is it allowed in the US military to carry a sidearm, if you bought it yourself and it is your own? or is it against military regularities. i ask that, because i saw a documentary about a group of Green Berets in Afghanistan and they all we're carrying different sidearms ( but maybe because they are Special Forces )

In germany it is not allowed to bring your own weapon, but it would be cool to serve with your own sidearm :) i remember myself, we had the G3 as standard rifle and the P38 as a sidearm, we were one of the last units, they do not have the G36 and the P8. I allways wanted so shoot the G36 and the P8, but mostly i wanted to bring my Sig.

Edit: Wasn't the P38, it was the P1.

What years did you serve?

I served in 2006 at the 3./WachBtl BMVg stationed in Siegburg/Bonn.
We only shot with the P8 at the so called AGASP ( in german it's called Schießkino = shootcinema )

The weapon we used the most time was the Mauser K98k :)

Sorry i have to correct myself, we didnt shoot the P38, we shot the the P1.

I can't speak for the "Green Berets" ,however there is some Army Regulation against using personally owned weapons.

Wow, they still had P1s as late as 2006?

Aren't the P38 and P1 identical? If not, what's the difference?

As i heard today they still have :D They didn't replace all G3s oder P1s.

The difference between the P38 and the P1 is afaik not a really big one, in case the P1 is a modificated p38, but the P38 has a steel grip and the P1 a grip made of lightmetal

I know back in the day officers were expected to purchase their own sidearms. Patton was famous for his ivory-gripped pistols, and even Eugene Sledge (from The Pacific) had his personal Colt New Service. I wonder when that rule came into effect and how serious enforcement is in the field.

In the past couple of years we've hired some vets who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan and both. The prohibition on personal firearms is very strict and it is enforced - at least in the United States Army. Times have changed since WWII. Hell they've changed since Vietnam.

Delta shooters are allowed to use their own personal sidearms, at least according to Eric Haney's book.