Editing Select fire (section)

{{Short description|Firearm firing mode}}
[[Image:Caroline-pontet-p1000527.jpg|thumb|The [[SIG SG 550|SIG 550]] has four modes: safe (at which the rifle cannot be fired; S), one round (1), three-round burst (3) and full automatic (obscured by the switch lever).]]

'''Select''' '''fire''', is the capability of a [[weapon]] to be adjusted to fire in [[Semi-automatic firearm|semi-automatic]], [[fully automatic]], and/or [[Burst mode (weapons)|burst mode]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weaponslaw.org/glossary/selective-fire|title=Selective fire - Weapons Law Encyclopedia|website=www.weaponslaw.org|access-date=2017-03-16|archive-date=2017-03-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316114926/http://www.weaponslaw.org/glossary/selective-fire|url-status=live}}</ref> The modes are chosen by means of a '''selector''' switch, which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some select-fire weapons have burst fire mechanisms to limit the maximum number of shots fired automatically in this mode. The most common limits are two or three rounds per trigger pull. Fully automatic fire refers to the ability for a weapon to fire continuously until either the feeding mechanism is emptied or the trigger is released. Semi-automatic refers to the ability to fire one round per trigger pull.

The presence of select fire modes on [[firearm]]s permits more efficient use of rounds to be fired for specific needs, versus having a single mode of operation, such as fully automatic, thereby conserving ammunition while maximizing on-target accuracy and effectiveness. This capability is most commonly found on military weapons of the 20th and 21st centuries.