Editing Automatic rifle (section)

==History==

===Maxim===
In June 1883 [[Hiram Maxim]] filed his first patent to do with automatic firearms covering semi-automatic and fully automatic [[Winchester rifle|Winchester]] and [[Martini-Henry]] rifles as well as an original automatic rifle and blowback- and recoil-operated machine guns, both single and multi-barrelled.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ExduQij5Z6UC&dq=Maxim+3178+1883&pg=RA3-PA351-IA14|title=Journal of the United Service Institution of India, Volume 41|year=1912}}</ref>

===Mannlicher===
[[File:Mannlicher-1885-semi-auto.jpg|thumb|left|1885 Mannlicher Self-Loading Rifle]]
In 1885 [[Ferdinand Mannlicher]] made an experimental self-loader based on work begun in 1883 in both semi-automatic and fully automatic modes. It was an impractical failure due to fouling by its black powder ammunition, but it influenced later designs. Furthermore, Mannlicher produced smokeless powder automatic rifles from the early 1890s onwards until his death in 1904.<ref>{{citation |first=Ian |last=McCollum |title=Mannlicher 1885 Semiauto Rifle |url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/mannlicher-1885-semiauto-rifle/ |website=[[Forgotten Weapons]]|date=6 May 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 1885 Assault Rifle {{!}} WeaponsMan |url=https://billstclair.com/weaponsman.com/index.html?p=37471 |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=billstclair.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SJaPbfRhdfoC&q=Mannlicher+Smokeless+Automatic+1891&pg=PA7-IA7|title=The Engineer|year=1893}}</ref>

===Cei-Rigotti===
[[File:Cei-Rigotti - 6.jpg|thumb|The Italian Cei-Rigotti, one of the world's first automatic rifles.]]
One of the world's first automatic rifles was the Italian [[Cei-Rigotti]]. This rifle started out as an 1891 gas-operated conversion of the [[Vetterli rifle]], which received positive approval and was even adopted after further refinements in 1895 for the Royal Italian Navy, but although up to 2000 rifles were ordered, the order never came through for as yet unknown reasons.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://smallarmsreview.com/early-bolt-action-conversions/ | title=Early Bolt-Action Rifle Conversions - Automatic Service Rifles on a Budget - Small Arms Review | date=9 August 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title=Il fucile Cei-Rigotti ed il fucile automatico Freddi: Le armi automatiche italiane dalle origini alla Grande Guerra | date=14 November 2023 }}</ref> Another version of the Cei-Rigotti was presented in 1900, these [[6.5×52mm Mannlicher–Carcano|6.5mm Carcano]] or [[7.65×53mm Mauser|7.65×53mm]] gas-operated, selective-fire carbines attracted considerable attention at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forgottenweapons.com/early-semiauto-rifles/cei-rigotti/|title=Cei-Rigotti|work=ForgottenWeapons.com|first=Ian |last=McCollum|date=October 24, 2012|access-date=April 25, 2018}}</ref><ref name="HoggWeeks260">{{cite book|last1=Hogg|first1=Ian V.|last2=Weeks|first2=John|title=Military Small Arms of the 20th Century|edition=7th|publisher=Krause Publications |year=2000|page=260|isbn=978-0-87341-824-9}}</ref> They used 10-, 20- and 50-round box magazines.<ref name="HoggWeeks260"/> The Cei-Rigotti had several failings, including frequent jams and erratic shooting.<ref name="HoggWeeks260"/> In the end, no Army took an interest in the design and the rifle was abandoned before it could be further developed.<ref name="HoggWeeks260"/> Although the rifle was never officially adopted by any military, aside from the 1895 variant which never came through, it was tested extensively by the Italian Army during the lead-up to the First World War.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/early-semiauto-rifles/cei-rigotti/|title = Cei-Rigotti|date = 24 October 2012}}</ref>

=== Chauchat ===
[[File:Chauchat_Memorial_de_Verdun.jpg|thumb|left|Chauchat Automatic Rifle]]
{{expand section|date=March 2021}}
The [[Chauchat]], designed in 1907, was one of the first automatic rifles to be adopted by a military. Its official design was the [[Chauchat|Fusil Mitrailleur Modele 1915 CSRG]]. It was placed into French Infantry in 1916, and was used by the French army in the First World War. The Chauchat in [[8mm Lebel]] was also extensively used in 1917–18 by the [[American Expeditionary Forces]] (A.E.F.), where it was officially designated as the "Automatic Rifle, Model 1915 (Chauchat)".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Association |first=National Rifle |title=An Official Journal Of The NRA {{!}} Machine Guns Of The American Expeditionary Force In World War I |url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/machine-guns-of-the-american-expeditionary-force-in-world-war-i/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=An Official Journal Of The NRA |language=en}}</ref>

