History Main / TheEnemyWeaponsAreBetter

** Moblin swords and flaming deku sticks made for more viable weapons than your starting equipment in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', since they were three times longer than your sword and stunned enemies, respectively. Of course, their advantages are rendered moot once you get the Master Sword.
** This varies depending on the enemy and their equipment in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild''. While the Bokoblins tend to carry weak bone weapons, the Lynels carry very strong and durable late-game weapons.

* In ''VideoGame/TurningPointFallOfLiberty'', you will almost never find ammo for American guns. In fact, you'll never find ammo for anything but the German MP-50. Enjoy playing the whole game having to use the one crappy SMG for everything.
* Used in the TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} FirstPersonShooter ''VideoGame/FireWarrior''. Which is odd, considering that the Tau are supposed to have the ''strongest'' basic weapons in the universe on table, but there's not much ammo. This lasts basically up until you get the [[GatlingGood Burst Cannon]], which competes through [[MoreDakka sheer rate of fire]], and the [[{{BFG}} Rail Rifle]], which was so good it got [[CanonImmigrant adapted into the tabletop game]].
* You can occasionally find a weapon in a box in ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'', but the most prevalent ammo source (especially for some of the better guns) was enemy units. Therefore, it's usually better to use a GUN weapon if you're following the dark path and a Black Arms weapon if you're following the hero path. Neutral path? Just use the best weapon possible.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1''. In the beginning, your starting equipment is the absolute worst possible in the game and will immediately be replaced by whatever you find in the first mission. Even after that, {{Random Drop}}s will on average be superior to equipment you can buy yourself at the time. But after fulfilling the required conditions the [[InfinityPlusOneSword best weapons]] can only be bought in stores.
* In all ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' games, it isn't so much that the enemy's weapons are better as it is that your side sends you in with only a token amount of equipment, which includes one small pistol at best. If you want to use anything bigger (which you invariably need to do in order to have something capable of damaging certain bosses), you'll need to steal equipment from the enemy.
** This is actually explained in the manual for ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake''. Snake follows OnSiteProcurement procedures. There's a variety of reasons for this, first and foremost that because his operations are never really sanctioned, there can be nothing that traces him back to his parent organization. Using the enemy's own equipment denies them at least one avenue for discovering who sent him. In later games, when he's working of his own accord, he still prefers to follow this particular procedure, most likely because as a wanted terrorist (and especially later in the series when the Patriots start cracking down on things), it's difficult for him to acquire weaponry through other means.
** As TechnologyMarchesOn, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' managed to give an explanation for why you can't just grab the weapon from a downed enemy: They all use biometric scanners keyed to their carrier, which forces you to hunt down weapons in storage which are not in active use and thus not locked out.

** Utterly averted in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain''. Enemies carry the most basic of guns, especially the Soviets in Afghanistan. And thanks to supply drops, as long as your GMP is in the black, you can simply call Mother Base for more ammo instead of switching weapons. The only instance you would ever need to pick up a gun from a fallen enemy is in the [[NoGearLevel Subsistance missions]].

* Nearly all the ''Film/DieHard'' movies thrive on this. Fully justified too, when you consider [=McClane=] is a cop having a ''really'' bad Christmas Eve and only armed with his handgun, while his opponents are terrorists armed with fully automatic weapons, rocket launchers, [=C4=]... [=McClane=] inevitably has to swipe some enemy gear (and gloat about it) just to stand a chance.

Inversion of UnusableEnemyEquipment.

* ''[[VideoGame/PerfectDark Perfect Dark]]'' initially goes the same way as its predecessor ''Goldeneye'', as you start most missions with an average pistol, and proceed to take bigger guns off the enemies; the most common enemy weapon is an SMG with a lock-on feature that's one step down from an aimbot. But this is eventually subverted in the late game, when the player's faction develops some of the most downright overpowered guns in FPS history; this includes an assault rifle with a 120-round mag and built-in invisibility cloak, and an X-ray sniper rifle that shoots through walls and one-shots everything. The enemy weapons scale up to pretty powerful levels too, but not this absurdly unfair.

