The Lebanese Civil War was a multi-sided military conflict that pitted a variety of local irregular militias, both Muslim and Christian, against each other between 1975 and 1990. A wide variety of weapons were used by the different armies and factions operating in the Lebanese Civil War. Combatants included: the leftist-Muslim militias of the Lebanese National Movement (LNM) coalition (1975–1982): the Sunni Muslim Independent Nasserite Movement's Al-Mourabitoun militia (1975–1988) the Sunni Muslim Popular Nasserist Organization's National Liberation Army (NLA) militia (1975–1991) the Sunni Muslim Toilers League's Zafer el-Khatib Forces (ZKF) militia (1974–1991) the Druze Progressive Socialist Party's People's Liberation Army (Druze PLA) militia (1975–1991) the Sixth of February Movement militia (1975–1986) the Union of Working People's Forces's (UWPF) Victory Divisions militia (1965–1990) the Union of Working People's Forces-Corrective Movement's (UWPF-CM) Nasser's Forces militia (1975–1990) the Communist Action Organization in Lebanon (OCAL) militia (1975–1991) the Lebanese Communist Party's Popular Guard militia (1970–2000) the Arab Socialist Action Party – Lebanon (ASAP–L) militia (1975–1991) the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party's Assad Battalion militia (1950–present) the Socialist Arab Lebanon Vanguard Party (SALVP) militia (1966–present) the Syrian Social Nationalist Party's (SSNP) Eagles of the Whirlwind militia (1932–present) the Najjadeh Party militia (1936–present) the Shia Muslim Knights of Ali militia (1967–1976) the Muslim Lebanese Arab Army (LAA), dissident faction of the Lebanese Army (1976–1977) the rightist-Christian militias of the Lebanese Front coalition (1976–1980): the Christian Kataeb Regulatory Forces (KRF) militia (1961–1980) the Christian Al-Tanzim militia (1969–1990) the Christian Guardians of the Cedars (GoC) militia (1974–2000) the Christian Tigers Militia (a.k.a. Al-Noumour, Noumour Al-Ahrar, Noumours, NLP Tigers) militia (1968–1991) the Christian Zgharta Liberation Army (ZLA, a.k.a. Al-Marada, Marada Brigade, Mardaite Brigade) militia (1967–1991) the Christian Tyous Team of Commandos (TTC, a.k.a. "Tyous" for short, also translated as the "Stubborn Ones" or "Les Têtus", "Les Obstinés") militia (1975–1985) the Christian Lebanese Youth Movement (LYM, a.k.a. Maroun Khoury Group – MKG) militia (1969–1977) the Christian Young Men militia (1978–1986) the Christian Zahliote Group (ZG, a.k.a. Groupement Zahliote – GZ) militia (1975–1981) the Christian Shuraya Party's Assyrian Battalion militia (1978–1981) the Christian Maronite Monks militia (1975–1980) the Christian Maronite League militia (1952–present) the Christian Army of Free Lebanon (AFL), dissident faction of the Lebanese Army (1976–1978) the Druze Vanguard of the Maani Army (Movement of the Druze Jihad) (VMA–MDJ) militia (1976–1978) the Christian Lebanese Forces militia (LF), successor of the Lebanese Front and the KRF militia (1977–1994) the Christian Lebanese Forces – Executive Command (LFEC) militia, dissident faction of the LF (1985–1991) the Kurdish Democratic Party – Lebanon (KDP-L) militia (1975–1991) the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) urban guerrilla group (1975–1991) the Alawite Arab Democratic Party's Arab Red Knights (ARK) militia (1981–1991) the Shia Muslim Amal Movement militia (1975–present) the Shia Muslim Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO) urban guerrilla group (1983–1992) the Shia Muslim Hezbollah guerrilla group (1985–present) the Sunni Muslim Islamic Unification Movement (IUM, a.k.a. Al-Tawheed) militia (1982–present) the United Nasserite Organization (UNO) guerrilla group (1986–1991) the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions (LARF) urban guerrilla group (1979–1988) the Lebanese Liberation Front (LLF) urban guerrilla group (1987–1989) the Popular Revolutionary Resistance Organization (PRRO) urban guerrilla group (1987–1990) the Front for the Liberation of Lebanon from Foreigners (FLLF) Israeli-backed urban guerrilla group (1980–1983) the Liberation Battalion urban guerrilla group (1987–1988) the Sons of the South (SotS) guerrilla group (1983–1995) the South Lebanon Army (SLA) militia (1978–2000) the official Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Internal Security Forces (ISF), led by the Lebanese government the mainstream Palestinian guerrilla factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the breakaway Rejectionist Front (present in Lebanon from 1968 to 1983) the Palestine Liberation Army (present in Lebanon from 1976 to 1990) the Syrian Arab Armed Forces (present in Lebanon from 1976 to 2005) the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (present in Lebanon from 1978 to 2000) in between, a plethora of irregular Lebanese armed groups that emerged from the wrecks of both the LNM and the Lebanese Front alliances, after their collapse in the early 1980s.
