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Wikipedia

Assault rifle

January 16, 2023

This article is about automatic firearms used by many military and law enforcement organizations. For semi-automatic firearms restricted by some United States laws, see assault weapon.

An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine.[1][2][3][4][5] Assault rifles were first put into mass production and accepted into widespread service during World War II. The first assault rifle to see major usage was the German StG 44, a development of the earlier Mkb 42.[6][7][8] While immediately after World War II, NATO countries were equipped with battle rifles, the development of the M16 rifle during the Vietnam War prompted the adoption of assault rifles by the rest of NATO. By the end of the 20th century, assault rifles had become the standard weapon in most of the world's armies, replacing full-powered rifles and sub-machine guns in most roles.[8] The two most successful modern assault rifles are the AK-47 and the M16 designs and their derivatives.[8]

The StG 44 was adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1944. It fires the 7.92×33mm Kurz round.
Currently the most used assault rifle in the world along with its variant, the AKM, the AK-47 was first adopted in 1949 by the Soviet Army. It fires the 7.62×39mm M43 round.
The M16 was first introduced into service in 1964 with the United States Armed Forces. It fires the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge, and is the most produced assault rifle in its caliber.

Origin of term

The term assault rifle is generally attributed to Adolf Hitler, who used the German word Sturmgewehr (which translates to "assault rifle") as the new name for the MP 43 (Maschinenpistole), subsequently known as the Sturmgewehr 44.[6][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] Allied propaganda suggested that the name was chosen for propaganda purposes, but the main purpose was to differentiate the Sturmgewehr from German submachine guns such as the MP 40.[15]

It has been suggested, however, that the Heereswaffenamt was responsible for the name Sturmgewehr, and Hitler had no input besides signing the production order.[16][15] Furthermore, Hitler was initially opposed to the idea of a new infantry rifle, as Germany lacked the industrial capacity to replace the 12,000,000 Karabiner 98k rifles already in service, only changing his mind once he saw it first-hand.[17]

The StG 44 is generally considered the first selective fire military rifle to popularize the assault rifle concept.[6][8] Today, the term assault rifle is used to define firearms sharing the same basic characteristics as the StG 44.[6][8]

Definition

The U.S. Army defines assault rifles as "short, compact, selective-fire weapons that fire a cartridge intermediate in power between submachine gun and rifle cartridges."[18] In this strict definition, a firearm must have at least the following characteristics to be considered an assault rifle:[2][3][4]

Rifles that meet most of these criteria, but not all, are not assault rifles according to the U.S. Army's definition. For example:

  • Select-fire M2 Carbines are not assault rifles; their effective range is only 180 metres (200 yd).[19]
  • Select-fire rifles such as the Fedorov Avtomat, FN FAL, M14, and H&K G3 main battle rifles are not assault rifles; they fire full-powered rifle cartridges.
  • Semi-automatic-only rifles like the Colt AR-15 are not assault rifles; they do not have select-fire capabilities.
  • Semi-automatic-only rifles with fixed magazines like the SKS are not assault rifles; they do not have detachable box magazines and are not capable of automatic fire.

Distinction from assault weapons

Further information: Assault weapon and Assault weapons legislation in the United States

In the United States, selective-fire rifles are legally defined as "machine guns", and civilian ownership of those has been tightly regulated since 1934 under the National Firearms Act and since 1986 under the Firearm Owners Protection Act.[20] However, the term "assault rifle" is often conflated with "assault weapon", a U.S. legal category with varying definitions which includes many semi-automatic weapons. This use has been described as incorrect and a misapplication of the term.[21][22]

History

Sturmgewehr 44

Main article: StG 44

The Germans were the first to pioneer the assault rifle concept during World War II, based upon research that showed that most firefights happen within 400 metres (1,300 ft) and that contemporary rifles were overpowered for most small arms combat.[7][8][9][23][24][25] They would soon develop a select-fire intermediate powered rifle combining the firepower of a submachine gun with the range and accuracy of a rifle.[7][8][9][23][24][25]

The result was the Sturmgewehr 44, an improvement of the earlier Maschinenkarabiner 42(H), and approximately half a million Sturmgewehrs were produced by the war's end.[7][8][9][24][25] It fired a new and revolutionary intermediate powered cartridge, the 7.92×33mm Kurz.[6][7][8][9][24][25][26] This new cartridge was developed by shortening the standard 7.92×57mm Mauser round and giving it a lighter 125-grain bullet, which limited range but allowed for more controllable automatic fire.[6][7][8][9][24][25][26] A smaller, lighter cartridge also allowed soldiers to carry more ammunition "to support the higher consumption rate of automatic fire."[8][23]

The Sturmgewehr 44 features an inexpensive, easy-to-make, stamped steel design and a 30-round detachable box magazine.[27] "This weapon was the prototype of all successful automatic rifles. Characteristically (and unlike previous rifles) it had a straight stock with the barrel under the gas cylinder to reduce the turning moment of recoil of the rifle in the shoulder and thus help reduce the tendency of shots to climb in automatic fire. The barrel and overall length were shorter than a traditional rifle and it had a pistol grip to hold the weapon more securely in automatic fire. "The principle of this weapon—the reduction of muzzle impulse to get usable automatic fire within the actual ranges of combat—was probably the most important advance in small arms since the invention of smokeless powder."[26]

AK-47

Main article: AK-47

Like the Germans, the Soviets were influenced by experience showing that most combat engagements occur within 400 metres (1,300 ft) and that their soldiers were consistently outgunned by heavily armed German troops, especially those armed with Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifles.[28][29][30][31][32][33] On July 15, 1943, a Sturmgewehr was demonstrated before the People's Commissariat of Arms of the USSR.[34] The Soviets were so impressed with the Sturmgewehr, that they immediately set about developing an intermediate caliber automatic rifle of their own, to replace the badly outdated Mosin–Nagant bolt-action rifles and PPSh-41 submachine guns that armed most of the Red Army.[8][31][33][34][35][36]

The Soviets soon developed the 7.62×39mm M43 cartridge, which was first used in the semi-automatic SKS carbine and the RPD light machine gun.[37] Hugo Schmeisser, the designer of the Sturmgewehr, was captured after World War II, and helped develop the AK-47 assault rifle,[17] which would quickly replace the SKS and Mosin in Soviet service.[38][39] The AK-47 was finalized, adopted and entered widespread service in the Soviet army in the early 1950s.[28] Its firepower, ease of use, low production costs, and reliability were perfectly suited for the Red Army's new mobile warfare doctrines.[28] In the 1960s, the Soviets introduced the RPK light machine gun, itself an AK-47 type weapon with a bipod, a stronger receiver, and a longer, heavier barrel that would eventually replace the RPD light machine gun.[37] The AK-47 has been continually worked upon, and improved. The AKM, AK-74, and AK-12 were all designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov, and have all been service rifles in the Soviet Union, and the later Russian Federation.

The AK-47 was widely supplied or sold to nations allied with the USSR, and the blueprints were shared with several friendly nations (the People's Republic of China standing out among these with the Type 56).[28] As a result, more AK-type weapons have been produced than all other assault rifles combined.[40] As of 2004, "of the estimated 500 million firearms worldwide, approximately 100 million belong to the Kalashnikov family, three-quarters of which are AK-47s."[40]

Battle rifles

Main article: Battle rifle
 
The M1 Garand (top) and M1 Carbine

The U.S. Army was influenced by combat experience with semi-automatic weapons such as the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine, which enjoyed a significant advantage over enemies armed primarily with bolt-action rifles.[23] Although U.S. Army studies of World War II combat accounts had very similar results to that of the Germans and Soviets, the U.S. Army failed to recognize the importance of the assault rifle concept,[23] and instead maintained its traditional views and preference for high-powered semi-automatic rifles.[8][23][25][41] At the time, the U.S. Army believed that the Sturmgewehr 44 was "intended in a general way to serve the same purpose as the U.S. carbine" and was in many ways inferior to the M1 carbine,[42] and was of "little importance".[23]

After World War II, the United States military started looking for a single automatic rifle to replace the M1 Garand, M1/M2 Carbines, M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, M3 "Grease Gun" and Thompson submachine gun.[25][43] Early experiments with select-fire versions of the M1 Garand proved disappointing.[44] During the Korean War, the select-fire M2 Carbine largely replaced the submachine gun in U.S. service[45] and became the most widely used Carbine variant.[46] Combat experience suggested that the .30 Carbine round was under-powered.[47] American weapons designers reached the same conclusion as the German and Soviet ones: an intermediate round was necessary, and recommended a small-caliber, high-velocity cartridge.[8][48]

 
American M14

Senior American commanders had faced fanatical enemies and experienced major logistical problems during World War II and the Korean War,[49][50][51][52] and insisted that a single powerful .30 caliber cartridge be developed, that could be used by the new automatic rifle, and also by the new general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) in concurrent development.[8][53][54] This culminated in the development of the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge and the M14 rifle[8][53] which was basically an improved select-fire M1 Garand with a 20-round magazine.[55][56][57] The U.S. also adopted the M60 GPMG, which replaced the M1919 Browning machine gun in major combat roles.[53] Its NATO partners adopted the FN FAL and Heckler & Koch G3 rifles, as well as the FN MAG and Rheinmetall MG3 GPMGs.