=== Lewis Gun ===
[[File:Lewis_Gun_(derivated).jpg|thumb|left|Lewis ]]
The [[Lewis Gun]] was invented in 1911 by [[Isaac Newton Lewis]] and first mass-produced in Belgium in 1913 for the [[.303 British]] cartridge, and widely used by the British army in the First World War, both by infantry and fitted to aircraft.  [[Pan magazine]]s are secured above the breech, holding either 47 or 97 rounds.  Cooling fins surround the barrel.  The weapon is [[gas operated]] and fires automatically at 500-600 rounds per minute.

More than 50,000 Lewis guns were produced during WW1, becoming the most common automatic weapon used by British and American troops. Although superseded by the [[Bren gun]] by 1939, nearly 60,000 Lewis guns were refurbished and reissued to British forces after the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940.

=== Fedorov Avtomat ===
[[File:Avtomat M1916 Fedorov noBG.jpg|thumb|Fedorov Model 1916 Automatic Rifle]]
The [[Fedorov Avtomat]] (also anglicized as '''Federov''', Russian: Автомат Фёдорова) or '''FA''' was a [[Selective fire|select-fire]], crew-served automatic rifle and was one of the first practical automatic rifles, designed by [[Vladimir Grigoryevich Fyodorov]] in 1915 and produced in the [[Russian Empire]] and later in the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]]. A total of 3,200 Fedorov rifles were manufactured between 1915 and 1924 in the city of [[Kovrov]]; the vast majority of them were made after 1920. The weapon saw limited combat in World War I, but was used more substantially in the [[Russian Civil War]] and in the [[Winter War]]. In 1916, the Weapons Committee of the Russian Army made a decision to order no less than 25,000 Fedorov automatic rifles. In the summer of 1916, a company from the 189th Izmail Regiment was equipped with 8 Fedorov Avtomats. Trained in tactics with the new weapon, they concluded that the Fedorov worked best as a crew served weapon. The gunner armed with the Fedorov and an ammo bearer armed with an Arisaka rifle. As both weapons used the same ammo and same 5 round stripper clips, this allowed for the greatest flexibility. It also allowed for the ammo bearer to fire defensively, while the gunner reloaded. It was also recommended that the primary mode of fire be in semi-automatic, as the Fedorov's would rapidly overheat in full-auto. Some consider it to be an "early predecessor" or "ancestor" to the modern [[assault rifle]],<ref name="Westwood2005">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hLBTkNZ8U44C&pg=PA135|title=Rifles: An Illustrated History Of Their Impact|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2005|isbn=978-1-85109-401-1|page=135|author=David Westwood}}</ref><ref>{{Citation
  | last1 = Fowler
  | first1 = William
  | last2 = Sweeney
  | first2 = Patrick
  | title = The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rifles and Machine Guns: An illustrated historical reference to over 500 military, law enforcement and antique firearms... and automatic machine guns, a comprehensive guide
  | publisher = Lorenz Books
  | year = 2008
  | page =68
  | isbn = 978-0-7548-1758-1}}</ref><ref name="Walter2003">{{cite book|author=John Walter|title=Military Rifles of Two World Wars|year=2003|publisher=Greenhill|isbn=978-1-85367-536-2|page=19}}</ref><ref name="MusgraveNelson1967">{{cite book|author1=Daniel D. Musgrave|author2=Thomas B. Nelson|title=The World's Assault Rifles and Automatic Carbines|year=1967|publisher=T. B. N. Enterprises|page=149; see also discussion on p. 15}}</ref> while others believe that the Fedorov Avtomat was the world's first assault rifle.