** The regular Jager Troops themselves carry a much better arsenal already, with their standard weapons being the [=MKb=] 42 assault rifle and the aforementioned [=FG42=], both of which outclass the Thompson and most Allied submachine guns in terms of damage.

->''“It’s a damned ray gun—how come we don’t have ray guns?”''

** Zigzagged with the Imperial Guard: Lasguns and flak armor (their basic equipment) are widely known as flashlights and t-shirts in fanon due to being the weakest of all standard gear, and vastly outstripped by even the basic weapons of other factions such as bolters (micro-missile launchers), shuriken launchers, plasma rifles, or simple claws and knives. In spinoff [=RPGs=], they're top-of-the-line equipment, capable of blowing a man's arm off and blocking bullets (which is also the case on the tabletop, it's just that everyone else is so much more powerful than a PunyHuman...).

[[folder: Literature]]

[[folder: Live Action Television]]

** [[MilitaryMage Mage Companies]] all flew into battle armed with either Bolt-Action or Semi-Automatic Rifles, The 203rd Mage Batallion led by [[VillainProtagonist Tanya Von Degurechaff]] used Semi-Automatic Rifles, During the Battle at Orse Fjord; Anson Sioux of the Entente Alliance was given a SIG MKMS Submachine Gun by his daughter to use as his primary firearm, which Tanya took for herself after defeating Sioux in combat and used as her primary firearm afterwards.
** Averted later on when Anson Sioux returns to try and kill Tanya; this time coming equipped with a [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter Winchester M1897 "Trench Gun"]] which nearly kills Tanya on several occasions.
--> '''Tanya:''' A Trench Gun? That is a Treaty violation![[labelnote:why]][[ShownTheirWork This is based on the real world protests by Germany over the American Troops' usage of Shotguns during World War I as being inhumane.]][[/labelnote]]

* In the World War II ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' series of games, German weapons can be irresistible (especially when you're carrying around the Sten, which [[RealityIsUnrealistic for some reason can't take ammo from enemy [=MP40's=] even though they both fire the same round]]). One of the best reasons to do it is because you can only refill the ammo reserves by picking up the guns of dead allies, while it's easy to collect more ammo than necessary from [[OneManArmy all the mooks you're mowing down]]. You might pick up a [=Kar98K=], which frequently one-shot kills, or the accurate and steady [=MP40=], or both. If you're lucky you can find yourself a Gewehr 43 rifle.
** For the original ''Call of Duty'': the German Sturmgewehr 44. Superior accuracy for an automatic weapon, even over long range, quick to reload, and ''powerful''. Fairly common during the later stages of the game. Never accept anything less. Or the FG-42, the only gun that has both automatic fire ''and'' a sniper scope. There's a ''reason'' why it's considered a GameBreaker in multiplayer. Too bad it's so goddamn rare later on.
* Downplayed in ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'', as ammunition tends to be shared. Swapping for an enemy weapon thus is reduced to preference (guns tend to do the same damage regardless). The game even attempts to play to both preferences; while you're almost always given a primary weapon that is set up perfectly for a mission (with the right set of attachments and enough ammo across the mission that you could just use that for the whole level if you wanted), your secondary will usually be a bog-standard pistol that you won't be missing if you trade it for your personal favorite or the most useful enemy gun. And heaven help you if you switch out your lovely silenced weapons when doing a stealth mission. That said, in multiplayer you are usually given only two to three full magazines for each weapon - meaning that you'll be forced to swap for enemy weapons when you run dry without appropriate perks or just using the same gun everyone else is using. One trick in ''Call of Duty 4'' is to use the M9 as your sidearm if you're using a 9mm submachine gun for the main weapon - the bullets that the M9 comes with makes a ''de facto'' [[OneBulletClips extra magazine]].