 
Belgian FN FAL

The FN FAL is a 7.62×51mm, selective fire, automatic rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FN). During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries, most notably with the British Commonwealth as the semi-automatic L1A1. It is one of the most widely used rifles in history, having been used by more than 90 countries.[58] The FAL was predominantly chambered for the 7.62mm NATO round, and because of its prevalence and widespread use among the armed forces of many western nations during the Cold War, it was nicknamed "The right arm of the Free World".[59]

 
West German Heckler & Koch G3

The Heckler & Koch G3 is a 7.62×51mm, selective fire, automatic rifle produced by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME (Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales).[60] The rifle proved successful in the export market, being adopted by the armed forces of over 60 countries.[61] After World War II, German technicians involved in developing the Sturmgewehr 45, continued their research in France at CEAM. The StG 45 mechanism was modified by Ludwig Vorgrimler and Theodor Löffler at the Mulhouse facility between 1946 and 1949. Vorgrimler later went to work at CETME in Spain and developed the line of CETME automatic rifles based on his improved StG 45 design. Germany eventually purchased the license for the CETME design and manufactured the Heckler & Koch G3 as well as an entire line of weapons built on the same system, one of the most famous being the MP5 SMG.

M16

Main article: M16 rifle

The first confrontations between the AK-47 and the M14 ("assault rifle" vs "battle rifle") came in the early part of the Vietnam War. Battlefield reports indicated that the M14 was uncontrollable in full-auto and that soldiers could not carry enough ammunition to maintain fire superiority over the AK-47.[8][55][62] And, while the M2 Carbine offered a high rate of fire, it was under-powered and ultimately outclassed by the AK-47.[63] A replacement was needed: A medium between the traditional preference for high-powered rifles such as the M14, and the lightweight firepower of the M2 Carbine.

As a result, the Army was forced to reconsider a 1957 request by General Willard G. Wyman, commander of the U.S. Continental Army Command (CONARC) to develop a .223 caliber (5.56 mm) select-fire rifle weighing 2.7 kg (6 lb) when loaded with a 20-round magazine.[25] The 5.56 mm round had to penetrate a standard U.S. helmet at 460 metres (500 yd) and retain a velocity in excess of the speed of sound, while matching or exceeding the wounding ability of the .30 Carbine cartridge.[64]

This request ultimately resulted in the development of a scaled-down version of the ArmaLite AR-10, called the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle.[8][65][66][67] However, despite overwhelming evidence that the AR-15 could bring more firepower to bear than the M14, the Army opposed the adoption of the new rifle.[8][55][65] In January 1963, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara concluded that the AR-15 was the superior weapon system and ordered a halt to M14 production.[55][65][68] At the time, the AR-15 was the only rifle available that could fulfill the requirement of a universal infantry weapon for issue to all services.

After modifications (most notably, the charging handle was re-located from under the carrying handle like it was on AR-10 to the rear of the receiver),[66] the newly redesigned rifle was subsequently adopted as the M16 Rifle.[8][55][65][69] "(The M16) was much lighter compared to the M14 it replaced, ultimately allowing soldiers to carry more ammunition. The air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed assault rifle was made of steel, aluminum alloy and composite plastics, truly cutting-edge for the time. Designed with full and semi-automatic capabilities, the weapon initially did not respond well to wet and dirty conditions, sometimes even jamming in combat. After a few minor modifications, the weapon gained in popularity among troops on the battlefield."[55][70][71]

Despite its early failures, the M16 proved to be a revolutionary design and stands as the longest continuously serving rifle in American military history.[65][69] It has been adopted by many U.S. allies and the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge has become not only the NATO standard but "the standard assault-rifle cartridge in much of the world."[65][72][73] It also led to the development of small-caliber high-velocity service rifles by every major army in the world, including the USSR and People's Republic of China.[65] Today, many small arms experts consider the M16 the standard by which all other assault rifles are judged.[65][74][75]

HK33

Main article: Heckler & Koch HK33

During the 1960s other countries would follow the Americans' lead and begin to develop 5.56×45mm assault rifles, most notably Germany with the Heckler & Koch HK33. The HK33 was essentially a smaller 5.56mm version of the 7.62×51mm Heckler & Koch G3 rifle. As one of the first 5.56mm assault rifles on the market, it would go on to become one of the most widely distributed assault rifles. The HK33 featured a modular design with a wide range of accessories (telescoping butt-stocks, optics, bi-pods, etc.) that could be easily removed and arranged in a variety of configurations.

5.56mm NATO

Main article: 5.56×45mm NATO
 
The 7.62×51mm NATO and 5.56×45mm NATO cartridges compared to an AA battery.

The adoption of the M16, the H&K33, and the 5.56×45mm cartridge inspired an international trend towards relatively small-sized, lightweight, high-velocity military service cartridges that allow a soldier to carry more ammunition for the same weight compared to the larger and heavier 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. The 5.56mm cartridge is also much easier to shoot.[76][77][78] In 1961 marksmanship testing, the U.S. Army found that 43% of AR-15 shooters achieved Expert, while only 22% of M-14 rifle shooters did so. Also, a lower recoil impulse, allows for more controllable automatic weapons fire.[76][77][78]

In March 1970, the U.S. recommended that all NATO forces adopt the 5.56×45mm cartridge.[73] This shift represented a change in the philosophy of the military's long-held position about caliber size. By the middle of the 1970s, other armies were looking at assault rifle-type weapons. A NATO standardization effort soon started and tests of various rounds were carried out starting in 1977.[73] The U.S. offered the 5.56×45mm M193 round, but there were concerns about its penetration in the face of the wider introduction of body armor.[25] In the end the Belgian 5.56×45mm SS109 round was chosen (STANAG 4172) in October 1980.[73] The SS109 round was based on the U.S. cartridge but included a new stronger, heavier, 62-grain bullet design, with better long-range performance and improved penetration (specifically, to consistently penetrate the side of a steel helmet at 600 metres or 2,000 feet).[25]

Also during the 1970s, Finland, Israel, South Africa and Sweden introduced AK type assault rifles in 5.56×45mm.[79] During the 1990s, Russia developed the AK-101 in 5.56×45mm NATO for the world export market.[80][81] In addition, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Yugoslavia (i.e., Serbia) have also rechambered their locally produced assault rifles to 5.56mm NATO.[82][83]

AK-74

Main article: AK-74
 
AK-74 rifle

The AK-74 assault rifle was a Soviet answer to the U.S. M16.[84][85][86] The Soviet military realized that the M16 had better range and accuracy over the AKM, and that its lighter cartridge allowed soldiers to carry more ammunition. Therefore, in 1967, the USSR issued an official requirement to replace the AKM and the 7.62×39mm cartridge.[87] They soon began to develop the AK-74 and the 5.45×39mm cartridge.[65][88][89] AK-74 production began in 1974,[87] and it was unveiled in 1977, when it was carried by Soviet parachute troops during the annual Red Square parade.[90] It would soon replace the AKM and become the standard Soviet infantry rifle.[90] In 1979, the AK-74 saw combat for the first time in Afghanistan,[91] where the lethality of the 5.45mm rounds led to the Mujahadeen dubbing them "poison bullets".[92] The adoption of the 5.56mm NATO and the Russian 5.45×39mm cartridges cemented the worldwide trend toward small caliber, high-velocity cartridges.[65]