===Browning Automatic Rifle===
[[File:Army Heritage Museum B.A.R..jpg|thumb|left|M1918A2 [[Browning Automatic Rifle]]]]
The [[Browning Automatic Rifle]] (BAR) was one of the first practical automatic rifles. The BAR made its successful combat debut in World War I, and approximately 50,000 were made before the war came to an end.<ref name="HoggWeeks285">{{cite book|last1=Hogg|first1=Ian V.|last2=Weeks|first2=John|title=Military Small Arms of the 20th Century|edition=7th|publisher=Krause Publications |year=2000|page=285 |isbn=978-0-87341-824-9|chapter=US Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30in<!--sic! Don't change it--> M1918-M1922 (Brownings)}}</ref><ref>The Browning Automatic Rifle. Robert Hodges. Osprey Publishing. 2012. pages 12–13</ref> The BAR arose from the concept of "[[walking fire]]", an idea urged upon the Americans by the French who used the [[Chauchat]] light [[machine gun]] to fulfill that role.<ref name="HoggWeeks285"/> The BAR never entirely lived up to the designer's hopes; being neither a rifle nor a machinegun.<ref name="HoggWeeks285"/> "For its day, though, it was a brilliant design produced in record time by [[John Browning]], and it was bought and used by many countries around the world. It was the standard squad light automatic of the U.S. infantry during World War II and saw use in every theater of war."<ref name="HoggWeeks285"/> The BAR was praised for its reliability and stopping power. "The US forces abandoned the BAR in the middle 1950s, though it was retained in reserve stocks for several years; it survived in smaller countries until the late 1970s."<ref name="HoggWeeks285"/>

=== AVS-36 ===
[[File:AVS-36 AM.068386 (1) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|The Soviet AVS-36 battle rifle,]]
The '''[[AVS-36]]''' (from '''''A'''vtomaticheskaya '''V'''intovka '''S'''imonova 1936 model'';  (АВС-36)) was a Soviet automatic rifle which saw service in the early years of World War II. It was among the early [[selective fire]] infantry rifles (capable of both single and full-automatic fire) formally adopted for military service. The designer, [[Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov|Sergei Simonov]], began his work with a gas-operated self-loading rifle in 1930. The first prototype was ready in 1931 and appeared promising, and three years later a trial batch of an improved design was made. In 1935, a competition between Simonov's design and a rifle made by [[Fedor Tokarev]] was held. The Simonov rifle emerged as a winner and was accepted into service as the AVS-36. The AVS-36 was first seen in public in the 1938 May Day parade in Moscow, when it was displayed by the marching [[1st Guards Motor Rifle Division|1st Rifle Division]]. The American public became aware when it was covered in an August 1942 issue of the American ''[[Infantry Journal]]'', in an article by [[John Garrett Underhill Jr.]] Simonov would later design an anti-tank rifle, the [[PTRS-41]], and the [[SKS]] carbine, which employed simpler tilting bolt operation.

===FG 42===
[[Image:FG42.jpg|thumb|left|Both early (top) and late-war (bottom) variants of the FG 42.]]
The [[FG 42]] is a [[selective fire]] automatic rifle<ref name="HoggWeeks241-242">{{cite book|last1=Hogg|first1=Ian V.|last2=Weeks|first2=John|title=Military Small Arms of the 20th Century|edition=7th|publisher=Krause Publications |year=2000|pages=241–242|isbn=978-0-87341-824-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/fg42/index.html |title=New German Rifle for Paratroopers|journal=Intelligence Bulletin|date=June 1944|volume=II|number=10}}</ref> or [[battle rifle]]<ref name="James">{{cite book|title=Gun Digest 2015|page=88|chapter=The Machine Gun Investor|editor1-first=Jerry |editor1-last=Lee|first1=Frank W.|last1=James|publisher=F+W Media, Inc.|year=2014|isbn=978-1440239120}}</ref><ref name="Thompson">{{cite book|title=The M14 Battle Rifle| first1=Leroy|last1= Thompson|page=8|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|year=2014|isbn=9781472802569}}</ref><ref name="McNab">{{cite book|title=The World's Greatest Small Arms: An Illustrated History|first1= Chris|last1= McNab|page=197|publisher=Amber Books Ltd|year=2015 |isbn=9781782742746}}</ref> produced in Germany during World War II. The weapon was developed specifically for the use of the [[Fallschirmjäger (World War II)|Fallschirmjäger]] [[Airborne forces|airborne infantry]] in 1942 and was used in limited numbers until the end of the war. It served as a squad automatic rifle in much the same role as the Browning BAR. It combined the firepower of a [[light machine gun]] in a lightweight package no larger than the standard-issue [[Karabiner 98k|Kar 98k]] [[bolt-action]] [[rifle]]. It was considered one of the most advanced weapon designs of World War II.<ref name="Senich">{{cite book|last=Senich|first=Peter|title=The German Assault Rifle: 1935–1945|page=239|publisher=Paladin Press|year=1987}}</ref><ref name="Miller">{{cite book|last=Miller|first=David|title=Fighting Men of World War II: Axis Forces : Uniforms, Equipment and Weapons|page=104|publisher=Stackpole Books|year=2007}}</ref> The FG 42 influenced post-war small arms development and most of its design was copied by the US Army when they developed the [[M60 machine gun]].<ref name="Bishop">{{cite book|last=Bishop|first=Chris|title=The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II |page=217|publisher=Sterling Publishing|year=2002}}</ref>

