An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a
detachable magazine. Assault rifles are currently the standard service rifles in most modern
armies. Examples of assault rifles include the StG 44, AK-47 and the M16 rifle.
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 meters and that
contemporary rifles were over-powered for most small arms combat. They sought to develop
a select-fire intermediate powered rifle combining the firepower of a submachine gun with the
accuracy and range of a rifle. This was done by shortening the standard 7.92x57mm cartridge
to 7.92x33mm and giving it a lighter 125 grain bullet, that limited range but allowed for
more controllable automatic fire The result was the Sturmgewehr 44, which the
Germans produced in large numbers; approximately half-a-million were made. Unlike previous
rifle designs it introduced an over-the-barrel gas system, straight stock and pistol grip
to reduce recoil and improve handling characteristics. "The principle of this weapon...was probably
the most important advance in small arms since the invention of smokeless powder."
Definition The term assault rifle is a non-direct translation
of the German word Sturmgewehr. The name was coined by Adolf Hitler as a new name for the
Maschinenpistole 43, subsequently known as the Sturmgewehr 44, the firearm generally
considered the first assault rifle that served to popularize the concept and form the basis
for today's modern assault rifles. The translation assault rifle gradually became
the common term for similar firearms sharing the same technical definition as the StG 44.
In a strict definition, a firearm must have at least the following characteristics to
be considered an assault rifle: It must be an individual weapon with provision
to fire from the shoulder 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 Its ammunition must be supplied from a detachable
box magazine And it should at least have an effective range
of 300 metres Rifles that meet most of these criteria, but
not all, are technically not assault rifles despite frequently being called such.
For example: Select-fire M2 Carbines are not assault rifles;
their effective range is only 200 meters. Select-fire rifles such as the FN FAL battle
rifle are not assault rifles; they fire full-powered rifle cartridges.
Semi-automatic-only rifles like variants of the Colt AR-15 are not assault rifles; they
do not have select-fire capabilities. Semi-auto 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. 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." History
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 meters and that
contemporary rifles were over-powered for most small arms combat. The Germans sought
to develop a select-fire intermediate powered rifle combining the firepower of a submachine
gun with the accuracy and range of a rifle. This was done by shortening the standard 7.92x57mm
cartridge to 7.92x33mm and giving it a lighter 125 grain bullet, that limited range but allowed
for more controllable automatic fire. The result was the Sturmgewehr 44.
Like the Germans, the Soviets were influenced by experience showing most combat happens
within 400 meters and that their soldiers were consistently outgunned by heavily armed
German troops, especially those armed with the Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifles. The Soviets
were so impressed with the Sturmgewehr 44, that after World War II, they held a design
competition to develop an assault rifle of their own. The winner was the AK-47 assault
rifle. It was finalized, adopted and entered widespread service in the Soviet army in the
early 1950s. Its firepower, ease of use, low production costs, and reliability was perfectly
suited for the Red Army's new mobile warfare doctrines. The AK-47 was widely supplied or
sold to nations allied with the USSR and the blueprints were shared with several friendly
nations. 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. 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 maintained its traditional views and preference for high-powered semi-automatic
rifles. 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. However,
early experiments with select-fire versions of the M1 Garand proved disappointing. During
the Korean War, the select-fire M2 Carbine largely replaced submachine guns in US service.
Although, combat experience suggested that the .30 Carbine round was underpowered. American
weapons designers reached the same conclusion as the Germans and Soviets: an intermediate
round was necessary, and recommended a small caliber, high velocity cartridge.
However, senior American commanders having faced fanatical enemies and experienced major
logistical problems during WWII and the Korean War, insisted that a single powerful .30 caliber
cartridge be developed, that could not only be used by the new automatic rifle, but by
the new general purpose machine gun in concurrent development. This culminated in the development
of the 7.62x51 NATO cartridge and the M14 battle rifle which was basically an improved
select-fire M1 Garand with a 20 round magazine. The U.S. also adopted the M60 GPMG. Its NATO
partners adopted the FN FAL and HK G3 battle rifles, as well as the FN MAG and Rheinmetall
MG3 GPMGs. The first confrontations between the AK-47
and the M14 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 ammo
to maintain fire superiority over the AK-47. 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
to develop a .223 caliber select-fire rifle weighing 6 lbs when loaded with a 20 round
magazine. The 5.56mm round had to penetrate a standard U.S. helmet at 500 yards and retain
a velocity in excess of the speed of sound, while matching or exceeding the wounding ability
of the .30 Carbine cartridge. This request ultimately resulted in the development
of a scaled-down version of the Armalite AR-10, called AR-15 rifle. 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. 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. 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, the new redesigned assault
rifle was subsequently adopted as the M16 rifle.