** In ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorFrontline'', the German-made weapons (namely the MP-40, STG-44, and Gewhr 43) tend to have larger magazines than their Allied counterparts, and don't slouch on the damage output as compensation. The Gewhr 43, in particular, is a straight upgrade from the Springfield Rifle, as the former is semi-automatic and has twice the magazine size.

** This is actually explained in the manual for ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake''. Snake follows On-Site Procurement procedures. There's a variety of reasons for this, first and foremost that because his operations are never really sanctioned, there can be nothing that traces him back to his parent organization. Using the enemy's own equipment denies them at least one avenue for discovering who sent him. In later games, when he's working of his own accord, he still prefers to follow this particular procedure, most likely because as a wanted terrorist (and especially later in the series when the Patriots start cracking down on things), it's difficult for him to acquire weaponry through other means.

* ''LightNovel/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero:'' Naofumi Iwatami is the titular [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe Shield Hero]], one of [[TheChosenOne The Four Cardinal Heroes]] meant to fight against the [[ApocalypseHow Waves of Calamity]] that threaten the world. However unlike [[BladeOnAStick the]] [[ArcherArchetype other]] [[CoolSword Heroes]] who have skills and power suited for attacking, Naofumi's relies solely on [[StoneWall Defense]], meaning he has to rely on [[LittleBitBeastly Raphtalia]] and {{Mon Filo}} and the other members of his Party to pull the slack for him in taking down enemies and monsters to get stronger. As a result, Naofumi has to resort to either purchasing better equipment or to scavenge the corpses of their fallen enemies in order for his party to get better armor and weapons to fight with.

* ''LightNovel/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero:'' Naofumi Iwatami is the titular [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe Shield Hero]], one of [[TheChosenOne The Four Cardinal Heroes]] meant to fight against the [[ApocalypseHow Waves of Calamity]] that threaten the world. However unlike [[BladeOnAStick the]] [[ArcherArchetype other]] [[CoolSword Heroes]] who have skills and power suited for attacking, Naofumi's relies solely on [[StoneWall Defense]], meaning he has to rely on [[LittleBitBeastly Raphtalia]] and [[Mon Filo]] and the other members of his Party to pull the slack for him in taking down enemies and monsters. As a result, Naofumi has to resort to either purchasing better equipment or to scavenge the corpses of their fallen enemies in order for his party to get better armor and weapons to fight with.

* This was a particular problem in the early to mid stages of UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar; until the vastly-improved [=M16A1=] arrived, several American soldiers actually preferred enemy Kalashnikov-pattern rifles to their own M14s and M16s. The original M16 had ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16_rifle#Adoption numerous]]'' issues: the guns themselves were issued without cleaning kits as the US Army Ordnance Corps had intentionally advertised the weapons as [[NeverNeedsSharpening "maintenance free" or even "self-cleaning"]], even though the gas system directly shot gasses and powder residue from firing into the receiver to push back the bolt (made worse because of a switch immediately before adoption to a dirtier-burning form of gunpowder than the rifle was designed for), and their hollow polymer butt-stocks were delicate due to the recoil-buffer tube taking up a good chunk of space within them. The M14, meanwhile, was more reliable but too heavy for constant patrols and had poor ergonomics to support firing a full-size rifle round in full-auto, not to mention that its all-wood lower receiver and stock would warp from the humidity of the jungle (owing to the fact that the US Army ''insisted'' on finishing every rifle stock in linseed oil for tradition's sake, all of which is undone by humid tropical conditions) and affect its accuracy. In comparison, the Kalashnikov rifle was sturdier and much easier to clean (while the AK would jam if mud got onto and into the receiver, users could just pull up the top cover and then wash the mud out with clean water), while also being easy to carry and keep on target. The Kalashnikov was also often used by LRRP fireteams and MACV-SOG operators, the former who operated in enemy territory for long periods of time, the latter who often disguised themselves as enemy soldiers.