===Sturmgewehr 44===
[[File:MP44.jpg|thumb|The German [[StG 44]], the first assault rifle manufactured in significant numbers]]
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 [[7.92×57mm Mauser|7.92×57mm]] cartridge to [[7.92×33mm Kurz|7.92×33mm]] and giving it a lighter 125-grain bullet, that limited range but allowed for more controllable automatic fire. The result was the [[Sturmgewehr 44]].<ref name="janesrecog">Jane's Guns Recognition Guide, Ian Hogg & Terry Gander, HarperCollins Publisher, 2005, p.287</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/ttt07/stg44-assault-rifle.html |title=Machine Carbine Promoted: MP43 Is Now Assault Rifle StG44, WWII Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 57, April 1945 |publisher=Lone Sentry |date=2007-05-10 |access-date=2012-08-23}}</ref><ref name="HoggWeeks243">{{cite book|last1=Hogg|first1=Ian V.|last2=Weeks|first2=John|title=Military Small Arms of the 20th Century|edition=7th|publisher=Krause Publications |year=2000|page=243|isbn=978-0-87341-824-9}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">Major Thomas P. Ehrhart [https://web.archive.org/web/20100219165722/http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA512331&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf Increasing Small Arms Lethality in Afghanistan: Taking Back the Infantry Half-Kilometer]. US Army. 2009</ref>

===AK-47===
{{main|AK-47}}
[[File:AK-47 type II noBG.png|thumb|An [[AK-47]] with a machined receiver]]
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.<ref>[http://www.oneworld-publications.com/pdfs/Small%20Arms%20Trade_ch1_22%20Nov.pdf Chapter 1. Symbol of violence, war and culture] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616193104/http://www.oneworld-publications.com/pdfs/Small%20Arms%20Trade_ch1_22%20Nov.pdf |date=June 16, 2012 }}. oneworld-publications.com</ref><ref name="washingtonpost2006">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/24/AR2006112400788.html Weapon Of Mass Destruction]. Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-19.</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/weapons/ak-47-questions-about-most-important-gun-ever History of AK-47 Gun – The Gun Book Review]. Popular Mechanics (2010-10-12). Retrieved on 2012-02-09.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scribd.com/jdeere2012/d/77028741-American-Rifle-a-biography |title=Scribd |publisher=Scribd |access-date=2012-08-23 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120910222936/http://www.scribd.com/jdeere2012/d/77028741-American-Rifle-a-biography |archive-date=2012-09-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The winner was the [[AK-47]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/> It was finalized, adopted and entered widespread service in the Soviet army in the early 1950s.<ref name="washingtonpost2006"/> Its firepower, ease of use, low production costs, and reliability was perfectly suited for the Red Army's new mobile warfare doctrines.<ref name="washingtonpost2006"/> The AK-47 was widely supplied or sold to nations allied with the USSR and the blueprints were shared with several friendly nations (the [[People's Republic of China]] standing out among these with the [[Type 56]]).<ref name="washingtonpost2006"/> The AK-47 and AKM type rifles are the most produced firearms in history.

===M14 rifle (battle rifle)===
[[File:Garandcar.jpg|thumb|The [[M1 Garand|M1 Rifle]] and M1 Carbine]]

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.<ref name="pogoarchives.org">Richard R. Hallock, Colonel (retired) of US Army [http://pogoarchives.org/labyrinth/09/02.pdf M16 Case Study] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906090843/http://pogoarchives.org/labyrinth/09/02.pdf |date=2015-09-06 }} March 16, 1970</ref> 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.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

