Assault rifle

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An assault rifle is a type of automatic rifle generally defined as a selective fire rifle or carbine, chambering intermediate-powered ammunition. They are categorized between the larger and heavier light machine gun and the weaker submachine gun. Assault rifles are the standard small arms in most modern armies, having largely replaced or suplemented larger, more powerful rifles in regular use.

The name is a translation of the German word Sturmgewehr coined by Adolf Hitler to describe the Sturmgewehr 44. It gradually became a popular term for this type of firearm. The term has since been retro-actively applied to earlier weapons with similar traits.

1 History
2 "Assault weapons" vs. Fully-automatic weapons
3 See also
4 External links

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History

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1900s to the 1930s: Light automatic rifles using rifle cartridges

Image:Avtomat Fedorova 1916.jpg

These automatic firearms tended to use used pre-existing rifle cartridges, kinetic energy ranged between 3,000–5,000 J (2,200–3,700 foot-pounds), velocites of 750–900 m/s (2,460–2,950 ft/s) and bullets of 9 to 13 g (139–200 grains).

The first true assault rifle was probably the Italian-made Cei-Rigotti, which was developed in the 1890s and finished around 1900, at the beginning of the 20th century; it never entered military service, however. The first service assault rifle was the Russian Federov Avtomat of 1916, chambered for the Japanese Arisaka 6.5 × 50 mm rifle cartridge, which was only used in small numbers due to supply problems.

The Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) was a World War I-era weapon that used a full-power round. It was an automatic rifle by today's definition, and designed for single accurate shots and suppressive automatic fire. The weight of roughly 15 pounds (7 kg) meant that it was rather cumbersome for closer quarters. Later developments added heavier barrels and bipods that lent it to being used as more like today's light machine gun or squad automatic weapon, though it did help establish the doctrine of use for light selective fire rifles. The BAR was produced in large numbers, widely adopted, and served into the 1960s with the U.S. military and other nations. While it did not use an intermediate cartridge, it was an intermediate weapon between the newly adopted submachine guns and heavier machine guns such as the Lewis Gun.

During WWI, a few weaker submachine guns also entered service, such as the Villar Perosa, the Berretta 1918 and the MP18. These weapons fired rounds based of pistols — 9 mm Glisenti and 9 mm Bergmann. The 9 mm Bergman was based on the 9 mm Parabellum, with reduced charge to reduce recoil in the MP18. The developers of the Thompson submachine gun (also developed during the 1910s) originally intended to use rifle-powered rounds. However, a mechanical system that could handle their power was not found and it ended up using the .45 ACP cartridge. These firearms are considered part of the submachine gun class, but were an important part in the development of the assault rifles.

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1930s: Automatic intermediate weapons

An attempt to provide soldiers with a rifle with intermediate-power ammunition that was heavier than a submachine gun (too weak, with short range due to the pistol ammunition), but lighter than a long rifle (uncomfortable to fire, and difficult to control on fully-automatic mode due to the powerful ammunition; more expensive to design and manufacture), by the Italian arms company Beretta resulted in the MAB 38 (Moschetto Automatico Beretta 1938). The MAB 38 used a Fiocchi 9M38 cartridge and a higher-powered 9 mm Parabellum cartridge, which could provide longer range fire. The effective range was about 200 m, although it was declared to be effective up to 500 m. The MAB 38 was a multipurpose weapon.

Image:M1 Carbine.jpg

In 1938, prior to World War II, the United States introduced the M1 Carbine, which was an intermediate power weapon chambered for the .30 Carbine cartridge. The M1 Carbine was originally planned to have automatic fire, but this was dropped from the first version, although later in the war, selective fire variants were made (M2 and M3 Carbines). The weapon had higher stopping power than submachine guns, but was not as powerful as full-size automatic rifles such as the Browning Automatic Rifle. The longer barrel (18-inch) provided the carbine with higher muzzle velocity than pistols and submachine guns chambered for the same .30 round.

The M1 Carbine series was designed for close quarters engagements, a concept that would be re-applied later. It marked the first time in which such an intermediate weapon would be mass-produced in such large numbers — it became the most produced American weapon of the war, with millions made. The M1 Carbine series would remain in service with the U.S. military until replaced by the M16 rifle in the 1960s; it continued to be used in other nations.