Compact assault rifles

 
A USAF security policeman aims his Colt Commando during a live-fire demonstration, part of Operation Desert Shield. Note: large flash hider

Following the adoption of the M16, carbine variants were also adopted for close quarters operations. The AR-15 family of weapons served through the Vietnam War. However, these compact assault rifles had design issues, as "the barrel length was halved" to 10 inches (250 mm) which "upset the ballistics", reducing its range and accuracy and leading "to considerable muzzle flash and blast, so that a large flash suppressor had to be fitted".[93] "Nevertheless, as a short-range weapon it is quite adequate and thus, [despite] its caliber, [the Colt Commando] is classed as a submachine gun."[93] Other compact assault rifles, such as the HK53, AKS-74U and the Daewoo K1, have been made and they have also been called submachine guns.[94]

Bullpups

Main article: Bullpup

In 1977, Austria introduced the 5.56×45mm Steyr AUG bullpup rifle, often cited as the first successful bullpup rifle, finding service with the armed forces of over twenty countries. It was highly advanced for the 1970s, combining in the same weapon the bullpup configuration, a polymer housing, dual vertical grips, an optical sight as standard, and a modular design. Highly reliable, light, and accurate, the Steyr AUG showed clearly the potential of the bullpup layout. In 1978, France introduced the 5.56×45mm FAMAS bullpup rifle. In 1985, the British introduced the 5.56×45mm L85 bullpup rifle. In the late 1990s, Israel introduced the 5.56mm NATO Tavor TAR-21. In 1997, China adopted the QBZ-95 in the new 5.8×42mm cartridge, which they claim is superior to both the 5.56×45mm and the 5.45×39mm. By the turn of the century, the bullpup assault rifle design had achieved worldwide acceptance.

Heckler & Koch G36

Main article: Heckler & Koch G36
 
Heckler & Koch G36 with a loaded 30-round magazine

The Heckler & Koch G36 is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle, designed in the early 1990s by Heckler & Koch in Germany as a replacement for the heavier G3. It was accepted into service with the Bundeswehr in 1997, replacing the G3.[95] The G36 is gas-operated and feeds from a 30-round detachable box magazine or 100-round C-Mag drum magazine.[96] The G36 was made with the extensive use of lightweight, corrosion-resistant synthetic materials in its design; the receiver housing, stock, trigger group (including the fire control selector and firing mechanism parts), magazine well, handguard and carrying handle are all made of a carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide. The receiver has an integrated steel barrel trunnion (with locking recesses) and a nylon 66 steel reinforced receiver.[97] The standard Bundeswehr versions of the G36 are equipped with a unique ZF 3×4° dual optical sight that combines a 3× magnified telescopic sight and an unmagnified reflex sight mounted on top of the telescopic sight.[95] Widely distributed, it has been adopted by over 40 countries and prompted other nations to develop similar composite designs, such as the FX-05 Xiuhcoatl.

See also

Citations

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  2. ^ a b C. Taylor The Fighting Rifle: A Complete Study of the Rifle in Combat, ISBN 0-87947-308-8
  3. ^ a b F.A. Moyer Special Forces Foreign Weapons Handbook, ISBN 0-87364-009-8
  4. ^ a b R.J. Scroggie, F.A. Moyer Special Forces Combat Firing Techniques, ISBN 0-87364-010-1
  5. ^ a b Musgave, Daniel D., and Thomas B. Nelson, The World's Assault Rifles, vol. II, The Goetz Company, Washington, D.C. (1967): 1
  6. ^ a b c d e f Firearms: The Life Story of a Technology, by Roger Pauly. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2004. page 145 & 146
  7. ^ a b c d e f Jane's Guns Recognition Guide, Ian Hogg & Terry Gander, HarperCollins Publisher, 2005, p.287 Sturmgewehr 44 "This is the father of all assault rifles, developed in Germany in 1941–42 an using a new short cartridge. Originally known as the MP 43 (Machine Pistol) for Nazi political reasons, it was renamed the "Sturmgewehr 44" after its successful introduction into battle on the Eastern Front. It introduced the concept of using a short cartridge with limited range in order to permit controllable automatic fire and a compact weapon, and because experience showed that most rifle fire was conducted at ranges under 400 metres (1,300 ft). After the war, it was examined and dissected by almost every major gun-making nation and led, in one way and another, to the present-day 5.56mm assault rifles."
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u [1] 2017-03-30 at the Wayback Machine The Atlantic. "A Brief History of the Assault Rifle". The gun's name may have been coined by Adolf Hitler. by MICHAEL SHURKIN. JUN 30, 2016
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  10. ^ Musgave, Daniel D., and Thomas B. Nelson, The World's Assault Rifles, vol. II, The Goetz Company, Washington, D.C. (1967)
  11. ^ Myatt, Major Frederic, Modern Small Arms, Crescent Books, New York (1978): 169
  12. ^ Hogg, Ivan, and John Weeks, Military Small Arms of the 20th Century, third ed., Hippocrene Books, New York (1977): 159
  13. ^ Chris Bishop, The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2002, p. 218
  14. ^ Military Small Arms of the 20th Century, 7th Edition, Ian V. Hogg, page 243
  15. ^ a b Rottman, Gordon (2013). The Big Book of Gun Trivia: Everything You Want to Know, Don't Want to Know, and Don't Know You Need to Know. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 26.
  16. ^ Rottman, Gordon (3 May 2011). The AK-47: Kalashnikov-series assault rifles. Osprey Publishing. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-84908-835-0.
  17. ^ a b Suciu, Peter (2020-11-26). "Meet the Most Influential Gun Designers of the 20th Century". The National Interest. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
  18. ^ "US Army intelligence document FSTC-CW-07-03-70, November 1970". Gunfax.com. from the original on 2012-08-29. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
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  21. ^ Poole, Helen (2021). "2". Firearms: Global Perspectives on Consequences, Crime and Control. Routledge. p. 21.
  22. ^ Lord, Debbie (May 26, 2022). "Assault Weapon vs. Assault Rifle: What Is the Difference?". WOKV-FM. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
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  29. ^ . USA: FoxNews.com. 6 July 2007. OCLC 36334372. Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2010. It was before he started designing the gun that he slept badly, worried about the superior weapons that Nazi soldiers were using with grisly effectiveness against the Red Army in World War II. He saw them at close range himself while fighting on the front lines. While hospitalized with wounds after a Nazi shell hit his tank in the 1941 battle of Bryansk, Kalashnikov decided to design an automatic rifle combining the best features of the American M1 and the German StG44. "Blame the Nazi Germans for making me become a gun designer", said Kalashnikov, frail but sharp at age 87. "I always wanted to construct agriculture machinery.
  30. ^ ""Born in November 1919—one of 18 children, of whom only six survived—Mikhail Kalashnikov was a Soviet T-38 tank commander in 1941, wounded in the shoulder and back when a German shell smashed part of the tank's armor into his body. "I was in the hospital, and a soldier in the bed beside me asked: 'Why do our soldiers have only one rifle for two or three of our men, when the Germans have automatics?' So I designed one. I was a soldier, and I created a machine gun for a soldier. It was called an Avtomat Kalashnikova, the automatic weapon of Kalashnikov—AK—and it carried the date of its first manufacture, 1947." An interview with Mikhail Kalashnikov, Robert Fisk, The Independent (centrist), London, England. April 22, 2001". from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  31. ^ a b [4] Archived 2013-06-16 at archive.today | Armed Forces History Museum, AK-47 assault rifle
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  34. ^ a b [6] 2015-10-15 at the Wayback Machine "The history of the world-known gun started on July 15th, 1943, when a captured complex—an MP-43 gun and a cartridge—were demonstrated at a meeting of the arms committee. Chief designer Nikolay Elizarov and chief engineer Pavel Ryazanov created the Soviet "interim cartridge " within a very short period of time. The technological support was provided by Boris Syomin. After that, scientists started working on a new fire arms system for that cartridge." The History of Kalashnikov Gun. Pravda. 02.08.2003
  35. ^ ""Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. Kalashnikov, by then a sergeant, was injured within months when a shell stopped his T-34 tank and sent shrapnel through his shoulder. As Soviet history tells it, while Sgt. Kalashnikov recuperated, he began tinkering with infantry weapons, eventually setting his mind on designing a lightweight automatic assault rifle that would expel the better-armed Nazis from Russian soil. Soviet infantry fought World War II with two basic small arms: one was the badly outdated Mosin–Nagant Model 1891 bolt-action rifle. The other was the PPSh series of submachine guns, reliable arms that were effective but only at short range. Something better was needed, and that something was in the hands of the Nazi Wehrmacht. It was called the MP44 Sturmgewehr (assault rifle), and it could fire in full or semiautomatic mode. Chambered for a revolutionary new cartridge, a short 7.92mm round that was less powerful than a full-size rifle cartridge, yet far more powerful than the pistol cartridges for which submachine guns were chambered, the Sturmgewehr made a deep impression on the Soviets who faced it." The Father of 100 Million Rifles Mikhail Kalashnikov was a poor Russian farm boy who happened to be a mechanical genius, and for better or for worse, the rifle he designed has changed history. Article by C.J. Chivers. Uploaded on February 28, 2006". 25 December 2013. from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  36. ^ History of AK-47 Gun – The Gun Book Review 2014-08-03 at the Wayback Machine. Popular Mechanics (2010-10-12). Retrieved on 2012-02-09.
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References

