The M16 has WAAAYYYY too many variants that all look alike, at least AK variants are abviously diferant from each other (Type 56 hooded sight, AIM/AIMS foregrip. Anyone else notive that the Yugo M70's folding stock looks to be made of rebar, rather than thin metal?)

BTW: why do the C7/C8?whatever they call them Canadian M16s have ugly green furniture? Why is Canada in love with the ELCAN scope? All there guns have it.

Yeah, way too many ar-15s. Aks I find hard. Also, glocks. All look the same unless you get a close up. Kind of like you see a subcompact, and yo cant tell 26.27,etc.

The very first shipment of M4s from Colt had fixed carry handles, though right off hand I don't recall how it differed from the 727.

Probably the same reason US troops are in love with the ACOG. ;)

The Model 727 fires either semi or full-auto, while the Model 777 (the earliest M4) fires semi or burst. Other than that, they're the same gun.

Pump Action Shotguns.
The page about telling them apart helps a bunch, but it causes the problem where I'm checking the page for the right gun, and it wasn't one of the big three.

Revolvers also, especially when one shows up that has abnormal grips that lead me to ID it wrong.

And M16A1/A2. I can't tell when an A1 has A2 handguards. I really can't.

The C7A2 and some C8A2s have the green furniture. It's to partially break up the outline of the weapon in foliage. Same reason we now issue camoflage gloves, and are supposed to be getting camoflage boots (they've been "coming" for about 10 years now and I've only ever seen logisitcs officers wearing them - then again it was the same story with the new rucksack and I finally got mine last year). I don't necessarily think the green furniture is super effective, but it doesn't hurt.

And I wouldn't say we love the Elcan - in fact alot of those that remember the first generation mounts still don't completely trust it. But it's a good solid combat optic, and it's made in Canada so of course the DND insists we use it. That said, you see more and more C8s with Eotech 552s.

I thought it was made of rebar...? :confused:

You know, it might be rebar, just made square instead of round.

Okay, a new one.
Glock 17 versus Glock 19.
The angles guns are usually shown at(ie, nearly head on) in most TV shows makes it hard to determine slide length.

I think the Fringe page may have some mis-identified Glocks 'cause of that.

It's really easy; just look at the receiver and the barrel. The A2 receiver has the adjustable rear sight and brass deflector, which the A1 doesn't have. Also, the A2 barrel is much thicker and heavier. Compare our pictures side-by-side:

http://www.imfdb.org/images/c/cd/M16A1wA2Handguards.jpg
http://www.imfdb.org/images/b/b5/M16A2.jpg

The 3rd Gen models are easier; on the G19, the distance between the little horizontal cut on the frame (which is part of the accessory rail) and the muzzle is shorter than the G17. But admittedly, it's harder with 2nd Gen Glocks (which are still the most common models seen in Hollywood).