Handgun/pistol

Conflict Usage

Colombian FARC Dissident Conflict

Side: FARC dissident groupsRole: Close-range sidearm and personal weaponstrike

Colombian military reporting on combat with FARC dissidents in Narino documented the seizure of a pistol alongside rifles, ammunition, communications gear, and other materiel, supporting a narrow sidearm-use record for dissident fighters.

Haitian Gang Conflict

Side: Armed gangsRole: Concealable gang firearm for close-range violence and intimidationstrike

UN reporting on Haiti's arms embargo says illegal weapons ranging from handguns to battlefield-grade rifles are believed to be in the hands of gangs, tying handguns to armed-gang arsenals in the current conflict.

Sudan War

Side: Sudanese Armed Forces / Rapid Support ForcesRole: Close-range small arm used by warring forcesstrike

Amnesty International reported that handguns, shotguns, and rifles were among lethal weapons used in Sudan by warring forces after the April 2023 escalation between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces.

Handgun/pistol Images

Related Weapon Systems

Infantry WeaponsAK-47/AKM rifle familySelective-fire assault rifle familyAK-47/AKM-family rifles are Kalashnikov-pattern small arms derived from the Soviet AK-47 and 1959 AKM modernization, usually chambered in 7.62 x 39 mm. In the post-2015 archive they appear with FARC dissidents in Colombia, gangs in Haiti, PKK fighters, GNA scouts in Libya, insurgents in Mali, Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria, militants in Sinai, RSF units in Sudan, Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, and Houthi-linked supply chains in Yemen.

Infantry WeaponsGlock 19 pistolCompact 9 mm semiautomatic pistolThe Glock 19 is a compact Austrian 9 mm striker-fired pistol built around Glock's polymer-frame Safe Action design. In this archive it is included because open-source conflict documentation ties the G19 to both Islamic State-captured small arms in northwestern Iraq and partner-force pistol training or use during Operation Inherent Resolve.

Infantry WeaponsAR-15-pattern rifle5.56 mm self-loading rifle platformThe AR-15-pattern rifle is a lightweight, modular 5.56 mm self-loading rifle family derived from the ArmaLite and Colt AR-15 lineage. In the Battle of Marawi, open-source arms research documented AR-type rifles among weapons captured from IS-aligned Maute Group fighters, making the platform part of the militant small-arms mix used in dense urban fighting.

Infantry WeaponsGalil assault rifleSelective-fire assault rifle familyThe Galil is an Israeli Kalashnikov-derived assault rifle family originally produced by Israel Military Industries and later modernized by Israel Weapon Industries as the Galil ACE line. Recent conflict reporting places Galil or Galil ACE rifles in irregular small-arms stocks from the Lake Chad Basin to FARC dissident operations in Colombia and trafficked gang arsenals in Haiti, where they appear as portable infantry weapons rather than heavy support systems.

Infantry WeaponsM60 general-purpose machine gun7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunThe M60 is a U.S.-origin 7.62x51 mm NATO belt-fed general-purpose machine gun built for ground, tripod, vehicle, and aircraft-mounted fire support. In the Boko Haram Insurgency, analysts have identified rare M60 machine guns in Boko Haram/JAS and ISWAP media, likely reflecting captured or diverted state weapons rather than formal insurgent procurement.

Infantry WeaponsBrowning Hi-Power pistolSemi-automatic pistolThe Browning Hi-Power is a classic 9 mm semi-automatic pistol designed by John Browning and completed by FN Herstal, documented in Islamic State hands in Iraq and Syria.

Sources