* During the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War, Israeli soldiers often preferred the AK-47 rifles they captured from the Arabs to the FN FAL that was the most common combat rifle in service with the IDF at that time. The AK-47 had the particular advantage of being much more reliable in the sandy, gritty conditions common to the Near East. After '67, the Israelis decided to replace the FN FAL with the Galil, an Israeli design largely based on the AK-47, but, in any event, the M16 ended up becoming the most common rifle in the IDF.

--> "No guns, no cannons, but the enemy will build them for us..."

* This was a particular problem in the early to mid stages of UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar; until the vastly-improved [=M16A1=] arrived, several American soldiers actually preferred enemy Kalashnikov-pattern rifles to their own M14s and M16s. The original M16 had ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16_rifle#Adoption numerous]]'' issues: the guns themselves were issued without cleaning kits as the US Army Ordnance Corps had intentionally advertised the weapons as [[NeverNeedsSharpening "maintenance free" or even "self-cleaning"]], even though the gas system directly shot gasses from firing into the receiver to push back the bolt (made worse because of a switch immediately before adoption to a dirtier-burning form of gunpowder than the rifle was designed for), and their hollow polymer butt-stocks were delicate due to the recoil-buffer tube taking up a good chunk of space within them. The M14, meanwhile, was more reliable but too heavy for constant patrols and had poor ergonomics to support firing a full-size rifle round in full-auto, not to mention that its all-wood lower receiver and stock would warp from the humidity of the jungle and effect its accuracy. In comparison, the Kalashnikov rifle was sturdier and much easier to clean (while the AK would jam if mud got onto and into the receiver, users could just pull up the top cover and then wash the mud out with clean water), while also being easy to carry and keep on target. The Kalashnikov was also often used by LRRP fireteams and MACV-SOG operators, the former who operated in enemy territory for long periods of time, the latter who often disguised themselves as enemy soldiers.

** German soldiers tended to prefer just about any Russian weapons or American semi-auto rifles over their standard-issue weapons if they had the option, most likely due to reliability in winter. The Russian [=PPSh=]-41 was widely loved (thanks in part to [[UniversalAmmunition its ability to load 7.63mm Mauser]]), to the point that a 9mm variant (using box magazines rather than the famous drum) was made for the Germans. The SVT-40 was likewise popular, enough so that Walther took hints from the Tokarev-designed rifle to improve their own attempt at a semi-auto rifle, making the Gewehr 43 with a detachable magazine and a short-stroke gas piston with a conventional gas port drilled into the barrel as opposed to the previous design with an annular gas piston and gas trap muzzle.

-->Why is it that we have to wait for artillery support to arrive and save our asses while the Japs barrage us with grenades fired from way down range out of their little mortars!?

