Assault rifles are full-length, select fire rifles that are chambered for an intermediate-power rifle cartridge that use a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are currently the standard service rifles in most modern militaries. Some rifles listed below, such as the AR-15, also come in semi-auto models that would not belong under the term "assault rifle."
Definition
editBy strict definition, a firearm must have the following characteristics to be considered an assault rifle:[1][page needed][2][page needed][3][page needed]
- It must be an individual weapon;
- It must be capable of selective fire, which means it has the capacity to switch between semi-automatic and burst/fully automatic fire;[4]
- It must have an intermediate-power cartridge: more power than a pistol but less than a standard rifle or battle rifle. For full-power automatic rifles, see List of battle rifles;
- Its ammunition must be supplied from a detachable box magazine;
- It should have an effective range of at least 300 metres (330 yards).
Rifles that meet most of these criteria, but not all, are technically not assault rifles, despite frequently being called such.
For example:
- Select-fire Amogh carbines are not assault rifles; their effective range is only 200 yards.[5]
- Select-fire rifles such as the FN FAL are not assault rifles; they are battle rifles and fire full-powered rifle cartridges.
- Select-fire rifles such as the Joint Venture Protective Carbine are not assault rifles; as their cartridge is too weak.
- Fully-automatic-only rifles like the M231 Firing Port Weapon are not assault rifles; they do not have select-fire capabilities. In contrast, the original ArmaLite AR-15 would meet the criteria.
- Select-fire rifles with fixed magazines like the Cei-Rigotti are not assault rifles; they do not have detachable box magazines.
Several of the rifles on the below list have non-assault rifle variants. Because they lack the selective fire capability as they only fire semi-automatic even though it fulfills the other requirements of the definition above.
List
edit
See also
edit- List of battle rifles
- List of bolt-action rifles
- List of carbines
- List of grenade launchers
- List of machine guns
- List of multiple-barrel firearms
- List of pistols
- List of pump-action rifles
- List of revolvers
- List of semi-automatic pistols
- List of semi-automatic rifles
- List of sniper rifles
- List of straight-pull rifles
- Service rifle
References
edit- ^ Taylor, C. (1983). The Fighting Rifle: A Complete Study of the Rifle in Combat. Desert Publications. ISBN 0-87947-308-8.
- ^ Moyer, F.A. (1970). Special Forces Foreign Weapons Handbook. Paladin Press. ISBN 0-87364-009-8.
- ^ Scroggie, R.J.; Moyer, Frank A. (December 1988). Special Forces Combat Firing Techniques. Paladin Press. ISBN 0-87364-010-1.
- ^ Assault rifle at the Encyclopædia Britannica
- ^ Jane's Gun Recognition Guide. Ian Hogg & Terry Gander. HarperCollins Publishers. 2005. page 330
- ^ "The Australian Combat Assault Rifle - Lithgow Arms". 2024-02-11. Archived from the original on 2024-02-11. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
- ^ "Thales Australia delivers Australian Combat Assault Rifle ACAR to Ukraine". armyrecognition.com. 2023-08-10. Archived from the original on 2024-02-11.
- ^ "Colt's AR-15 Model 601 Automatic Rifle". 2021-08-27. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
They found that this lightweight selective-fire small-caliber rifle not only met, but exceeded the performance of the standard-issue 7.62mm M14 service rifle.
- ^ "BSA Machine Carbine". 2023-12-01. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "BSA Machine Carbine [1st model] (IWM) | Imperial War Museums". 2024-02-15. Archived from the original on 2024-02-15. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ America's First Assault Rifle: Burton 1917 LMR, 4 July 2016, retrieved 2024-02-14
- ^ "ASSAULT RIFLES AND THEIR AMMUNITION". 2014-06-02. Archived from the original on 2014-06-02. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Italian intermediate power cartridge, 1921? - #17 by jonnyc - General Ammunition Discussion - International Ammunition Association Web Forum". 2024-02-21. Archived from the original on 2024-02-21. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
Moschetto automatico tipo Terno Mod. 1921 calibro 7.65mm. Nell immediato dopoguerra i esercito era orientato a sosti-tuire i fueili ed i moschetti 91 con una nuora arma indivuale in grado di sparare a raffica
- ^ "Oman army all set to use India's INSAS rifles - Hindustan Times". Archived from the original on 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2010-05-20.
- ^ "Home". Komodo Armament Indonesia. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
- ^ "Adolf Furrer's 1921 assault rifle... - Swiss Rifles dot com". 2020-11-09. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ "Cartridge of the Month". 2019-08-07. Archived from the original on 2019-08-07. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ "7.65x35 Furrer / MUNICION.ORG". 2020-02-20. Archived from the original on 2020-02-20. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ "Rheinmetall and Steyr Mannlicher". Archived from the original on 2023-12-03.
- ^ "숨은 적 공격하는 K11 소총, 국내 본격 공급". Yonhap. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
- ^ Firefight!: The History of Personal Firepower - Peter Newark, Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1989, Infantryman of the future Page 182, ISBN 0715391763