After World War II, the United States military started looking for a single automatic rifle to replace the [[M1 Garand]], [[M1 carbine|M1/M2 Carbines]], [[M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle]], [[M3 submachine gun|M3 "Grease Gun"]] and [[Thompson submachine gun]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/> However, early experiments with select-fire versions of the M1 Garand proved disappointing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nramuseum.com/media/940585/m14.pdf| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204025725/http://www.nramuseum.com/media/940585/m14.pdf |archive-date=2013-12-04 |title=CUT DOWN in its Youth, Arguable America's best Service Rifle, the M14 Never Had the Chance to Prove Itself |last=Schreier |first=Philip |date=September 2001 |pages=24-29, 46}}</ref> During the [[Korean War]], the select-fire [[M2 Carbine]] largely replaced [[submachine gun]]s in US service.<ref name="Rottman2011">{{cite book|author=Gordon Rottman|title=The M16|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oRhIaYrN3sYC&pg=PA6|year=2011|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-1-84908-690-5|page=6}}</ref> However, combat experience suggested that the [[.30 Carbine]] round was underpowered.<ref>[http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/arms-chosin-few/ Arms of the Chosin Few]. Americanrifleman.org. Retrieved on 2011-11-23.</ref> 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.<ref>Donald L. Hall [https://web.archive.org/web/20150924051902/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/377335.pdf An effectiveness study of the infantry rifle] (PDF). Report No. 593. Ballistic Research Laboratories. Maryland. March 1952 (released March 29, 1973)</ref>
[[File:M14 Stand-off Munitions Disruptor (SMUD) (7414626342).jpg|thumb|U.S. [[M14 rifle]], advanced by the proponents of the [[battle rifle]] concept]]
However, senior American commanders, having faced fanatical enemies and experienced major logistical problems during World War II and the Korean War,<ref>''Fanaticism And Conflict In The Modern Age'', by Matthew Hughes & Gaynor Johnson, Frank Cass & Co, 2005</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pacificwar.org.au/JapWarCrimes/Explaining_JapWarCrimes.html |title=An Attempt To Explain Japanese War Crimes |publisher=Pacificwar.org.au |access-date=2012-08-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/toc.htm |title=South to the Naktong – North to the Yalu |publisher=History.army.mil |access-date=2012-08-23 |archive-date=2013-11-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102112322/http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/toc.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/BigL/index.html#contents HyperWar: The Big 'L'-American Logistics in World War II]. Ibiblio.org. Retrieved on 2011-12-24.</ref><ref>[http://www.almc.army.mil/alog/issues/NovDec03/Logistics_of_Invasion.htm The Logistics of Invasion] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622011454/http://www.almc.army.mil/alog/issues/NovDec03/Logistics_of_Invasion.htm |date=2015-06-22 }}. Almc.army.mil. Retrieved on 2011-11-23.</ref> 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]] (GPMG) in concurrent development.<ref name="independencearmory1">Col. E. H. Harrison (NRA Technical Staff) [http://independencearmory.com/downloads/M14_Articles/American%20Rifleman%20-%20New%20Service%20Rifle_%20Amer.%20Rifleman%20June,%201957.pdf New Service Rifle] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107045353/http://independencearmory.com/downloads/M14_Articles/American%20Rifleman%20-%20New%20Service%20Rifle_%20Amer.%20Rifleman%20June%2C%201957.pdf |date=2015-11-07 }} (PDF). June 1957</ref><ref name="AGWilliams-Ammo">{{cite web|first=Anthony G |last=Williams|url=http://www.quarryhs.co.uk/GPC.pdf |title=Assault Rifles And Their Ammunition: History and Prospects|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180403234914/http://www.quarryhs.co.uk/GPC.pdf |archive-date=April 3, 2018|website=Military Guns & Ammunition by Anthony G. Williams|date=November 2016|access-date=April 24, 2018}}</ref> This culminated in the development of the [[7.62×51mm NATO]] cartridge and the [[M14 rifle]]<ref name="independencearmory1"/> which was basically an improved select-fire M1 Garand with a 20-round magazine.<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/m14.htm M14 7.62mm Rifle]. Globalsecurity.org (1945-09-20). Retrieved on 2011-11-23.</ref> The U.S. also adopted the [[M60 machine gun|M60 GPMG]].<ref name="independencearmory1"/> Its NATO partners adopted the [[FN FAL]] and [[HK G3]] rifles, as well as the [[FN MAG]] and [[Rheinmetall MG3]] GPMGs.