* In Real Life this practice carries an increased risk of friendly fire, particularly if the guns have distinctly different sounds. Under real life combat conditions, soldiers spend a lot of time shooting at enemies they cannot see clearly, if at all. This was a particular problem in 'Nam.
* During UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, several American soldiers actually preferred enemy Kalashnikov-pattern rifles to their own M14s and M16s, at least until the vastly improved [=M16A1=] arrived. The original M16 had ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16_rifle#Adoption numerous]]'' issues. The guns themselves were issued without cleaning kits as the US Army Ordnance Corps had intentionally advertised the weapons as [[NeverNeedsSharpening "maintenance free" or even "self-cleaning"]], even though the gas system directly shot gasses from firing into the receiver to push back the bolt (made worse because of a switch immediately before adoption to a dirtier-burning form of gunpowder than the rifle was designed for), and their hollow polymer butt-stocks were delicate due to the recoil-buffer tube taking up a good chunk of space within them. In comparison, the Kalashnikov rifle was sturdier and much easier to clean (while the AK would jam if mud got onto and into the receiver, users could just pull up the top cover and then wash the mud out with clean water). The Kalashnikov was also often used by LRRP fireteams and MACV-SOG operators, the former who operated in enemy territory for long periods of time, the latter who often disguised themselves as enemy soldiers.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/FarCry2'', not least because enemy mercs all use the same guns available to you depending on which half of the game you're at, so there's no specific [[GoodGunsBadGuns "enemy" guns]] to be better in the first place. Moreover, one of the game's major mechanics is [[BreakableWeapons weapon degradation]], which would be bad enough with some weapons like the USAS-12 shotgun or dart rifle visibly corroding with every individual shot you make with them; add on the fact that weapons taken from an enemy will actually be at an incredibly terrible stage of reliability, jamming every handful of shots and not very long until blowing up in your hands. There's enough of them that it is possible to rely on stolen weapons for a while and not be particularly screwed, but you're far better off saving up diamonds to buy your own weapons, which you can pick up any time you visit the Arms Dealer and will always start off at perfect reliability, as well as technical manuals that increase their accuracy and make them more durable.

** ''VideoGame/SniperEliteIII'''s DownloadableContent campaigns have the Schutzvollstrecker, who carry far more advanced weapons than Allied soldiers such as Karl's, regular Afrika Korps Infantry, or even the Elites. Most notable among these is the Teufelsfeuer rocket launcher, a SuperPrototype that fuses the firing rate of the [=MG42=] with the rockets, tube, and machanisms of the Panzerschreck.

** The regular Jager Troops themselves carry a much better arsenal already, with their standard weapons being the [=Mkb=] 42 assault rifle and the aforementioned [=FG42=], both of which outclass the Thompson and most Allied submachine guns in terms of damage.

* Discussed in ''Webcomic/{{Concerned}}'' [[http://www.screencuisine.net/hlcomic/index.php?date=2006-07-24 #173]], where the author's notes for the comic talk about whether scrounging weapons and ammo off of dead allies without checking if they're actually dead makes you - and, [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation by extension, the player character]] - a dickweed:

* During UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, several American soldiers actually preferred enemy Kalashnikov-pattern rifles to their own M14s and M16s, at least until the vastly improved [=M16A1=] arrived. The original M16 had ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16_rifle#Adoption numerous]]'' issues. The guns themselves were issued without cleaning kits as the US Army Ordnance Corps had intentionally advertised the weapons as [[NeverNeedsSharpening "maintenance free" or even "self-cleaning"]], even though the gas system directly shot gasses from firing into the receiver to push back the bolt (made worse because of a switch immediately before adoption to a dirtier-burning form of gunpowder than the rifle was designed for), and their hollow polymer butt-stocks were delicate due to the recoil-buffer tube taking up a good chunk of space within them. In comparison, the Kalashnikov rifle was sturdier and much easier to clean (while the AK would jam if mud got onto the receiver, users could just open the receiver and then wash the mud out with clean water). The Kalashnikov was also often used by LRRP fireteams and MACV-SOG operators, the former who operated in enemy territory for long periods of time, the latter who often disguised themselves as enemy soldiers.

** German soldiers tended to prefer just about any Russian weapons or American semi-auto rifles over their standard-issue weapons if they had the option, most likely due to reliability in winter. The Russian [=PPSh=]-41 was widely loved (thanks in part to [[UniversalAmmunition its ability to load 7.63mm Mauser]]), to the point that a 9mm variant (using box magazines rather than the famous drum) was made for the Germans. The SVT-40 was likewise popular, enough so that Walther took hints from the Tokarev-designed rifle and made the Gewehr 43 with a detachable magazine and a short-stroke gas piston with a conventional gas port drilled into the barrel as opposed to Walther's previous design with an annular gas piston and gas trap muzzle.

