.S. surplus.

Didn't personally see any insurgents firsthand but if you look up pictures of the ASG and MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) on Google you'll mostly see them carrying the same weapons.

 

[KodiakBeer]

Russia. Private security carrying 1911's. I was amazed at how many I saw and how highly regarded they were by gun store guys. I even went shopping through some nice leather 1911 holsters at a gun shop and bought a beautiful leather shoulder rig for about $20.

The only two I was able to examine up close were both Colts. But, I saw some "tactical" looking 1911's that could have been Kimbers or STI or something like that.

 

[pioneer461]

British Isles a few years ago, didn't seen any guns there, except at Buckingham Palace, where the Royal Guard had some very serious 5.56mm L85 Bullpup carbines.

In Italy a couple of years ago, I saw a bunch of what looked like Browning High Powers in holsters, plus MP-5's on slings.

The Swiss Guard at the Vatican had a spike and sword, but no doubt something a bit more serious out of sight.

On a cruise to Mexico, I saw a lot of Mexican Navy guys with M-16's at dock side. The local policia had a variety of handguns, and again the M-16 seemed to be just about everywhere.

 

[NMGonzo]

Mexican Army = G3

 

[essayons21]

Navy running convoy security in Iraq, mounting M60s

 

[GCBurner]

The Carabinieri patrolling Rome's International Airport were carrying Beretta 9mm M12 submachine guns

 

[Nushif]

Germany used a slightly upscaled and stocked UZI as both a police and low end Armee weapon. they swapped those over now though ... I think.

 

[AlexanderA]

Greece:

Army generally: G3's (locally made under license)
Special Forces: M16's
Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: M1 Garands
Police: Glocks and MP5's

 

[nbkky71]

The Carabinieri patrolling Rome's International Airport were carrying Beretta 9mm M12 submachine guns

Yup... I remember seeing them at Fiumicino Airport as well. Rome, Italy

Publically, the Swiss Guard at the Vatican were carrying halberd & rapiers. After much asking around I found out they are armed with the Stg.90 rifle.

Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: M1 Garands

I thought the Tomb guards were armed with M14 rifles.

 

[gunnutery]

Colombia:

Uzi - mall guards (but still national police)
M16- Check point police (national)

I didn't see what kind of sidearms they had.

 

[Rancho Relaxo]

Switzerland: Airport police with what looked like Mp5s
Greeze: M1 Garands with the war dead memorial tomb
Czech Republic: Chromed SKS at Prague Castle
Japan: Police officers with what looked like 38 special revolvers
Costa Rica: Uzi with police at a road block
Namibia: army soldiers waiting for a hitch hike with AKs
Peru: APC with mounted machine guns at Lima's main plaza.

Otherwise I have no firearms memory from the 25 other countries I've been to on six continents...

 

[rstull85]

When I was in Honduras I saw a Wendy's employee with a 12 ga (cant remember the model) standing outside the front door. I will post a pic if I can find it.

 

[leadcounsel]

Iraq many times.
Uguandan guards - AK74s
Iraqi Army partners - AK47s

UK
Royal Guard with 5.56 Bullpups
Airport security carried SMGs (before I was a gun guy, I couldn't identify them). I believe they were probably HKs.

Peru
Local police carried an assortment of small caliber pistols, which were non-uniform. Probably personally owned. Makarovs, CZs, revolvers, HiPowers, etc.

 

[Babarsac]

In the countryside of central Italy I saw the police on foot with Beretta 92's and the Carabinieri conducting a traffic stop with their Beretta M12's drawn and aimed at the car. Needless to say I got out of there real quick.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Turkish Jandarma, MP-5

 

[gaijin6423]

In Afghanistan:
Brits with L85 (post HK upgrade), Browning Hi Powers, and Sig P226s, plus various other firearms, like their .338 Lapua mag sniper rifle (a beast of a gun)
Aussies with AUGs and other infantry weapons
Canadians with M16s and Elcan optics, and lots and lots of LAVs
Germans with assorted infantry weapons
Afghan National Police with AKs...but no ammo
Afghan National Army with AKs, M16A2s, assorted sidearms, heavy weapons, and far too much ammo/little sense

In Japan:
JPD with .38 revolvers
JMSDF combat divers with MP5s and other assorted weapons

In Iceland:
Airport security with MP5s

In Kyrgyzstan:
Various security with AKs

 

[Chindo18Z]

Daewoo K1A1 5.56 x 45mm as used by Senegalese Army, 2009:

M1 .30 US Carbine as used by Private Security Guard, Jerusalem, 2009:

 

[henschman]

In the Czech Republic, I saw a BMP APC parked in an intersection in Prague, and soldiers standing around it with AKS underfolders. I also went to a surplus store in Milevsko where they had either a Makarov or a CZ-82 or something like that... he also had an SKS bayonet. We didn't have any languages in common, but the store owner knew the word "Simonov."

 

[Radium]

well im from finland so i guess i could contribute what the guys over here pack.

Police use G17 and G19. there are still som oldfolks using wheels guns but its bin a good 5-6 years since i last saw one. remember as a kid my dad got pulled over and they started chatting all of a sudden i got a unloaded .38 Bodyguard in my hands. i was maybe 5-6 but i remember it as yesterday when he unloaded the HP from the gun and let my fiddle with it.

police also uses modified Rem 870's and MP5's as backup guns which ride in the car.

Finnish Special police/SWAT Karhu Ryhmä(Bear group)
uses HK usp's,mp5's,Sig SG 552 and SAKO TRG 42

Nucleat facility Security guards pack G17.

those are pretty much the only branch of people (except for the Finnish Defence Forces) that are allowed to carry.

What the FDF use can be read here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equipment_of_the_Finnish_Army

 

[wishin]

In the 70's and 80's I traveled all over the Middle East, North Africa, Central Europe and South America. I'm Ashamed to say that I don't remember specifically, but saw the whole array of AK's, M16's, 1911's, S&W'S, Uzi's, P38's, Broomhandles, lugers and can't remember what else, mainly at airports.

 

[XM855]

When I had a transfer flight in Frankfurt a few months ago I saw a couple security (police?) officers with fixed stock MP5s.

 

[Trebor]

London - Police at the airport had MP-5's.

All the other Bobbies had whistles. "Stop, or I shall stay Stop again!"

 

[tekarra]

UK, Heathrow MP5s.
France Charles de Gaulle Manurhin revolvers.
Kazakhstan mafia S&W J frame.

 

[Kayser Sose]

Frankfurt airport - cute 'female' security staff with well-used MP-5's, straight mags (a while ago)
Uganda - beer truck guards(!) SMLE #1MkIII, our group's security personnel - AK47
South Africa - R1's, FN FAL's