===FN FAL===
[[File:SLRL1A1.jpg|thumb|British L1A1 ([[FN FAL]])]]
[[File:FN Herstal T48.jpg|thumb|The [[T48 rifle|T48]], an American copy of the [[FN FAL]]]]
The [[FN FAL]] is a [[7.62×51mm NATO]], [[selective fire]], automatic rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer [[Fabrique Nationale de Herstal]] (FN). During the [[Cold War]], it was adopted by many [[NATO|North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] (NATO) countries, most notably with the [[British Commonwealth]] as the [[L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle|L1A1]]. It is one of the most widely used rifles in history, having been used by more than 90 countries.<ref>Jane's Guns Recognition Guide. Ian Hogg & Terry Gander. HarperCollins Publishers. 2005 page 275</ref> The FAL was predominantly chambered for the 7.62mm NATO round, and because of its prevalence and widespread use among the armed forces of many western nations during the Cold War it was nicknamed "The right arm of the [[Free World]]".<ref>Bishop, Chris. Guns in Combat. Chartwell Books, Inc (1998). {{ISBN|0-7858-0844-2}}.</ref>

===H&K G3===
[[File:Automatic rifle AG-3 right.jpg|thumb|Norwegian [[AG-3]] (HK G3)]]
The [[H&K G3]] is a [[7.62×51mm NATO]], [[selective fire]], automatic rifle produced by the German armament manufacturer [[Heckler & Koch|Heckler & Koch GmbH]] (H&K) in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency [[CETME]] (''Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales'').<ref>Woźniak, Ryszard: ''Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej—tom 2 G-Ł'', page 7. Bellona, 2001.</ref> The rifle proved successful in the export market, being adopted by the armed forces of over 60 countries.<ref>Jane's Guns Recognition Guide. Ian Hogg & Terry Gander. HarperCollins Publishers. 2005 page 288</ref> After World War II, German technicians involved in developing the [[Sturmgewehr 45]], continued their research in France at CEAM. The StG45 mechanism was modified by Ludwig Vorgrimler and Theodor Löffler at the Mulhouse facility between 1946 and 1949. Vorgrimler later went to work at CETME in Spain and developed the line of CETME automatic rifles based on his improved Stg45 design. Germany eventually purchased the license for the CETME design and manufactured the Heckler & Koch G3 as well as an entire line of weapons built on the same system, one of the most famous being the [[MP5|MP5 SMG]].

===M16 rifle===
{{main|M16 rifle}}

The first confrontations between the AK-47 and the M14 ([[assault rifle]] vs [[battle rifle]]) came in the early part of the [[Vietnam War]]. Battlefield reports indicated that the M14 was uncontrollable in automatic mode and that soldiers could not carry enough ammo to maintain fire superiority over the AK-47.<ref>Lee Emerson [http://www.imageseek.com/m1a/M14_RHAD_Online_Edition_061010.pdf M14 Rifle History and Development] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215062553/http://www.imageseek.com/m1a/M14_RHAD_Online_Edition_061010.pdf |date=2017-12-15 }}. October 10, 2006</ref> 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.

[[File:AR-10 in the National Firearms Museum.jpg|thumb|AR-10 rifle]]
[[File:ArmaLite AR-15 SPAR 3240 DEC. 17. 2004.png|thumb|ArmaLite [[AR-15 style rifle|AR-15]]]]
[[File:M16A1 brimob.jpg|thumb|American 5.56×45mm [[M16A1]]]]

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 (CONARC) to develop a .223 caliber (5.56&nbsp;mm) select-fire rifle weighing 6&nbsp;lbs (2.7&nbsp;kg) when loaded with a 20-round magazine.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The 5.56mm round had to penetrate a standard U.S. [[helmet]] at 500 yards (460 meters) and retain a velocity in excess of the speed of sound while matching or exceeding the wounding ability of the .30 Carbine cartridge.<ref>Hutton, Robert (ed.), ''The .223'', Guns & Ammo Annual Edition, 1971.</ref>