** Interestingly, the American Marines sometimes used Japanese weapons as well, owing to some screw-ups in resupplying during island campaigns. They weren't really enamored with the Arisaka family of bolt-action rifles or the tripod-mounted Type 92 heavy machine gun, but the Marines did like using the Nambu Type 96 Light Machine Gun (and the later Type 99 Light Machine Gun) and also whined to their superiors about the lack of an equivalent to the Japanese Type 89 Grenade Discharger (better known as the "Knee Mortar"). "Why is it that we have to wait for artillery support to arrive and save our asses while the Japs barrage us with grenades fired from way down range out of their little mortars!?"

* In ''Tabletopgame/BattleTech'', when the Clans invaded with their superior technology, Inner Sphere pilots - and especially scientists and technicians - would salivate at the chance to steal or salvage a Clan HumongousMecha. During Operation Bulldog, the Inner Sphere task force made heavy use of salvaged Clan mechs during their invasion of Clan space, both for superior performance and easy logistics, as they could just salvage spare parts off the battlefield.

* In UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, German soldiers tended to prefer just about any Russian weapons or American semi-auto rifles over their standard-issue weapons if they had the option, most likely due to reliability in winter. The Russian [=PPSh=]-41 was widely loved (thanks in part to [[UniversalAmmunition its ability to load 7.63mm Mauser]]), to the point that a 9mm variant (using box magazines rather than the famous drum) was made for the Germans. The SVT-40 was likewise popular, enough so that Walther took hints from the Tokarev-designed rifle and made the Gewehr 43 with a detachable magazine and a short-stroke gas piston with a conventional gas port drilled into the barrel as opposed to Walther's previous design with an annular gas piston and gas trap muzzle.

* The de Havilland Mosquito, a British bomber made of ''wood'' that outperformed German planes. Quoth Goring:

* During UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, several American soldiers actually preferred enemy Kalashnikovs to their own M16s, at least until the vastly improved [=M16A1=] arrived. The original M16 had ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16_rifle#Adoption numerous]]'' issues. The guns themselves were issued without cleaning kits as the US Army Ordnance Corps had intentionally advertised the weapons as [[NeverNeedsSharpening "maintenance free" or even "self-cleaning"]], even though the gas system directly shot gasses from firing into the receiver to push back the bolt (made worse because of a switch immediately before adoption to a dirtier-burning form of gunpowder than the rifle was designed for), and their hollow polymer butt-stocks were delicate due to the recoil-buffer tube taking up a good chunk of space within them. In comparison, the Kalashnikov rifle was sturdier and much easier to clean (while the AK would jam if mud got onto the receiver, users could just open the receiver and then wash the mud out with clean water). The Kalashnikov was also often used by LRRP fireteams and MACV-SOG operators, the former who operated in enemy territory for long periods of time, the latter who often disguised themselves as enemy soldiers.

* During both World Wars, Italian troops preferred enemy machine guns due the extreme unreliability of the Italian-made ones.

** In addition, German soldiers in WWII preferred US grenades because they were less bulky and thus more could be carried, while US soldiers preferred German stick grenades because their shape aided in throwing them farther. The grenade is apparently always greener on the other side.

*** An InUniverse example happens in the ''Spearhead'' expansion, where, due to a shortage of weapons, ammunition, and other supplies, Barnes and his squad are tasked with raiding a German supply depot and taking as many supplies as as possible, including German weapons and ammunition. Thus, when the second part of the level begins, most of the paratroopers defending the line outside Bastogne are armed with German weapons.

* In every ''VideoGame/CounterStrike'' installment, it's not uncommon to see CT players drop whatever gun they're using for an AK-47 or an SG-552. That or the Terrorists dropping whatever they were using for an [=M4A1=] rifle.

