Hell Let Loose: Vietnam All Weapons Guide
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam has 22 listed weapons split between the US and NVA factions, but the two arsenals are not simple reskins of each other. Both sides receive familiar categories such as rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, shotguns, pistols, launchers, and incendiary weapons, while the specific variants and available firing modes create several important differences.
Instead of placing every weapon in alphabetical order, this guide groups them by battlefield function and compares similar US and NVA options directly. It also separates primary weapons from secondary equipment, which makes it easier to see where launchers and specialized weapons fit alongside each faction’s standard firearms.
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All Weapons Overview
Rifles
Submachine Guns And Shotguns
Machine Guns
Sniper Rifles
Incendiary Weapons
Pistols And Secondary Launchers
US And NVA Weapon Differences
How Many Weapons Are In Hell Let Loose: Vietnam?
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam has 22 weapons in the listed arsenal, with 10 belonging to the US and 12 belonging to the NVA. Seventeen occupy a primary slot, while the remaining five are secondary weapons consisting of two pistols, two launchers, and one dedicated grenade launcher.
The largest category is the rifle group, which contains seven entries once the various bayonet and launcher variants are counted separately. The rest of the arsenal includes two submachine guns, two shotguns, two machine guns, two sniper rifles, two incendiary weapons, two pistols, two launchers, and one grenade launcher.
Several weapons share the same underlying platform but remain separate entries because they carry different attachments or configurations. The US has three versions of the M16A1, while the NVA has multiple Type 53 variants alongside the separate Type 53 PU sniper rifle. Players looking through a loadout should therefore pay attention to the complete weapon name rather than assuming every M16A1 or Type 53 represents the same option.
All Rifle Weapons
Rifles make up the core of both arsenals, although the US list is concentrated entirely around the M16A1 while the NVA receives Type 53 and Type 56 variants. Every M16A1 entry supports automatic and semi-automatic fire, whereas most Type 53 configurations are listed as semi-automatic only.
M16A1
The M16A1 is a US primary rifle with automatic and semi-automatic fire modes. It is the standard version of the platform, separated from the bayonet and M203 configurations that appear as their own weapons.
M16A1 With Bayonet
The M16A1 With Bayonet is another US primary rifle with automatic and semi-automatic fire. Its separate listing distinguishes it from the regular M16A1 even though both weapons share the same faction, slot, type, and available firing modes.
M16A1-M203
The M16A1-M203 belongs to the US faction and occupies a primary slot. It is classified as a rifle rather than a secondary grenade launcher and retains both automatic and semi-automatic fire modes, making its placement different from the standalone M79.
Type 56 W/ Bayonet
The Type 56 W/ Bayonet is an NVA primary rifle with automatic and semi-automatic fire. It is the only NVA rifle in the listed arsenal that includes both of those firing modes, separating it from the semi-automatic Type 53 variants.
Type 53
The standard Type 53 is an NVA primary rifle listed with semi-automatic fire. It serves as the base version of a platform that also appears with a bayonet, an N4 rifle launcher, and a PU configuration in the sniper category.
Type 53 w/Bayonet
The Type 53 w/Bayonet is a separate NVA primary rifle with semi-automatic fire. Like the M16A1 bayonet variant, it is treated as its own weapon rather than an attachment applied to the standard entry.
Type 53 W/ N4 Rifle Launcher
The Type 53 W/ N4 Rifle Launcher is an NVA primary rifle with semi-automatic fire. Despite carrying a rifle launcher in its name, it remains classified in the rifle category rather than appearing alongside the secondary RPG-02 launcher.
All Submachine Guns And Shotguns
The NVA controls both submachine-gun entries in the listed arsenal, while each faction receives one shotgun. The two shotguns are further separated by their firing actions: the US Model 77E is pump action, while the NVA IZH 58 is break action.
K50M
The K50M is an NVA primary submachine gun capable of automatic and semi-automatic fire. No US submachine gun appears in the current weapon list, making this category one of the clearest differences between the two factions.
K50M Drum
The K50M Drum is listed separately from the standard K50M but retains the same NVA faction, primary slot, submachine-gun classification, and automatic and semi-automatic firing modes. The full weapon name is therefore important when selecting between the two K50M configurations.
Model 77E
The Model 77E is the US primary shotgun and uses a pump-action firing system. It is the only US shotgun in the listed arsenal and provides a direct faction counterpart to the NVA’s differently configured IZH 58.
