As Rob notes, scale is a big factor. If you're working in larger scale, there are weapons sets made for the 1/6 figures (12", or original-GI Joe-size) made by Dragon, among others. You can also find weapons made by sci-fi/fantasy/anime kit manufacturers, things like weapons for Gundam robots, that, while their scale is given as small, like 1/144, they're designed for a figure that would be as tall as a 5-storey building in 1:1, and so, the weapons work in 1/20 through 1/25 or so.
In the car kit scales of 1/24 and 1/25, there are also figures out there, that you can modify for use with your subjects. Your theme is a relatively popular one, actually.