* Almost every single level in ''[[VideoGame/GoldenEye1997 Goldeneye 007]]'' starts with James Bond equipped with the [=PP7=], a decent but relatively weak pistol which you'll quickly trade for an assault rifle or SMG as soon as the first opportunity comes along. [[VideoGame/GoldenEyeWii The 2010 remake]] makes the P99 pistol more viable in stealth due to the suppressor that can be attached whenever the player wants rather than depending on the level, but still requires them to pick up weapons from enemies if they want to stand a real chance in a firefight.

* ''ComicBook/{{Wonder Woman|1942}}'': While ComicBook/SteveTrevor's service weapon was taken by the Saturnians when they abducted, stripped and enslaved him it still wasn't nearly as impressive as the Saturnain RayGun--capable of emitting a death ray or GravityScrew ray dependent on a knob--that he steals as he's escaping and leading a minor slave revolt.

You're in a war zone, you're given your standard gear from your outfit, and then you carry out your mission. However, about a few minutes in, you promptly drop whatever guns you were carrying and grab the enemy's. Now wait, your side just handed you a perfectly good weapon! Why would you abandon the one you just had? Sometimes in video games (most commonly [[FirstPersonShooter FPS]] games, [[{{Plunder}} where you grab these weapons fresh off your enemies' cooling corpses]]) you're more than likely to just stop using the weapons you were issued and begin using anything you can procure on sight. This is usually for two reasons:

* During UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, U.S. soldiers actually preferred enemy Kalashnikovs to their own M16s, at least until the vastly improved [=M16A1=] arrived. The original M16 had ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16_rifle#Adoption numerous]]'' issues. The guns themselves were issued without cleaning kits as they were supposedly [[NeverNeedsSharpening "maintenance free" or even "self-cleaning"]], even though the gas system directly shot gases from firing into the receiver to push back the bolt (made worse because of a switch immediately before adoption to a dirtier-burning form of gunpowder than the rifle was designed for), and their polymer stocks were delicate due to the over-complicated recoil-compensating buffer tube taking up a good chunk of space within them. In comparison, the Kalashnikov was more reliable and sturdier. The Kalashnikov was also often used by LRRP fireteams and MACV-SOG operators, the former who operated in enemy territory for long periods of time, the latter who often disguised themselves as enemy soldiers.
* In UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, German soldiers tended to prefer just about any Russian weapons or American semi-auto rifles over their standard-issue weapons if they had the option, most likely due to reliability in winter. The Russian [=PPSh=]-41 was widely loved (thanks in part to [[UniversalAmmunition its ability to load 7.63mm Mauser]]), to the point that a 9mm variant (using box magazines rather than the famous drum) was made for the Germans. The SVT-40 was likewise popular, enough so that an improved version of their own Gewehr 41 was basically a straight copy of it.

** Conversely, in World War II Italian submachine guns (especially the Beretta Mod. 38) were favored by both Allies and Germans, as they were unerringly reliable and robust designs that tended to have superior safeties, plus the Italians used them with an overpowered variant of the 9mm Parabellum round to give better punch and range. When they occupied the country after Italy switched sides, the Germans decided to confiscate most of the production of both the Mod. 38 and the overpowered round.

* During the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War, Israeli soldiers often preferred the AK-47 rifles they captured from the Arabs to the FN FAL that was the most common combat rifle in service with the IDF at that time. The AK-47 had the particular advantage of being much more reliable in the sandy, gritty conditions common to the Near East. After '67, the Israelis decided to replace the FN FAL with the Galil, an Israeli design largely based on the AK-47, but, in any event, the M16 ended up becoming the most common rifle in the IDF.
** The Israelis also repaired and put into service substantial numbers of Soviet-made T-54, T-55, and T-62 tanks captured from the Arabs, although whether these tanks were better is not clear. They certainly had technological capabilities, in particular infrared scanners, that were not available on the Centurions and Shermans that made up the bulk of the Israeli armored corps at that time. On the other hand, their round dome-shaped turrets limited their ability to depress their barrels, which did not fit well with Israeli tank doctrine or the rougher terrain on which they tended to fight.