Further reading

  • Crawford, S. (2003). Twenty-First Century Small Arms. MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7603-1503-5.
  • Cutshaw, C. (2006). Tactical Small Arms of the 21st Century. Gun Digest Books. ISBN 0-87349-914-X.
  • Halls, Chris (1974). Guns in Australia. Sydney: Paul Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-07291-6.
  • Lewis, J. (2004). Assault Weapons: An In-Depth Look at the Hottest Weapons Around. Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87349-658-2.
  • Popenker, M., et al. (2004). Assault Rifle: The Development of the Modern Military Rifle and Its Ammunition. Wiltshire: The Crowood Press Ltd. ISBN 1-86126-700-2.
  • Senich, P. (1987). German Assault Rifle: 1935–1945. Paladin Press. ISBN 0-87364-400-X.

External links

  •   Media related to Assault rifles at Wikimedia Commons
  •   Quotations related to Assault rifle at Wikiquote
  • Assault Rifles and their Ammunition: History and Prospects
  • Infantry Magazine on Assault Rifle Cartridges
  • Pre Sturmgewehr Assault Rifles

January 16, 2023
assault, rifle, this, article, about, automatic, firearms, used, many, military, enforcement, organizations, semi, automatic, firearms, restricted, some, united, states, laws, assault, weapon, assault, rifle, selective, fire, rifle, that, uses, intermediate, c. This article is about automatic firearms used by many military and law enforcement organizations For semi automatic firearms restricted by some United States laws see assault weapon An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine 1 2 3 4 5 Assault rifles were first put into mass production and accepted into widespread service during World War II The first assault rifle to see major usage was the German StG 44 a development of the earlier Mkb 42 6 7 8 While immediately after World War II NATO countries were equipped with battle rifles the development of the M16 rifle during the Vietnam War prompted the adoption of assault rifles by the rest of NATO By the end of the 20th century assault rifles had become the standard weapon in most of the world s armies replacing full powered rifles and sub machine guns in most roles 8 The two most successful modern assault rifles are the AK 47 and the M16 designs and their derivatives 8 The StG 44 was adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1944 It fires the 7 92 33mm Kurz round Currently the most used assault rifle in the world along with its variant the AKM the AK 47 was first adopted in 1949 by the Soviet Army It fires the 7 62 39mm M43 round The M16 was first introduced into service in 1964 with the United States Armed Forces It fires the 5 56 45mm NATO cartridge and is the most produced assault rifle in its caliber Contents 1 Origin of term 2 Definition 2 1 Distinction from assault weapons 3 History 3 1 Sturmgewehr 44 3 2 AK 47 3 3 Battle rifles 3 4 M16 3 5 HK33 3 6 5 56mm NATO 3 7 AK 74 3 8 Compact assault rifles 3 9 Bullpups 3 10 Heckler amp Koch G36 4 See also 5 Citations 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksOrigin of term EditThe term assault rifle is generally attributed to Adolf Hitler who used the German word Sturmgewehr which translates to assault rifle as the new name for the MP 43 Maschinenpistole subsequently known as the Sturmgewehr 44 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Allied propaganda suggested that the name was chosen for propaganda purposes but the main purpose was to differentiate the Sturmgewehr from German submachine guns such as the MP 40 15 It has been suggested however that the Heereswaffenamt was responsible for the name Sturmgewehr and Hitler had no input besides signing the production order 16 15 Furthermore Hitler was initially opposed to the idea of a new infantry rifle as Germany lacked the industrial capacity to replace the 12 000 000 Karabiner 98k rifles already in service only changing his mind once he saw it first hand 17 The StG 44 is generally considered the first selective fire military rifle to popularize the assault rifle concept 6 8 Today the term assault rifle is used to define firearms sharing the same basic characteristics as the StG 44 6 8 Definition EditThe U S Army defines assault rifles as short compact selective fire weapons that fire a cartridge intermediate in power between submachine gun and rifle cartridges 18 In this strict definition a firearm must have at least the following characteristics to be considered an assault rifle 2 3 4 It must be capable of selective fire It must have an intermediate power cartridge more power than a pistol but less than a standard rifle or battle rifle examples of intermediate cartridges are the 7 92 33mm Kurz the 7 62 39mm and 5 56 45mm NATO Its ammunition must be supplied from a detachable box magazine 5 It must have an effective range of at least 300 metres 330 yards Rifles that meet most of these criteria but not all are not assault rifles according to the U S Army s definition For example Select fire M2 Carbines are not assault rifles their effective range is only 180 metres 200 yd 19 Select fire rifles such as the Fedorov Avtomat FN FAL M14 and H amp K G3 main battle rifles are not assault rifles they fire full powered rifle cartridges Semi automatic only rifles like the Colt AR 15 are not assault rifles they do not have select fire capabilities Semi automatic only rifles with fixed magazines like the SKS are not assault rifles they do not have detachable box magazines and are not capable of automatic fire Distinction from assault weapons Edit Further information Assault weapon and Assault weapons legislation in the United States In the United States selective fire rifles are legally defined as machine guns and civilian ownership of those has been tightly regulated since 1934 under the National Firearms Act and since 1986 under the Firearm Owners Protection Act 20 However the term assault rifle is often conflated with assault weapon a U S legal category with varying definitions which includes many semi automatic weapons This use has been described as incorrect and a misapplication of the term 21 22 History EditSturmgewehr 44 Edit Main article StG 44 Sturmgewehr 44 The Germans were the first to pioneer the assault rifle concept during World War II based upon research that showed that most firefights happen within 400 metres 1 300 ft and that contemporary rifles were overpowered for most small arms combat 7 8 9 23 24 25 They would soon develop a select fire intermediate powered rifle combining the firepower of a submachine gun with the range and accuracy of a rifle 7 8 9 23 24 25 The result was the Sturmgewehr 44 an improvement of the earlier Maschinenkarabiner 42 H and approximately half a million Sturmgewehrs were produced by the war s end 7 8 9 24 25 It fired a new and revolutionary intermediate powered cartridge the 7 92 33mm Kurz 6 7 8 9 24 25 26 This new cartridge was developed by shortening the standard 7 92 57mm Mauser round and giving it a lighter 125 grain bullet which limited range but allowed for more controllable automatic fire 6 7 8 9 24 25 26 A smaller lighter cartridge also allowed soldiers to carry more ammunition to support the higher consumption rate of automatic fire 8 23 The Sturmgewehr 44 features an inexpensive easy to make stamped steel design and a 30 round detachable box magazine 27 This weapon was the prototype of all successful automatic rifles Characteristically and unlike previous rifles it had a straight stock with the barrel under the gas cylinder to reduce the turning moment of recoil of the rifle in the shoulder and thus help reduce the tendency of shots to climb in automatic fire The barrel and overall length were shorter than a traditional rifle and it had a pistol grip to hold the weapon more securely in automatic fire The principle of this weapon the reduction of muzzle impulse to get usable automatic fire within the actual ranges of combat was probably the most important advance in small arms since the invention of smokeless powder 26 AK 47 Edit Main article AK 47 Like the Germans the Soviets were influenced by experience showing that most combat engagements occur within 400 metres 1 300 ft and that their soldiers were consistently outgunned by heavily armed German troops especially those armed with Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifles 28 29 30 31 32 33 On July 15 1943 a Sturmgewehr was demonstrated before the People s Commissariat of Arms of the USSR 34 The Soviets were so impressed with the Sturmgewehr that they immediately set about developing an intermediate caliber automatic rifle of their own to replace the badly outdated Mosin Nagant bolt action rifles and PPSh 41 submachine guns that armed most