This request ultimately resulted in the development of a scaled-down version of the [[ArmaLite AR-10]], called [[ArmaLite AR-15]] rifle.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ezell |first=Edward Clinton |title=Small Arms of the World|year=1983|publisher=Stackpole Books|location=New York |isbn=978-0-88029-601-4|pages=46–47}}</ref><ref name="nodakspud.com">Peter G. Kokalis [http://www.nodakspud.com/RetroAR15.pdf Retro AR-15] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215125009/http://www.nodakspud.com/RetroAR15.pdf |date=2022-12-15 }}. nodakspud.com</ref><ref name="m-14parts.com">Danford Allan Kern [http://www.m-14parts.com/M14toM16.pdf The influence of organizational culture on the acquisition of the m16 rifle] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105215841/http://www.m-14parts.com/M14toM16.pdf |date=2013-11-05 }}. m-14parts.com. A thesis presented to the Faculty of the US Army Command and General Staff College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE, Military History. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 2006</ref> 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.<ref name="m-14parts.com"/> 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.<ref name="m-14parts.com"/> 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 (Most notably: the charging handle was re-located from under the carrying handle like AR-10 to the rear of the receiver),<ref name="nodakspud.com"/> the new redesigned rifle was subsequently adopted as the [[M16 rifle|M16]].<ref name="m-14parts.com"/><ref name="autogenerated5">[http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a953110.pdf Report of the M16 rifle review panel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924123134/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a953110.pdf |date=2015-09-24 }}. Department of the Army. dtic.mil. 1 June 1968</ref>

The M16 entered U.S. service in the mid-1960s and was much lighter than the M14 it replaced, allowing soldiers to carry more ammunition.<ref name="autogenerated5"/> Despite its early failures, the M16 proved to be a revolutionary design and stands as the longest continuously serving rifle in American military history.<ref name="smallarmsreview.com">{{cite journal|url=http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=2434 |journal=Small Arms Review |volume=5|issue=7 |title=M14 vs. M16 in Vietnam |first=Robert |last=Bruce|date=April 2002}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | newspaper = GX. The Guard Experience | title = The Pride of the Guard | first = Major Darrin | last = Haas | volume = 10 | issue = 3 | year = 2013 | page = 67 }}.</ref> It is a benchmark against which other assault rifles are judged,<ref name="m-14parts.com"/> and used by 15 NATO countries, and more
than 80 countries worldwide<ref name=colt_customers>[http://www.colt.com/mil/customers.asp Customers / Weapon users]. Colt Weapon Systems. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902033712/http://www.colt.com/mil/customers.asp |date=2 September 2011 }}</ref>

===HK33===
[[File:HK33A2 Flickr (yet another finn).jpg|thumb|Heckler & Koch HK33A2 with Trijicon Compact ACOG]]
During the 1960s, other countries would follow the Americans lead and begin to develop 5.56×45mm assault rifles, most notably Germany with the [[Heckler & Koch HK33]]. The HK33 was essentially a smaller 5.56mm version of the 7.62×51mm [[Heckler & Koch G3]] rifle. As one of the first 5.56mm assault rifles on the market, it would go on to become one of the most widely distributed assault rifles. The HK33 featured a modular design with a wide range of accessories (telescoping butt-stocks, optics, [[bipod]]s, etc.) that could be easily removed and arranged in a various configurations.

===5.56mm NATO===
[[File:7.62x51 and 5.56x45 bullet cartridges compared to AA battery.jpg|thumb|The [[7.62×51mm NATO]] and 5.56×45mm NATO cartridges compared to an [[AA battery]].]]
The adoption of the M16, the H&K33, and the 5.56×45mm cartridge inspired an international trend towards relatively small-sized, lightweight, high-velocity military service cartridges that allow a soldier to carry more ammunition for the same weight compared to the larger and heavier [[7.62×51mm NATO]] cartridge. The 5.56mm cartridge is also much easier to shoot.<ref name="AGWilliams-Ammo" /><ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=599 |title=An Improved Battlesight Zero for the M4 Carbine and M16A2 Rifle |access-date=2007-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122215037/https://www.ar15.com/content/webPDF/TM9-1005-319-10.pdf |archive-date=2014-01-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.ar15.com/content/webPDF/TM9-1005-319-10.pdf |title=TM 9-1005-319-10 (2010) - Operator's Manual for Rifle, 5.56 MM, M16A2/M16A3/M4 (Battlesight Zero pages 48-55)|access-date=2014-06-03}}</ref> In 1961 marksmanship testing, the U.S. Army found that 43% of [[ArmaLite AR-15]] shooters achieved Expert, while only 22% of M-14 rifle shooters did so. Also, a lower [[free recoil|recoil]] impulse allows for more controllable automatic weapons fire.<ref name="AGWilliams-Ammo" /><ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/>