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1940s and 1950s: Maschinenkarabiner, Sturmgewehr, & the AK-47

Image:Sturmgewehr 44.jpg

Some of these automatic firearms used pre-existing rounds; others used new intermediate cartridges. Kinetic energy ranged between 1,400–2,100 J (1,033–1,550 foot-pounds), muzzle velocities of 600–800m/s (1,970–2,625 ft/s) and bullets of 7–9g (108–139 grains).

Germany, like other countries, had studied the problem since World War I, and their factories made a variety of non-standard cartridges, therefore having less incentive to retain their existing calibers. The 7.92 × 30 mm cartridge was an example of these experiments; in 1941, it was improved to 7.92 × 33 mm Infanterie Kurz Patrone ("Infantry Short Cartridge"). In 1942, it was again improved as Maschinenkarabiner Patrone S, and in 1943, Pistolen Patrone 43mE; then, finally, Infanterie Kurz Patrone 43. It is just a coincidence, but the intermediate cartridge developed by Winchester for the M1 Carbine, developed slightly before, also measured 33 mm.

In 1942, Walther presented the Maschinenkarabiner ("automatic carbine", abbr. MKb), named MKb42(W). In the same year, Haenel presented the MKb42(H), designed by Hugo Schmeisser as a result of this program. Rheinmetall-Borsig (some said Krieghoff) presented its FG 42 (Fallschirmjaeger Gewehr 42, sponsored by Hermann Göring) though this was in a different role, and using a heavy 8 × 57 mm (8 mm Mauser) cartridge, which was not an intermediate round. War-time tests in Russia indicated the MKb42(H) performed better than the other two. Schmeisser developed it first as the MP43, then MP43/1, and finally as the MP44/Sturmgewehr 44 (abbreviated StG44). It immediately entered large scale production. More than 5,000 units had been produced by February 1944, and 55,000 by the following November.

Following the end of the war, the Soviet Union developed the AK-47, which was vaguely similar in concept and layout to the German StG44, but extremely different mechanically. It fired the 7.62 × 39 mm cartridge, which had been developed during WWII. The round was similar to the StG44's in that the bullet was of a similar caliber to the Russian rifle ammunition.

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1960s and 1970s: Lighter automatic weapons and lighter, smaller bullets

Many of these automatic firearms used intermediate cartridges with much lighter bullets and smaller calibers, but fired at very high velocity, kinetic energy ranged between 1300–1800J (960–1,330 foot-pounds), velocities of 900–1050m/s (2,950–3,450 ft/s), and bullets of 3–4g (46–62 grains).

Image:Stgw 90.jpg

Many nations continued the development of traditional high-powered rifles with ranges of 500 meters (550 yards) and beyond. Most designs of this period used low-caliber but high-velocity ammunition, with some experiments in flechettes and other exotic ammunition.

Statistical studies of World War II battles performed by the U.S. Army revealed that infantry combat beyond 300 meters (325 yards) was rare. The Russians saw no reason to make a rifle that shot beyond a rifleman's ability to aim. Therefore, a lighter, less-powerful cartridge could be effective. This permitted a lighter rifle and enabled troops to carry more ammunition, making them more autonomous — a greater amount of the lighter ammunition could be transported in the same amount of space. In addition, the smaller size and handiness of an assault rifle would benefit tank crews, support troops, and units with missions other than front line combat. The 5.56 × 45 mm NATO cartridge was developed in the 1960s, and was adopted for use in the M16 assault rifle. The M16A1 version soon followed, and was then replaced in 1982 by the M16A2.

The Soviet Union also developed its own similar round, the 5.45 × 39 mm, which was used in the AK-74, the successor of the AK-47.

These rounds are usually considered less lethal than the previous generation of assault rifle rounds that fired larger rifle caliber ammunition with reduced propellant, but the smaller caliber and lighter bullets achieve higher velocities than even a hunting rifle bullet. These high speeds induce additional lethality through bullet shattering, although these high speed rounds generally do not exceed the momentum of the heavier (but slower) bullets of the less sophisticated AK-47. Any pointed (spitzer) round will tumble in soft tissue. If the jacket has a cannelure like the U.S. 5.56 × 45 mm M193 round, the bullet will fragment, leading to significant blood loss and internal damage.