of the Red Army 8 31 33 34 35 36 Kalashnikov rifles AK 47 OTs 14 AK 74 AN 94 AK 12 and AEK 971 The Soviets soon developed the 7 62 39mm M43 cartridge which was first used in the semi automatic SKS carbine and the RPD light machine gun 37 Hugo Schmeisser the designer of the Sturmgewehr was captured after World War II and helped develop the AK 47 assault rifle 17 which would quickly replace the SKS and Mosin in Soviet service 38 39 The AK 47 was finalized adopted and entered widespread service in the Soviet army in the early 1950s 28 Its firepower ease of use low production costs and reliability were perfectly suited for the Red Army s new mobile warfare doctrines 28 In the 1960s the Soviets introduced the RPK light machine gun itself an AK 47 type weapon with a bipod a stronger receiver and a longer heavier barrel that would eventually replace the RPD light machine gun 37 The AK 47 has been continually worked upon and improved The AKM AK 74 and AK 12 were all designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov and have all been service rifles in the Soviet Union and the later Russian Federation A Chinese Type 56 assault rifle The AK 47 was widely supplied or sold to nations allied with the USSR and the blueprints were shared with several friendly nations the People s Republic of China standing out among these with the Type 56 28 As a result more AK type weapons have been produced than all other assault rifles combined 40 As of 2004 of the estimated 500 million firearms worldwide approximately 100 million belong to the Kalashnikov family three quarters of which are AK 47s 40 Battle rifles Edit Main article Battle rifle The M1 Garand top and M1 Carbine The U S Army was influenced by combat experience with semi automatic weapons such as the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine which enjoyed a significant advantage over enemies armed primarily with bolt action rifles 23 Although U S Army studies of World War II combat accounts had very similar results to that of the Germans and Soviets the U S Army failed to recognize the importance of the assault rifle concept 23 and instead maintained its traditional views and preference for high powered semi automatic rifles 8 23 25 41 At the time the U S Army believed that the Sturmgewehr 44 was intended in a general way to serve the same purpose as the U S carbine and was in many ways inferior to the M1 carbine 42 and was of little importance 23 After World War II the United States military started looking for a single automatic rifle to replace the M1 Garand M1 M2 Carbines M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle M3 Grease Gun and Thompson submachine gun 25 43 Early experiments with select fire versions of the M1 Garand proved disappointing 44 During the Korean War the select fire M2 Carbine largely replaced the submachine gun in U S service 45 and became the most widely used Carbine variant 46 Combat experience suggested that the 30 Carbine round was under powered 47 American weapons designers reached the same conclusion as the German and Soviet ones an intermediate round was necessary and recommended a small caliber high velocity cartridge 8 48 American M14 Senior American commanders had faced fanatical enemies and experienced major logistical problems during World War II and the Korean War 49 50 51 52 and insisted that a single powerful 30 caliber cartridge be developed that could be used by the new automatic rifle and also by the new general purpose machine gun GPMG in concurrent development 8 53 54 This culminated in the development of the 7 62 51mm NATO cartridge and the M14 rifle 8 53 which was basically an improved select fire M1 Garand with a 20 round magazine 55 56 57 The U S also adopted the M60 GPMG which replaced the M1919 Browning machine gun in major combat roles 53 Its NATO partners adopted the FN FAL and Heckler amp Koch G3 rifles as well as the FN MAG and Rheinmetall MG3 GPMGs Belgian FN FAL The FN FAL is a 7 62 51mm selective fire automatic rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal FN During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO countries most notably with the British Commonwealth as the semi automatic L1A1 It is one of the most widely used rifles in history having been used by more than 90 countries 58 The FAL was predominantly chambered for the 7 62mm NATO round and because of its prevalence and widespread use among the armed forces of many western nations during the Cold War it was nicknamed The right arm of the Free World 59 West German Heckler amp Koch G3 The Heckler amp Koch G3 is a 7 62 51mm selective fire automatic rifle produced by the German armament manufacturer Heckler amp Koch GmbH H amp K in collaboration with the Spanish state owned design and development agency CETME Centro de Estudios Tecnicos de Materiales Especiales 60 The rifle proved successful in the export market being adopted by the armed forces of over 60 countries 61 After World War II German technicians involved in developing the Sturmgewehr 45 continued their research in France at CEAM The StG 45 mechanism was modified by Ludwig Vorgrimler and Theodor Loffler at the Mulhouse facility between 1946 and 1949 Vorgrimler later went to work at CETME in Spain and developed the line of CETME automatic rifles based on his improved StG 45 design Germany eventually purchased the license for the CETME design and manufactured the Heckler amp Koch G3 as well as an entire line of weapons built on the same system one of the most famous being the MP5 SMG M16 Edit Main article M16 rifle The first confrontations between the AK 47 and the M14 assault rifle vs battle rifle came in the early part of the Vietnam War Battlefield reports indicated that the M14 was uncontrollable in full auto and that soldiers could not carry enough ammunition to maintain fire superiority over the AK 47 8 55 62 And while the M2 Carbine offered a high rate of fire it was under powered and ultimately outclassed by the AK 47 63 A replacement was needed A medium between the traditional preference for high powered rifles such as the M14 and the lightweight firepower of the M2 Carbine As a result the Army was forced to reconsider a 1957 request by General Willard G Wyman commander of the U S Continental Army Command CONARC to develop a 223 caliber 5 56 mm select fire rifle weighing 2 7 kg 6 lb when loaded with a 20 round magazine 25 The 5 56 mm round had to penetrate a standard U S helmet at 460 metres 500 yd and retain a velocity in excess of the speed of sound while matching or exceeding the wounding ability of the 30 Carbine cartridge 64 This request ultimately resulted in the development of a scaled down version of the ArmaLite AR 10 called the ArmaLite AR 15 rifle 8 65 66 67 However despite overwhelming evidence that the AR 15 could bring more firepower to bear than the M14 the Army opposed the adoption of the new rifle 8 55 65 In January 1963 Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara concluded that the AR 15 was the superior weapon system and ordered a halt to M14 production 55 65 68 At the time the AR 15 was the only rifle available that could fulfill the requirement of a universal infantry weapon for issue to all services After modifications most notably the charging handle was re located from under the carrying handle like it was on AR 10 to the rear of the receiver 66 the newly redesigned rifle was subsequently adopted as the M16 Rifle 8 55 65 69 The M16 was much lighter compared to the M14 it replaced ultimately allowing soldiers to carry more ammunition The air cooled gas operated magazine fed assault rifle was made of steel aluminum alloy and composite plastics truly cutting edge for the time Designed with full and semi automatic capabilities the weapon initially did not respond well to wet and dirty conditions sometimes even jamming in combat After a few minor modifications the weapon gained in popularity among troops on the battlefield 55 70 71 Despite its early failures the M16 proved to be a revolutionary design and stands as the longest continuously serving rifle in American military history 65 69 It has been adopted by many U S allies and the 5 56 45mm NATO cartridge has become not only the NATO standard but the standard assault rifle cartridge in much of the world 65 72 73 It also led to the development of small caliber high velocity service rifles by every major army in the world including the USSR and People s Republic of China 65 Today many small arms experts consider the M16 the standard by which all other assault rifles are judged 65 74 75 AR 10 rifle ArmaLite AR 15 M16A1 rifleHK33 Edit Main article Heckler amp Koch HK33 HK33A2 During the 1960s other