The first game in the hugely successful Battlefield series, Battlefield: 1942 was released in 2002 for the PC, with two expansion packs (The Road to Rome and Secret Weapons of WWII) following later. The following weapons can be seen in Battlefield and its two expansions:
Unlike many modern first person shooters, Battlefield treats handguns as a part of a player's "kit" and therefore switching to another faction's kit (i.e., playing as the Red Army, killing a German sniper, and stealing his rifle) will result in changing handguns. This is, in reality, purely cosmetic, as both sidearms are functionally the same.
Walther P38
The Walther P38 is the standart pistol of the German forces.
It has black grips and a silver finish.
Unpatched, it is also the standard handgun of the Imperial Japanese Army, despite Japan never issuing it to their forces. Statistically, it is identical to the Colt in all respects.
The M1911 (just referred as "Colt") is the standart sidearm for all Allied forces. It is highly incorrect, shown as a double-action handgun, and firing from an eight round magazine. While this would be possible when reloading with a round in the chamber, the player pulls back the slide whenever a reload is initiated. This is because it is just a reskin of the game's other handgun, inflicting the same damage, having the same capacity and rate of fire, and being just as accurate.
The pistol is the standard handgun of all American military forces, but is also seen in the hands of Commonwealth, Soviet, and Free French soldiers as well. While it's possible in the case of the Canadians and French, the British should be using a Webley revolver or Browning Hi Power (when playing as the SAS) and the Soviets instead fielded a completely different pistol.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingOriginal Colt M1911 (dated 1913) - .45 ACPError creating thumbnail: File missingA Soviet soldier kills a German machinegunner during the Battle of Berlin; someone has seen fit to equip him with a weapon he'd never carry in reality, and, judging by the uncocked hammer, a broken one at that.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAn SAS Commando begins the process of reloading his 1911, the slide helpfully locking back for him. It's possible this is accurate to the time, as the SAS did field a few Colts chambered in .455, although it's likely more a matter of DICE programming the wrong guns. The slide has already partially locked back, for no discernible reason. The streak to the player's right is from a bazooka, though perspective conspires to make it seem the Colt is firing rockets.Error creating thumbnail: File missingA US Army Ranger, likely a member of the 101st Airborne, finishes the reload animation for his 1911. He is preparing to rack the slide; he is not applauding the empty tank before him.
Submachine Guns
Sten MK.II Submachine Gun
The Sten Mk.II Submachine Gun serves as an alternative for the British and as the standard for the Free French Forces Medic class in the expansion pack Battlefield 1942: The Road to Rome. A suppressed version, the Sten Mk.IIS is also available in the expansion pack Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII for the SAS Medic class.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingM1A1 Thompson Submachine Gun - .45 ACPError creating thumbnail: File missingA member of the 101st Airborne participates in fierce fighting to the south of the famous Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle's Nest), Thompson in hand. Such a battle is completely fictional, but makes for interesting gameplay, and is the closest to historical accuracy in Secret Weapons of WWII.
Shotguns
Browning Automatic 5
Introduced in the expansion pack Secret Weapons of WWII, the Browning Automatic 5 is issued to the SAS Engineer class and is simply called "shotgun." It is the first shotgun in the series, and is extremely lethal in close quarters. Due to the game not having the ability to keep tracking individual shells (as the only other internally fed weapons are bolt action snipers with stripper clips), the A-5 has an extremely odd reload, wherein the player awkwardly tilts the weapon, apparently inserts a few shells, then pulls the charging lever; ammo is represented in full magazines, as it is for all other guns, and reloading from a non-empty magazine will result in lost shells.
The A5 is the most powerful close quarters weapon in the game, and is surprisingly deadly at range as well, often lethal from the chest up even at medium range.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingBrowning Automatic 5 - 12 gaugeError creating thumbnail: File missingA British SAS Engineer wields a Browning Auto 5 during a raid on a German weapons factory in Secret Weapons of WWII.Error creating thumbnail: File missingThe visible portion of the A5's reloading animation, which consists of dropping the weapon out of view, then raising it back up and pulling the charging lever. Somehow, this completely empties the weapon (and destroys any unfired shells) and refills it, all in the space of about three seconds, with no noise. The Engineer in question has just gotten a kill with the weapon, and its name can be seen in the "killfeed" to the upper left.
The Lee Enfield No.4 MK I is the standard weapon for American Army, British and Russian Engineer classes. A bayonet version is available in the expansion pack Battlefield 1942: The Road to Rome for the Allied Engineer classes.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingLee-Enfield No.4 Mk.I - .303 BritishError creating thumbnail: File missingAn American Army Ranger Engineer holds a Lee Enfield while taking part in a battle near the Eagle's Nest, wondering why, if he must carry the wrong rifle, he can't at least have a full magazine for it.
Lee Enfield No.4 Mk.I(T)
The Lee Enfield No.4 Mk.I(T) is the standard weapon for all Allied Sniper classes. This is highly incorrect, as it should only be available to British and Commonwealth soldiers; it also has a capacity of five rounds, half that of the real rifle.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingLee Enfield No.4 Mk.I(T) - .303 BritishError creating thumbnail: File missingA very confused US Army Ranger wields a scoped Lee-Enfield SMLE during an American raid on the Eagle's Nest. In reality, he should be carrying a scoped Springfield 1903 or M1 Garand; more bizarrely, the rifle only ever has five rounds in the magazine, despite the SMLE's main advantage being a 10-round capacity. This is likely for balance, as the rifle is functionally identical to the German Mauser 98k.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAn SAS sniper, someone who should actually carry this rifle, works the bolt, while hunting the man who told him it can only hold five rounds at a time.
Light Machine Guns
Bren Mk.2 Light Machine Gun
The Bren Mk.2 Light Machine Gun is the standard weapon for the SAS Assault class in the expansion pack Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII.
The M1 Bazooka is the standard weapon for all Allied Anti-Tank classes. The bazooka is surprisingly accurate at range and is lethal anywhere, making it an oddly effective sniper rifle.