Blood loss leads to indirect incapacitation, but often takes longer than direct destruction of tissue. Since combat use of rifles expends around 50,000 rounds in suppressive fire for each combatant killed, trading lighter cartridge weight and lower recoil for slower but more sure incapacitation often makes good sense.

The key to the assault rifle concept is firing at both known and suspected enemy positions. This allows an attacking infantry unit to shoot at a hidden enemy first, rather than waiting for the enemy to fire first. Good volume and distribution of aimed suppressive fire delivered by infantry squad members as they maneuver, prevents enemy return fire, and in turn allows the assaulting unit to maneuver through enemy fields of fire faster. Faster maneuver limits the assaulting unit's vulnerability to small arms fire, artillery, mortars, or counter-attack. Of course this requires a larger basic ammunition load and steady supply of rifle ammunition.

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1970s, 1980s, 1990s: New form factors and features

Many of these automatic firearms usually used the same rounds as in older eras, but focused on using new form factors, materials, and added features like standard telescopic and reflex sights.

Image:FAMAS dsc06877.jpg

The biggest change since adoption of high velocity rounds of 5 mm caliber and higher, has been designs that have new form factors, sights, electronics, and materials. A number of bullpup rifles entered service in the late 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Although bullpup rifles had existed since the 1930s, the United Kingdom's EM2 was one of the few bullpup assault rifles prior to this time. Examples of the new trend include the FAMAS, Steyr AUG, and SA80. They were all bullpup rifles that made heavy use of composites and plastics with ambidextrous controls, and the latter both added a low-power telescopic sight to the standard service version. The SAR-21, the Tavor TAR-21, and QBZ-95 follow a similar trend as well, with a bullpup configuration and heavy use of composites.

The Heckler & Koch G36, adopted in the late 1990s by Spain and Germany, is of the traditional configuration, but also has integral telescopic and red dot sights and composite exterior. The XM8 rifle, developed from the G36, had similar features, but also added more electronics such as laser sight, round counter, and integral infrared laser and pointers.

Image:Usarmy m16a2.jpg The trend in the new designs, and very likely future ones, is towards more integrated features and lighter weight with new materials and configurations. Introduction of a new ammunition would require retooling factories, phasing out conventional ammunition and in general infrastructure change that is considered by many military planners too expensive to undertake.

Some have called for a reintroduction of larger caliber rounds to improve conventional lethality, or an increase in caliber in the 6–7 mm range, with rifle round velocities and lower mass bullets: a kind of intermediate philosophy between the smaller caliber–faster modern rounds and the standard caliber–slower rounds of the previous generation. China in the late 1980's introduced a 5.8 × 42 mm round, with an initial velocity of 930 m/s, 4.26 g bullet and 1,842 J of energy, China claims the new round provides superior performace and lethality to the NATO and modern Soviet intermediate rounds. In the United States, Remington has developed the 6.8 mm Remington SPC cartridge, which is the same overall length at the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO round but fires a bullet the same caliber at the .270 Winchester hunting cartridge. Its similar size to the 5.56 × 45 mm means that existing rifles can be converted without an excessive amount of trouble. Development of a 4.73 mm caseless ammunition and advanced assault rifle in the 1970–1980s by Germany was effectively halted by the German reunification in 1990, and that rifle never entered full production.

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"Assault weapons" vs. Fully-automatic weapons

Primarily in the United States, the term assault weapon is an arbitrary (and politicized) phrase generally used to describe a collection of semi-automatic firearms that have certain features associated with military/police use, such as a folding stock, flash suppressor, bayonet, protruding pistol grip, or the ability to accept a detachable magazine of a capacity larger than ten rounds. The phrase assault weapon has been used primarily in relation to a specific expired gun law that was commonly known as the "Assault Weapons Ban", "Clinton gun ban", or "1994 crime bill". It is a common misconception that the assault weapons ban restricted weapons capable of fully-automatic fire, such as assault rifles and machine guns. Fully-automatic weapons were unaffected by the ban because they have been heavily restricted since the National Firearms Act of 1934, and other, more recent laws.

The term 'assault weapon' has often been erroneously used to describe machine guns. Many states and localities still use the term assault weapon with a variety of variations following the California model loosely. See separate article on assault weapons for further information.

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