IZH 58
The IZH 58 is an NVA primary shotgun with a break-action firing system. Its weapon type matches the US Model 77E, but the different action prevents the two shotguns from being identical entries under faction-specific names.
All Machine Guns
Machine guns are one of the most symmetrical parts of the arsenal. Each faction receives one primary machine gun, and both are listed with automatic fire rather than selectable firing modes.
M60
The M60 is the US primary machine gun and fires automatically. It is the only weapon classified as a machine gun in the US list.
RPD
The RPD is the NVA primary machine gun and also uses automatic fire. Its slot, weapon type, and listed firing mode directly match the M60 on the opposite faction.
All Sniper Rifles
The US and NVA each receive one primary sniper rifle, and both use bolt-action firing systems. Unlike the broader rifle category, the sniper list is evenly divided between the factions without additional weapon variants.
M40
The M40 is the US primary sniper rifle and uses a bolt-action firing system. It is the faction’s only weapon listed under the dedicated Sniper type.
Type 53 PU
The Type 53 PU is the NVA primary sniper rifle and is also bolt action. Although it shares the Type 53 name with several semi-automatic rifles, the PU version is categorized separately as a sniper and carries a different listed firing action.
All Incendiary Weapons
Each faction has one primary incendiary weapon. Neither entry is assigned an automatic, semi-automatic, bolt-action, pump-action, or break-action designation in the supplied weapon classification.
M2A1-7
The M2A1-7 is the US primary incendiary weapon. It is one of the faction’s specialized primary options rather than a launcher or secondary item.
LPO-50
The LPO-50 is the NVA primary incendiary weapon. It occupies the same slot and weapon category as the US M2A1-7, making the incendiary class another area where both factions receive one direct option.
All Pistols And Secondary Launchers
Only five weapons in the complete list occupy a secondary slot. Both factions receive a semi-automatic pistol and a launcher, while the US gains the additional M79 grenade launcher. This gives the US three listed secondary weapons compared with two for the NVA.
M1911A1
The M1911A1 is the US secondary pistol and uses semi-automatic fire. It is the faction’s only weapon classified as a pistol.
Type 54
The Type 54 is the NVA secondary pistol and also uses semi-automatic fire. Its slot, type, and listed firing mode match the M1911A1, giving both factions one conventional sidearm entry.
M72
The M72 is a US secondary launcher. It is categorized separately from the M79 grenade launcher and from the primary M16A1-M203 rifle.
RPG-02
The RPG-02 is the NVA secondary launcher. It is the faction’s counterpart to the US M72 in terms of both weapon category and loadout slot.
M79
The M79 is a US secondary grenade launcher and the only weapon in the full list assigned specifically to the Grenade Launcher category. It should not be confused with the M16A1-M203, which remains classified as a primary rifle.
US And NVA Weapon Differences
The clearest difference is how the two factions approach their standard primary weapons. The US arsenal revolves around three automatic and semi-automatic M16A1 configurations, while the NVA combines the automatic and semi-automatic Type 56 with three semi-automatic Type 53 rifle variants.
The NVA also has both of the listed submachine guns through the K50M and K50M Drum, with no US weapon assigned to that category. The US instead has an additional secondary explosive option through the M79, which is the only dedicated grenade launcher in the weapon list.
Other parts of the arsenals are more evenly matched. Each side has one automatic machine gun, one bolt-action sniper rifle, one semi-automatic pistol, one shotgun, one secondary launcher, and one primary incendiary weapon. Even within those matched categories, the weapons are not always configured identically, as shown by the pump-action Model 77E and break-action IZH 58.
The final difference is how the game classifies weapons that combine a rifle with another feature. The M16A1-M203 and Type 53 W/ N4 Rifle Launcher remain primary rifles, while the M79 is a secondary grenade launcher and the M72 and RPG-02 are secondary launchers. Looking only at a weapon’s name can therefore give an incomplete picture of the slot and category it actually occupies.
Final Blurb
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam divides its 22 listed weapons into two arsenals that share the same essential categories without becoming exact copies. The US receives 10 weapons centered around the M16A1 family, while the NVA has 12 weapons built around its Type 53, Type 56, and K50M variants.
Understanding the differences begins with the slot and firing mode rather than the weapon name alone. Some launcher-equipped rifles remain primary weapons, the M79 occupies a unique secondary category, and similarly named Type 53 variants can shift from semi-automatic rifle to bolt-action sniper depending on the complete configuration.
