Derek Ward

The Colt Commando is one of the numerous variants of the tried-and-true M16. The Commando uses the same receiver, action, and magazine as the M16, but it has a radically shortened barrel and a collapsible stock. The Commando first saw action in the later part of the Vietnam War with Army Special Forces and other commando units. Ranger uses the latest version of the Commando, the Model 733, which features an 11.5 inch barrel, a flat-top receiver with Weaver rail, and full-automatic capability. It uses standard M16 30-round magazines.

The Heckler & Koch (HK) Universal Service Pistol, or USP, is Ranger’s sidearm. It is a double-action semi-automatic pistol, meaning that the trigger both both pulls back the hammer and releases it to strike the firing pin. Like most modern pistols, the USP has a polymer frame and an accessory rail under the barrel, forward of the trigger guard. The USP also has an enlarged trigger guard for gloved users, as well as an ambidextrous magazine release. The USP’s versatility lies in its ability to configure its trigger/safety assembly to suit the user’s needs. The USP has several different model that includes the basic model, a compact model, as well as competition and tactical versions. All can be chambered in 9 mm Parabellum, .40 Smith & Wesson, or . 45 ACP. Ranger’s USP is chambered for the big .45 ACP cartridge and is a Variant One configuration, which is a standard double-action trigger with the safety lever that can be pushed downward to decock the pistol or raised to act as a safety – allowing Ranger to carry the USP “cocked-and-locked.” The magazine holds ten rounds.