countries would follow the Americans lead and begin to develop 5 56 45mm assault rifles most notably Germany with the Heckler amp Koch HK33 The HK33 was essentially a smaller 5 56mm version of the 7 62 51mm Heckler amp Koch G3 rifle As one of the first 5 56mm assault rifles on the market it would go on to become one of the most widely distributed assault rifles The HK33 featured a modular design with a wide range of accessories telescoping butt stocks optics bi pods etc that could be easily removed and arranged in a variety of configurations 5 56mm NATO Edit Main article 5 56 45mm NATO The 7 62 51mm NATO and 5 56 45mm NATO cartridges compared to an AA battery The adoption of the M16 the H amp K33 and the 5 56 45mm cartridge inspired an international trend towards relatively small sized lightweight high velocity military service cartridges that allow a soldier to carry more ammunition for the same weight compared to the larger and heavier 7 62 51mm NATO cartridge The 5 56mm cartridge is also much easier to shoot 76 77 78 In 1961 marksmanship testing the U S Army found that 43 of AR 15 shooters achieved Expert while only 22 of M 14 rifle shooters did so Also a lower recoil impulse allows for more controllable automatic weapons fire 76 77 78 In March 1970 the U S recommended that all NATO forces adopt the 5 56 45mm cartridge 73 This shift represented a change in the philosophy of the military s long held position about caliber size By the middle of the 1970s other armies were looking at assault rifle type weapons A NATO standardization effort soon started and tests of various rounds were carried out starting in 1977 73 The U S offered the 5 56 45mm M193 round but there were concerns about its penetration in the face of the wider introduction of body armor 25 In the end the Belgian 5 56 45mm SS109 round was chosen STANAG 4172 in October 1980 73 The SS109 round was based on the U S cartridge but included a new stronger heavier 62 grain bullet design with better long range performance and improved penetration specifically to consistently penetrate the side of a steel helmet at 600 metres or 2 000 feet 25 Also during the 1970s Finland Israel South Africa and Sweden introduced AK type assault rifles in 5 56 45mm 79 During the 1990s Russia developed the AK 101 in 5 56 45mm NATO for the world export market 80 81 In addition Bulgaria Czechoslovakia Hungary Poland and Yugoslavia i e Serbia have also rechambered their locally produced assault rifles to 5 56mm NATO 82 83 AK 74 Edit Main article AK 74 AK 74 rifle The AK 74 assault rifle was a Soviet answer to the U S M16 84 85 86 The Soviet military realized that the M16 had better range and accuracy over the AKM and that its lighter cartridge allowed soldiers to carry more ammunition Therefore in 1967 the USSR issued an official requirement to replace the AKM and the 7 62 39mm cartridge 87 They soon began to develop the AK 74 and the 5 45 39mm cartridge 65 88 89 AK 74 production began in 1974 87 and it was unveiled in 1977 when it was carried by Soviet parachute troops during the annual Red Square parade 90 It would soon replace the AKM and become the standard Soviet infantry rifle 90 In 1979 the AK 74 saw combat for the first time in Afghanistan 91 where the lethality of the 5 45mm rounds led to the Mujahadeen dubbing them poison bullets 92 The adoption of the 5 56mm NATO and the Russian 5 45 39mm cartridges cemented the worldwide trend toward small caliber high velocity cartridges 65 Compact assault rifles Edit A USAF security policeman aims his Colt Commando during a live fire demonstration part of Operation Desert Shield Note large flash hider Following the adoption of the M16 carbine variants were also adopted for close quarters operations The AR 15 family of weapons served through the Vietnam War However these compact assault rifles had design issues as the barrel length was halved to 10 inches 250 mm which upset the ballistics reducing its range and accuracy and leading to considerable muzzle flash and blast so that a large flash suppressor had to be fitted 93 Nevertheless as a short range weapon it is quite adequate and thus despite its caliber the Colt Commando is classed as a submachine gun 93 Other compact assault rifles such as the HK53 AKS 74U and the Daewoo K1 have been made and they have also been called submachine guns 94 Bullpups Edit Main article Bullpup Steyr AUG In 1977 Austria introduced the 5 56 45mm Steyr AUG bullpup rifle often cited as the first successful bullpup rifle finding service with the armed forces of over twenty countries It was highly advanced for the 1970s combining in the same weapon the bullpup configuration a polymer housing dual vertical grips an optical sight as standard and a modular design Highly reliable light and accurate the Steyr AUG showed clearly the potential of the bullpup layout In 1978 France introduced the 5 56 45mm FAMAS bullpup rifle In 1985 the British introduced the 5 56 45mm L85 bullpup rifle In the late 1990s Israel introduced the 5 56mm NATO Tavor TAR 21 In 1997 China adopted the QBZ 95 in the new 5 8 42mm cartridge which they claim is superior to both the 5 56 45mm and the 5 45 39mm By the turn of the century the bullpup assault rifle design had achieved worldwide acceptance Heckler amp Koch G36 Edit Main article Heckler amp Koch G36 Heckler amp Koch G36 with a loaded 30 round magazine The Heckler amp Koch G36 is a 5 56 45mm assault rifle designed in the early 1990s by Heckler amp Koch in Germany as a replacement for the heavier G3 It was accepted into service with the Bundeswehr in 1997 replacing the G3 95 The G36 is gas operated and feeds from a 30 round detachable box magazine or 100 round C Mag drum magazine 96 The G36 was made with the extensive use of lightweight corrosion resistant synthetic materials in its design the receiver housing stock trigger group including the fire control selector and firing mechanism parts magazine well handguard and carrying handle are all made of a carbon fiber reinforced polyamide The receiver has an integrated steel barrel trunnion with locking recesses and a nylon 66 steel reinforced receiver 97 The standard Bundeswehr versions of the G36 are equipped with a unique ZF 3 4 dual optical sight that combines a 3 magnified telescopic sight and an unmagnified reflex sight mounted on top of the telescopic sight 95 Widely distributed it has been adopted by over 40 countries and prompted other nations to develop similar composite designs such as the FX 05 Xiuhcoatl See also Edit History portalComparison of the AK 47 and M16 Glossary of firearms terms Light machine gun List of assault rifles List of most produced firearmsCitations Edit Assault rifle Encyclopaedia Britannica 3 July 2010 Archived from the original on 24 November 2012 Retrieved 2012 08 26 a b C Taylor The Fighting Rifle A Complete Study of the Rifle in Combat ISBN 0 87947 308 8 a b F A Moyer Special Forces Foreign Weapons Handbook ISBN 0 87364 009 8 a b R J Scroggie F A Moyer Special Forces Combat Firing Techniques ISBN 0 87364 010 1 a b Musgave Daniel D and Thomas B Nelson The World s Assault Rifles vol II The Goetz Company Washington D C 1967 1 a b c d e f Firearms The Life Story of a Technology by Roger Pauly Greenwood Publishing Group 2004 page 145 amp 146 a b c d e f Jane s Guns Recognition Guide Ian Hogg amp Terry Gander HarperCollins Publisher 2005 p 287 Sturmgewehr 44 This is the father of all assault rifles developed in Germany in 1941 42 an using a new short cartridge Originally known as the MP 43 Machine Pistol for Nazi political reasons it was renamed the Sturmgewehr 44 after its successful introduction into battle on the Eastern Front It introduced the concept of using a short cartridge with limited range in order to permit controllable automatic fire and a compact weapon and because experience showed that most rifle fire was conducted at ranges under 400 metres 1 300 ft After the war it was examined and dissected by almost every major gun making nation and led in one way and another to the present day 5 56mm assault rifles a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u 1 Archived 2017 03 30 at the Wayback Machine The Atlantic A Brief History of the Assault Rifle The gun s name may have been coined by Adolf Hitler by MICHAEL SHURKIN JUN 30 2016 a b c d e f Machine Carbine Promoted MP43 Is Now Assault Rifle StG44 WWII Tactical and Technical Trends No 57 April 1945 Lone Sentry 2007 05 10 Archived from the original on 2012 09 21 Retrieved 2012 08 23 Musgave Daniel D and Thomas B Nelson The World s Assault Rifles vol II The Goetz Company Washington D C 1967 Myatt Major Frederic Modern Small Arms Crescent Books New York 1978 169 Hogg Ivan and John