List of assault rifles
An assault rifle is a rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge, a detachable magazine, and can switch between semi-automatic/fully automatic fire. Assault rifles are currently the standard service rifles in most modern armies.
By strict definition, a firearm must have the following characteristics to be considered an assault rifle:[1][2][3]
- 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 M2 carbines and Amogh carbines aren't assault rifles; their effective range is only 200 yards.[5]
- Select-fire rifles such as the FN FAL battle rifle aren't assault rifles; they fire full-powered rifle cartridges.
- Semi-automatic-only rifles like the Colt AR-15 aren't assault rifles; they do not have select-fire capabilities. In contrast, the original ArmaLite AR-15 would meet the criteria.
- Semi-automatic-only rifles with fixed magazines like the SKS aren't assault rifles; they do not have detachable box magazines and are not capable of automatic fire.
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 fulfils the other requirements of the definition above.
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See also
- List of carbines
- List of grenade launchers
- List of machine guns
- List of multiple-barrel firearms
- List of bolt action rifles
- List of straight pull rifles
- List of pump action rifles
- List of pistols
- List of revolvers
- List of semi-automatic rifles
- List of sniper rifles
- List of service rifles
- List of battle rifles
- Service rifle
References
- Taylor, C. The Fighting Rifle: A Complete Study of the Rifle in Combat. ISBN 0-87947-308-8.
- Moyer, F.A. Special Forces Foreign Weapons Handbook. ISBN 0-87364-009-8.
- Scroggie, R.J.; Moyer, Frank A. Special Forces Combat Firing Techniques. 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
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2010-05-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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