- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
The oldest weapon still in use in the United States military is: the Mameluke sword, carried by USMC officers. It was adopted in 1825. Use was discontinued in 1859 and then resumed in 1875. Due to this lapse in the weapon's service, it is not the weapon with the longest CONTINUOUS use by the United States Armed Forces. That distinction belongs to the NCO sword, carried by Marine Corps Noncommissioned Officers. Adopted in 1859, it has never been discontinued. The Marine Corps is the only service in the US Armed Forces today that authorizes enlisted personnel to wear swords.