Weeks Military Small Arms of the 20th Century third ed Hippocrene Books New York 1977 159 Chris Bishop The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II Sterling Publishing Company Inc 2002 p 218 Military Small Arms of the 20th Century 7th Edition Ian V Hogg page 243 a b Rottman Gordon 2013 The Big Book of Gun Trivia Everything You Want to Know Don t Want to Know and Don t Know You Need to Know Bloomsbury Publishing p 26 Rottman Gordon 3 May 2011 The AK 47 Kalashnikov series assault rifles Osprey Publishing p 9 ISBN 978 1 84908 835 0 a b Suciu Peter 2020 11 26 Meet the Most Influential Gun Designers of the 20th Century The National Interest Retrieved 2021 04 21 US Army intelligence document FSTC CW 07 03 70 November 1970 Gunfax com Archived from the original on 2012 08 29 Retrieved 2012 08 26 Jane s Gun Recognition Guide Ian Hogg amp Terry Gander HarperCollins Publishers 2005 page 330 Koerner Brendan September 16 2004 What Is an Assault Weapon At last you can get a semiautomatic rifle with a bayonet Slate Archived from the original on September 13 2014 Retrieved January 26 2013 Poole Helen 2021 2 Firearms Global Perspectives on Consequences Crime and Control Routledge p 21 Lord Debbie May 26 2022 Assault Weapon vs Assault Rifle What Is the Difference WOKV FM Retrieved June 3 2022 a b c d e f g 2 Archived 2015 09 06 at the Wayback Machine M16 Rifle Case Study Prepared for the Presidents Blue Ribbon Defense Panel March 16 1970 By Richard R Hallock Colonel U S Army Retired a b c d e Military Small Arms Of The 20th Century 7th Edition 2000 by Ian V Hogg amp John S Weeks p 243 a b c d e f g h i j Major Thomas P Ehrhart Increasing Small Arms Lethality in Afghanistan Taking Back the Infantry Half Kilometer Archived 2013 07 19 at the Wayback Machine U S Army 2009 a b c 3 Archived 2015 09 06 at the Wayback Machine M16 Rifle Case Study Prepared for the President s Blue Ribbon Defense Panel March 16 1970 By Richard R Hallock Colonel U S Army Retired Military Small Arms of the 20th Century 7th Edition Ian V Hogg amp John S Weeks Krause Publications 2000 page 242 243 a b c d Weapon Of Mass Destruction Archived 2011 09 27 at the Wayback Machine Washingtonpost com Retrieved on 2011 11 19 AK 47 Inventor Doesn t Lose Sleep Over Havoc Wrought With His Invention USA FoxNews com 6 July 2007 OCLC 36334372 Archived from the original on 3 June 2010 Retrieved 3 April 2010 It was before he started designing the gun that he slept badly worried about the superior weapons that Nazi soldiers were using with grisly effectiveness against the Red Army in World War II He saw them at close range himself while fighting on the front lines While hospitalized with wounds after a Nazi shell hit his tank in the 1941 battle of Bryansk Kalashnikov decided to design an automatic rifle combining the best features of the American M1 and the German StG44 Blame the Nazi Germans for making me become a gun designer said Kalashnikov frail but sharp at age 87 I always wanted to construct agriculture machinery Born in November 1919 one of 18 children of whom only six survived Mikhail Kalashnikov was a Soviet T 38 tank commander in 1941 wounded in the shoulder and back when a German shell smashed part of the tank s armor into his body I was in the hospital and a soldier in the bed beside me asked Why do our soldiers have only one rifle for two or three of our men when the Germans have automatics So I designed one I was a soldier and I created a machine gun for a soldier It was called an Avtomat Kalashnikova the automatic weapon of Kalashnikov AK and it carried the date of its first manufacture 1947 An interview with Mikhail Kalashnikov Robert Fisk The Independent centrist London England April 22 2001 Archived from the original on October 1 2016 Retrieved July 8 2016 a b 4 Archived 2013 06 16 at archive today Armed Forces History Museum AK 47 assault rifle Chapter 1 Symbol of violence war and culture Archived June 16 2012 at the Wayback Machine oneworld publications com a b 5 Archived 2015 09 06 at the Wayback Machine M16 Rifle Case Study Prepared for the President s Blue Ribbon Defense Panel March 16 1970 By Richard R Hallock Colonel U S Army Retired Used in quantity against the Soviets at Stalingrad the German Sturmgewehr made a deep impression on the Russians They copied the ballistics of the cartridge while improving the configuration and improving the weapon They standardized the weapon in 1947 as the AK 47 rifle a b 6 Archived 2015 10 15 at the Wayback Machine The history of the world known gun started on July 15th 1943 when a captured complex an MP 43 gun and a cartridge were demonstrated at a meeting of the arms committee Chief designer Nikolay Elizarov and chief engineer Pavel Ryazanov created the Soviet interim cartridge within a very short period of time The technological support was provided by Boris Syomin After that scientists started working on a new fire arms system for that cartridge The History of Kalashnikov Gun Pravda 02 08 2003 Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941 Kalashnikov by then a sergeant was injured within months when a shell stopped his T 34 tank and sent shrapnel through his shoulder As Soviet history tells it while Sgt Kalashnikov recuperated he began tinkering with infantry weapons eventually setting his mind on designing a lightweight automatic assault rifle that would expel the better armed Nazis from Russian soil Soviet infantry fought World War II with two basic small arms one was the badly outdated Mosin Nagant Model 1891 bolt action rifle The other was the PPSh series of submachine guns reliable arms that were effective but only at short range Something better was needed and that something was in the hands of the Nazi Wehrmacht It was called the MP44 Sturmgewehr assault rifle and it could fire in full or semiautomatic mode Chambered for a revolutionary new cartridge a short 7 92mm round that was less powerful than a full size rifle cartridge yet far more powerful than the pistol cartridges for which submachine guns were chambered the Sturmgewehr made a deep impression on the Soviets who faced it The Father of 100 Million Rifles Mikhail Kalashnikov was a poor Russian farm boy who happened to be a mechanical genius and for better or for worse the rifle he designed has changed history Article by C J Chivers Uploaded on February 28 2006 25 December 2013 Archived from the original on August 15 2016 Retrieved July 8 2016 History of AK 47 Gun The Gun Book Review Archived 2014 08 03 at the Wayback Machine Popular Mechanics 2010 10 12 Retrieved on 2012 02 09 a b 7 Archived 2016 03 04 at the Wayback Machine Small Arms Identification and Operations Guide Eurasain Communist Countries by Harold E Johnson September 1973 U S Army Foreign Science and Technology Center of the U S Army Materiel Command 8 Archived 2017 05 10 at the Wayback Machine Interview with AK 47 rifle inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov I sleep soundly Shamed by his parents exile he was determined to do his bit for the Soviet cause And so Mikhail Kalashnikov invented what was to become the world s most prolific killing machine Nick Paton Walsh tracks down the 83 year old at his tranquil lakeside by Nick Paton Walsh The Guardian Thursday 9 October 2003 Interview with AK 47 rifle inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov Russia celebrates Mikhail Kalashnikov s 90th birthday the designer who armed the world This online supplement is produced and published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta Russia which takes sole responsibility for the content Archived from the original on 2015 12 09 Retrieved 2018 04 06 a b Killicoat Phillip April 2007 Weaponomics The Global Market for Assault Rifles PDF World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 4202 Post Conflict Transitions Working Paper No 10 Oxford University Archived PDF from the original on 12 January 2012 Retrieved 3 April 2010 Rose Alexander 2009 American Rifle A Biography Delta pp 403 405 ISBN 978 0 553 38438 3 Machine Carbine Promoted M P 43 Is Now Assault Rifle 44 Tactical and Technical Trends No 57 April 1945 U S Military Intelligence Service U S War Department publication Archived from the original on 2008 01 16 Retrieved 2008 04 19 The M16 By Gordon Rottman Osprey Publishing 2011 page 6 9 Archived 2013 12 04 at the Wayback Machine CUT DOWN in its Youth Arguably Americas Best Service Rifle the M14 Never Had the Chance to Prove Itself By Philip Schreier SSUSA September 2001 p 24 29 amp 46 Gordon Rottman 2011 The M16 Osprey Publishing p 6 ISBN 978 1 84908 690 5 Archived from the original on 2016 01 24 Retrieved 2015 10 29 Leroy Thompson 2011 The M1 Carbine Osprey Publishing