Weapons and equipment The list below comprises all the weapons and equipment employed by the LNM, Lebanese Front, LAA, AFL, LF, IUM, Hezbollah, Al-Mourabitoun, NLA, Druze PLA, SLA, LAF, ISF, and lesser Lebanese groups (please note: the Syrian Army, PLO, Palestinian PLA and IDF are not included on this list).
Pistols and revolvers
Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolver Smith & Wesson Model 13 revolver Smith & Wesson Model 14 revolver Smith & Wesson Model 15 revolver Smith & Wesson Model 17 revolver Smith & Wesson Model 19 revolver Colt Single Action Army second generation revolver Colt Cobra .38 Special snub-nose revolverKatz, Russel, and Volstad, Armies in Lebanon (1985), pp. 44-45, Plate G3. Mauser C96 "broomhandle" pistol Mauser HSc pistol Mauser M2 semi-automatic handgun Luger pistol Walther P38 pistolWalter, Walther Pistols – PP, PPK and P 38 (2022), p. 71. Walther PPK pistolKatz and Volstad, Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars 2 (1988), p. 47, Plate H3. Heckler & Koch VP70 pistol Heckler & Koch P7 pistol Heckler & Koch P9 pistol SIG P210 pistol SIG-Sauer P220 and P225 pistols Astra A-80 pistol Astra A-90 pistol Astra A-100 pistol Llama M82 pistol Star A, B, B Super, and P pistols Star 30M pistol Star Ultrastar, Firestar and Megastar pistols Taurus PT92, PT99, and PT100 pistols Beretta M1951 pistol Beretta 85, 86, 87 and 89 pistols MAB PA-15 pistol Colt M1911A1 Semi-Automatic PistolKatz, Battleground Lebanon (1990), Plate D3. Para-Ordnance P14-45 (Canadian-produced version of the M1911A1 pistol) FN Browning M1910 and M1922 pistols FN Browning Hi-Power pistolKatz and Volstad, Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars 2 (1988), p. 46, Plate H1.Katz, Battleground Lebanon (1990), Plate B2. FN Browning BDM pistol FN Browning BDA380 pistol FN Browning HP-DA/BDA9 pistol Tokarev TT-33 pistol Makarov PM/PMM pistol CZ 52 pistol CZ 75 pistol CZ 82/83 pistol CZ 85 pistol
Submachine guns
MP 40 PPD-40 PPSh-41McNab, Soviet Submachine Guns of World War II: PPD-40, PPSh-41 and PPS (2014), p. 68. Beretta M38/44 Found in a weapon cache. M1A1 Thompson Crvena Zastava Automat M56 (Yugoslavian-produced submachine gun similar in design to the German MP 40) MAT-49 OTs-02 Kiparis Sa 25/26 PM-63 RAKKatz and Volstad, Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars 2 (1988), p. 45. Sten Mk V Sterling L2A3/Mark 4 submachine gun L34A1/Mk.5 Sterling-Patchett (sound-suppressed version of the Sterling L2A3)Micheletti and Debay, Liban – dix jours aux cœur des combats, RAIDS magazine (1989), p. 30. Carl Gustaf m/45 (or its Egyptian-produced version, dubbed the "Port Said") Škorpion vz. 61Katz, Battleground Lebanon (1990), Plate B1. Spectre M4 Walther MPL Beretta Model 12 Steyr MPi 69 (Austrian-produced submachine gun similar in design to the Israeli Uzi) Uzi (MP-2, Mini Uzi, and Micro Uzi variants) MAC-10 Machine pistol MAC-11 Machine pistol (sub-compact version of the MAC-10) Heckler & Koch MP5 Heckler & Koch MP5K (shortened version of the MP5)
Bolt-action rifles Lee–Enfield SMLE Mk III Pattern 1914 Enfield Lebel Model 1886 rifle Berthier 1907/15 - M16 Lebel rifle Berthier 1892 M16 cavalry carbine MAS-36 rifle Mauser Model 1888 commission rifle Mauser Gewehr 98 Mauser Karabiner 98k Mannlicher M1895 infantry rifle Mosin–Nagant
Semi-automatic rifles
MAS-49 rifle M1 Garand (or its Italian-produced copy, the Beretta Model 1952)Micheletti and Debay, Liban – dix jours aux cœur des combats, RAIDS magazine (1989), p. 31. SKS Vz. 52 rifleKatz and Volstad, Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars 2 (1988), p. 39. M14 rifleHuon, Un Siècle d'Armement Mondial: Armes à feu d'infanterie de petit calibre, tome 4 (1981), page unknown. Beretta BM 59 (Italian-produced semi-automatic rifle similar in design to the M14)
Carbines
MAS-49/56 carbine M2 carbine CAR-15 carbine SIG SG 543 carbineKatz, Russel, and Volstad, Armies in Lebanon (1985), p. 16.Katz, Battleground Lebanon (1990), p. 48; Plate B3.