Therefore, in March 1970, the U.S. recommended that all [[NATO]] forces adopt the [[5.56×45mm]] cartridge.<ref name="autogenerated3">Per G. Arvidsson [https://web.archive.org/web/20091229100726/http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2009infantrysmallarms/wednesdaysessionvArvidsson.pdf Weapons & Sensors]. NATO Army Armaments Group</ref> 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.<ref name="autogenerated3"/> The U.S. offered the 5.56×45mm M193 round, but there were concerns about its penetration in the face of the wider introduction of [[ballistic vest|body armor]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/> In the end, the Belgian 5.56×45mm SS109 round was chosen ([[STANAG]] 4172) in October 1980.<ref name="autogenerated3"/> 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 (specifically, to consistently penetrate the side of a steel helmet at 600 meters).<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

During the 1970s, the USSR developed the [[AK-74]] and the [[5.45×39mm]] cartridge, which has similar physical characteristics to the U.S. 5.56×45mm cartridge.<ref name="HoggWeeks271">{{cite book|last1=Hogg|first1=Ian V.|last2=Weeks|first2=John|title=Military Small Arms of the 20th Century|edition=7th|publisher=Krause Publications |year=2000|page=271|isbn=978-0-87341-824-9}}</ref> Also during the 1970s, Finland, Israel, South Africa and Sweden introduced AK type rifles in 5.56×45mm.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hogg|first1=Ian V.|last2=Weeks|first2=John|title=Military Small Arms of the 20th Century|edition=7th|publisher=Krause Publications |year=2000|pages=235, 258, 274, 278|isbn=978-0-87341-824-9}}</ref> During the 1990s, the Russians developed the [[AK-101]] in 5.56×45mm NATO for the world export market.<ref name="ReferenceB">[https://web.archive.org/web/20110718230910/http://www.izhmash.ru/eng/product/weapon.shtml LEGION Ltd. – the producer of high-quality firearms with period artistic treatment (threading, engraving, incrustation) and improved finishing]. izhmash.ru</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kalashnikov AK-101 |url=https://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.php?smallarms_id=256 |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=www.militaryfactory.com}}</ref> In addition, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and former countries of Yugoslavia have also rechambered their locally produced assault rifle variants to 5.56mm NATO.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hogg|first1=Ian V.|last2=Weeks|first2=John|title=Military Small Arms of the 20th Century|edition=7th|publisher=Krause Publications |year=2000|pages=233, 257, 266, 296|isbn=978-0-87341-824-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arsenal-bg.com/defense_police/5.56_arsenal_assault_rifle_ar-m1_ar-m1f.htm |title=Arsenal 5.56mm Arsenal Assault Rifle AR-M1and 5.56mm Arsenal Assault Rifle AR-M1F |access-date=2014-06-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140618165043/http://www.arsenal-bg.com/defense_police/5.56_arsenal_assault_rifle_ar-m1_ar-m1f.htm |archive-date=2014-06-18 }} | Arsenal AR-M1 5.56mm assault rifle</ref> The adoption the 5.56mm NATO and 5.45×39mm cemented the worldwide trend toward small caliber, high-velocity cartridges.

===Steyr AUG (bullpup rifle)===
[[File:AUG A1 508mm 04.jpg|thumb|The [[Steyr AUG]] was one of the first bullpup rifles to enter widespread use.]]
In 1977, Austria introduced the 5.56×45mm [[Steyr AUG]] [[bullpup]] rifle, often cited as the first successful [[bullpup|bullpup rifle]],<ref>{{cite web|title=The Bullpup Rifle Experiment, Part 4: do they have a place in the home defense arsenal?| url=http://www.grantcunningham.com/2015/10/the-bullpup-rifle-experiment-part-4-do-they-have-a-place-in-the-home-defense-arsenal/|first= Grant |last=Cunningham|date=1 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Gun Review: The VLTOR AUG A3|date= 1 September 2013|url=http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/09/01/vltor-aug-a3/ |first=Alex |last= Crossley}}</ref><ref name="Lewis2011">{{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Jack|title=Assault Weapons|date=28 February 2011|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-2400-3|page=51}}</ref>  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 5.56×45mm [[FAMAS]] bullpup rifle. In 1985, the British introduced the 5.56×45mm [[L85]] bullpup rifle. In the late 1990s, Israel introduced the [[IMI Tavor TAR-21|Tavor TAR-21]] and China's [[People's Liberation Army]]'s adopted [[QBZ-95]]. By the turn of the century, the bullpup design had achieved world-wide acceptance.