p 35 ISBN 978 1 84908 907 4 Arms of the Chosin Few Archived 2013 12 05 at the Wayback Machine Americanrifleman org Retrieved on 2011 11 23 Donald L Hall An effectiveness study of the infantry rifle Archived 2015 09 24 at the Wayback Machine PDF Report No 593 Ballistic Research Laboratories Maryland March 1952 released March 29 1973 Fanaticism And Conflict In The Modern Age by Matthew Hughes amp Gaynor Johnson Frank Cass amp Co 2005 South to the Naktong North to the Yalu History army mil Archived from the original on 2013 11 02 Retrieved 2012 08 23 HyperWar The Big L American Logistics in World War II Archived 2013 12 03 at the Wayback Machine Ibiblio org Retrieved on 2011 12 24 The Logistics of Invasion Archived 2015 06 22 at the Wayback Machine Almc army mil Retrieved on 2011 11 23 a b c Col E H Harrison NRA Technical Staff New Service Rifle Archived 2015 11 07 at the Wayback Machine PDF June 1957 Anthony G Williams Assault Rifles And Their Ammunition History and Prospects Archived June 2 2014 at the Wayback Machine Quarry nildram co uk revised 3 February 2012 Retrieved on 2011 11 23 a b c d e f 10 Archived 2016 04 22 at the Wayback Machine Small Arms Review M14 VS M16 IN VIETNAM By Robert Bruce Jane s International Defence Review Volume 36 Jane s Information Group 2003 Page 43 The M14 is basically an improved M1 with a modified gas system and detachable 20 round magazine M14 7 62mm Rifle Archived 2014 11 09 at the Wayback Machine Globalsecurity org 1945 09 20 Retrieved on 2011 11 23 Jane s Guns Recognition Guide Ian Hogg amp Terry Gander HarperCollins Publishers 2005 page 275 Bishop Chris Guns in Combat Chartwell Books Inc 1998 ISBN 0 7858 0844 2 Wozniak Ryszard Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej tom 2 G L page 7 Bellona 2001 Jane s Guns Recognition Guide Ian Hogg amp Terry Gander HarperCollins Publishers 2005 page 288 Lee Emerson M14 Rifle History and Development Archived 2017 12 15 at the Wayback Machine October 10 2006 Green Beret in Vietnam 1957 73 Gordon Rottman Osprey Publishing 2002 p 41 Hutton Robert ed The 223 Guns amp Ammo Annual Edition 1971 a b c d e f g h i j Danford Allan Kern The influence of organizational culture on the acquisition of the m16 rifle Archived 2013 11 05 at the Wayback Machine m 14parts com A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U S Army Command and General Staff College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE Military History Fort Leavenworth Kansas 2006 a b Peter G Kokalis Retro AR 15 Archived 2013 10 29 at the Wayback Machine nodakspud com Ezell Edward Clinton 1983 Small Arms of the World New York Stackpole Books pp 46 47 ISBN 978 0 88029 601 4 11 Archived 2016 08 27 at the Wayback Machine The M14 not much for fighting A case against the M14 legend a b Report of the M16 rifle review panel Archived 2015 09 24 at the Wayback Machine Department of the Army dtic mil 1 June 1968 GX The Guard Experience The Pride of the Guard by Major Darrin Haas Volume 10 Issue 3 2013 Page 67 Nicknamed a Mattel toy because of its small caliber and lightweight design the M16 became the standard service rifle for U S forces in Vietnam in 1967 The weapon was much lighter compared to the M14 it replaced ultimately allowing Soldiers to carry more ammunition The air cooled gas operated magazine fed assault rifle was made of steel aluminum alloy and composite plastics truly cutting edge for the time Designed with full and semi automatic capabilities the weapon initially did not respond well to wet and dirty conditions sometimes even jamming in combat After a few minor modifications the weapon gained popularity among troops on the battlefield Still in service today the M16 is being phased out by the M4 carbine Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research Development Acquisition 1 June 1968 Report of the M16 Review Panel PDF M16 Surveys in the Republic of Vietnam Washington D C Department of the Army archived PDF from the original on 4 March 2016 retrieved 8 July 2016 Small Arms By Martin J Dougherty The Rosen Publishing Group Dec 15 2012 page 26 a b c d Per G Arvidsson Weapons amp Sensors Archived 2012 09 04 at the Wayback Machine NATO Army Armaments Group 12 Archived 2013 12 03 at the Wayback Machine Compendium Special Operations by Armada Assault Rifles by Paolo Valpolini 2 2012 Among western armies the M4 with its 356 mm long barrel remains the benchmark type although reports from the field have shown some criticism regarding its reliability in sand and dusty environments due to the direct impingement or gas tube system that tends to bring carbon blow back into the chamber while hot gases used to cycle the weapon generate heat problems Colt literature notes that the fourth generation of the M16 still represents the world standard by which all other weapons of this class are judged Its combat proven performance is verified by the fact that over eight million M16 weapon systems have been produced and placed in military service throughout the world Soldier Armed M16A4 Rifle By Scott R Gourley Army Magazine July 2008 page 75 PDF Archived PDF from the original on 2015 09 23 Retrieved 2016 07 08 a b Assault Rifles and Their Ammunition History and Prospects by Anthony G Williams Archived 2014 06 02 at the Wayback Machine a b An Improved Battlesight Zero for the M4 Carbine and M16A2 Rifle Archived from the original on 2011 10 25 Retrieved 2007 09 11 a b TM 9 1005 319 10 2010 Operator s Manual for Rifle 5 56 MM M16A2 M16A3 M4 Battlesight Zero pages 48 55 PDF Archived PDF from the original on 2014 02 08 Retrieved 2014 06 03 Military Small Arms of the 20th Century 7th Edition by Ian V Hogg amp John S Weeks Krause Publications 2000 pages 235 258 274 278 LEGION Ltd the producer of high quality firearms with period artistic treatment threading engraving incrustation and improved finishing izhmash ru 13 Archived 2014 07 01 at the Wayback Machine The Kalashnikov AK 101 is an export assault rifle in operational service with at least nine nations worldwide Military Small Arms of the 20th Century 7th Edition by Ian V Hogg amp John S Weeks Krause Publications 2000 pages 233 257 266 296 Arsenal AR M1 5 56mm assault rifle Archived from the original on June 18 2014 AK 74 Assault Rifle Military Today com Archived from the original on 2015 01 09 Retrieved 2016 07 08 Tactical Life Bulgarian AK 74 5 45x39mm The AK 74 signified the Soviets response to the West s M16 By Michael Humphreis October 15 2013 16 October 2013 Archived from the original on August 1 2016 Retrieved July 17 2016 Gun Digest Shooter s Guide to AKs by Marco Vorobiev F W Media Inc Jun 15 2016 page 107 a b IZHMASH JSC official site June 29 2011 Archived from the original on 2011 06 29 Military Small Arms of the 20th Century 7th Edition by Ian V Hogg amp John S Weeks Krause Publications 2000 page 271 Dockery Kevin 2007 Future Weapons p 70 ISBN 978 0 425 21750 4 a b Military Small Arms Of The 20th Century 7th Edition 2000 by Ian V Hogg amp John S Weeks p 271 The AK 47 Kalashnikov Series Assault Rifles by Gordon L Rottman Osprey Publishing Jan 1 2012 page 32 Mark Urban War in Afghanistan p 133 Springer 27 Jul 2016 a b Military Small Arms Of The 20th Century 7th Edition 2000 by Ian V Hogg amp John S Weeks p 166 Military Small Arms of the 20th Century 7th Edition by Ian V Hogg amp John S Weeks Krause Publications 2000 pages 125 amp 166 167 a b Wozniak Ryszard Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej tom 2 G L Bellona 2001 pp17 21 Modern Firearms HK G36 World guns ru Archived from the original on 2010 09 02 Retrieved 2012 12 15 US5513461A Light weight automatic rifle Google com Retrieved 2015 7 15 References EditRose Alexander 2008 American Rifle A Biography Bantam Dell Publishing ISBN 978 0 553 80517 8 Further reading EditCrawford S 2003 Twenty First Century Small Arms MBI Publishing Company ISBN 0 7603 1503 5 Cutshaw C 2006 Tactical Small Arms of the 21st Century Gun Digest Books ISBN 0 87349 914 X Halls Chris 1974 Guns in Australia Sydney Paul Hamlyn ISBN 0 600 07291 6 Lewis J 2004 Assault Weapons An In Depth Look at the Hottest Weapons Around Krause Publications ISBN 0 87349 658 2 Popenker M et al 2004 Assault Rifle The Development of the Modern Military Rifle and Its Ammunition Wiltshire The Crowood Press Ltd ISBN 1 86126 700 2 Senich P 1987 German Assault Rifle 1935 1945 Paladin Press ISBN 0 87364 400 X External links Edit Media related to Assault rifles at Wikimedia Commons Quotations related to Assault rifle at Wikiquote Assault Rifles and their Ammunition History and Prospects Infantry Magazine on Assault Rifle Cartridges Pre Sturmgewehr Assault Rifles Retrieved from 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