Assault rifles and Battle Rifles
Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle AK-47 assault rifleRottman, The AK-47 Kalashnikov-series assault rifles (2011), p. 78. (other variants included the AKM, the Hungarian AK-63, the Yugoslav Zastava M70Abi-Chahine, The People's Liberation Army through the eyes of a lens, 1975–1991 (2019), p. 19. and Zastava M80, the Polish PMK-DGN-60, Chinese Type 56 and Type 56-1, North Korean Type 58 and Type 68, the Romanian Pistol Mitralieră model 1963/1965Katz and Volstad, Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars 2 (1988), p. 46, Plate G5.Katz, Battleground Lebanon (1990), Plate B4. and AIM, Bulgarian AKK/AKKS, and former East German MPi-KM and MPi-KMS-72 assault rifles) AK-74 Vz. 58 AMD-65 FN FALJenzen-Jones & Spleeters, Identifying & Tracing the FN Herstal FAL Rifle: Documenting signs of diversion in Syria and beyond (2015), pp. 20-21.Cooper & Santana, Lebanese Civil War Volume 1: Palestinian diaspora, Syrian and Israeli interventions, 1970-1978 (2019), pp. 44-45. FN CALJones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). ROMAT (Israeli-produced 'lightened' version of the FN FAL battle rifle) M16A1Jureidini, McLaurin, and Price, Military operations in selected Lebanese built-up areas (1979), Appendix A, table A-8.Laffin, The War of Desperation: Lebanon 1982-85 (1985), p. 40.Katz, Russel, and Volstad, Armies in Lebanon (1985), pp. 40-41, Plate D2.Katz and Volstad, Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars 2 (1988), p. 46, Plate H2.McNab, 20th Century Military Uniforms (2002), p. 174. M16A2 ArmaLite AR-18 Norinco CQ CETME Model C (Spanish-produced assault rifle similar in design to the German Heckler & Koch G3) Heckler & Koch G3Katz, Russel, and Volstad, Armies in Lebanon (1985), p. 44, Plate G2.Katz and Volstad, Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars 2 (1988), p. 46, Plate G3.Hokayem, L'armée libanaise pendant la guerre: un instrument du pouvoir du président de la République (1975-1985) (2012), p. 106.Thompson, The G3 Battle Rifle (2019), pp. 29; 64. Heckler & Koch HK33 Heckler & Koch G41 Heckler & Koch G53 SIG SG 540 and SIG SG 542 assault riflesKatz, Russel, and Volstad, Armies in Lebanon (1985), p. 40, Plate D1.
Sniper rifles and Designated marksman rifles
Lee–Enfield SMLE Mk III (equipped with telescopic sights)Jureidini, McLaurin, and Price, Military operations in selected Lebanese built-up areas (1979), p. 7; Appendix A, table A-8. FN FAL (equipped with telescopic sights)Jureidini, McLaurin, and Price, Military operations in selected Lebanese built-up areas (1979), Appendix A, table A-3; A-8. Heckler & Koch G3 (equipped with telescopic sights)Kassis, Invasion of Lebanon 1982 (2019), p. 355. M16A1 (equipped with telescopic sights; not very effective)Jureidini, McLaurin, and Price, Military operations in selected Lebanese built-up areas (1979), Appendix A, table A-3. SIG SG 542 (equipped with telescopic sights) FR F1Russell, Katz, and Volstad, Armies in Lebanon 1982–84 (1985), p. 43.