In March 1970, the U.S. recommended that all NATO forces adopt the 5.56x45mm cartridge.
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. The U.S. offered the 5.56x45mm M193 round, but there were concerns
about its penetration in the face of the wider introduction of body armor. In the end the
Belgian 5.56x45mm SS109 round was chosen in October 1980. 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. During the 1970s, the USSR developed the AK-74
assault rifle and the 5.45x39mm cartridge, which has similar physical characteristics
to the U.S. 5.56x45mm cartridge. Also during the 1970s, Finland, Israel, South Africa and
Sweden introduced AK type assault rifles in 5.56x45mm. During the 1990s, the Russians
developed the AK-101 in 5.56x45mm NATO for the world export market. In addition, Bulgaria,
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Yugoslavia have also rechambered their locally produced
AK variants to 5.56mm NATO. The adoption these cartridges cemented the world-wide trend toward
small caliber, high velocity cartridges. In 1977, Austria introduced the 5.56x45mm
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 5.56x45mm FAMAS bullpup rifle. In 1985, the British introduced the 5.56x45mm L85 bullpup
rifle. In the late 1990s, Israel introduced the Tavor TAR-21 and China's People's Liberation
Army's adopted QBZ-95. By the turn of the century, the bullpup assault rifle design
had achieved world-wide acceptance. Assault rifle gallery
Assault rifles vs. assault weapons The term assault rifle when used in its proper
context, militarily or by its specific functionality, has a generally accepted definition with the
firearm manufacturing community. In more casual usage, the term "assault weapon" is sometimes
conflated or confused with the term assault rifle. The use of the term "assault weapon"
is also highly controversial, as critics assert that the term is a media invention, or a term
that is intended to cause confusion among the public by intentionally misleading the
public to believe that assault weapons are full automatic firearms when they are not.
In the United States "assault weapons" are usually defined in legislation as semi-automatic
firearms that have certain features generally associated with military firearms, including
assault rifles. The 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which expired on September 13, 2004,
codified the definition of an assault weapon. It defined the rifle type of assault weapon
as a semiautomatic firearm with the ability to accept a detachable magazine and two or
more of the following: a folding or telescoping stock
a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon
a bayonet mount a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed
to accommodate a flash suppressor a grenade launcher
Assault weapons legislation does not further restrict weapons capable of fully automatic
fire, such as assault rifles and machine guns, which have been continuously and heavily regulated
since the National Firearms Act of 1934 was passed. Subsequent laws such as the Gun Control
Act of 1968 and the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986 also affected the importation
and civilian ownership of fully automatic firearms, the latter fully prohibiting sales
of newly manufactured machine guns to non-law enforcement or SOT dealers.
See also Battle rifle
Marksman rifle Sniper rifle
Carbine Personal defense weapon
Firearm action List of assault rifles
List of firearms List of multiple barrel firearms
List of service rifles of national armies Comparison of the AK-47 and M16
Overview of gun laws by nation Notes
Rose, Alexander. American Rifle, A Biography. 2008, Bantam Dell Publishing. ISBN 978-0-553-80517-8.
Further reading Crawford, S.. Twenty-First Century Small Arms.
MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7603-1503-5 Cutshaw, C.. Tactical Small Arms of the 21st
Century. Gun Digest Books. ISBN 0-87349-914-X Halls, Chris. Guns in Australia, Paul Hamlyn,
Sydney. ISBN 0-600-07291-6 Lewis, J.. Assault Weapons: An In-Depth Look
at the Hottest Weapons Around. Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87349-658-2
Popenker, M. et al.. Assault Rifle: the Development of the Modern Military Rifle and its Ammunition.
Wiltshire: The Crowood Press Ltd. ISBN 1-86126-700-2 Senich, P.. German Assault Rifle: 1935–1945.
Paladin Press. ISBN 0-87364-400-X Salo, Pauli Rynnäkkökivääri7,62x39. 2.
edition. ISBN 978-952-92-1328-3 External links
Assault Rifles and their Ammunition: History and Prospects
Infantry Magazine on Assault Rifle Cartridges Pre Sturmgewehr Assault Rifles