Editing Semi-automatic rifle (section)

===Gas-operated rifles===
[[File:M1941.jpg|thumb|[[M1941 Johnson rifle]] Semi-Automatic Rifle with original spike bayonet and leather sheath. The 10-round rotary magazine could be quickly reloaded using two clips of .30 Caliber M2 Ball ammunition.]] [[Springfield, Massachusetts]] – [[John Garand]], a [[Canada|Canadian]]-born [[Firearm|firearms]] designer, was tasked with designing a basic [[M1 Garand|gas-actuated self-loading infantry rifle]] and [[M1 carbine|carbine rifle]] that would eject the spent [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]] and reload a new round using a gas-operated system. It took 15 years to perfect the M1 prototype model to meet all the [[U.S. Army]] specifications.<ref>Bruce N. Canfield. The Unknown M1 Garand, ''American Rifleman'', 142 (January 1994): 46–49.</ref><ref>[http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/12/14/hindsight-is-3006-critique-of-the-m1-garand/ Hindsight: A Critique Of The M1 Garand], December 14, 2014.</ref> The resulting ''Semi-Automatic, .30 caliber, M1 Rifle'' was patented by Garand in 1932, approved by the [[U.S. Army]] on January 9, 1936, and underwent mass production in 1940.<ref>{{US Patent|1892141}}</ref>[[George S. Patton|General George S. Patton]] described the M1 Garand as "the greatest battle implement ever devised''.''"<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thompson |first=Leroy |title=The M1 Garand |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2012 |pages=4}}</ref> It replaced the [[bolt-action|bolt action]] [[M1903 Springfield]] and was the first gas-operated semi-automatic rifle adopted as a national standard-issue service rifle, and was often referred to as the "Garand Rifle".<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=JScDAAAAMBAJ&dq=popular+science+October+1940&pg=PA68 He Invented the World's Deadliest Rifle], ''Popular Science'', December 1940, page 68.</ref> During [[World War II]], over 4,000,000 M1 rifles were manufactured.<ref>Bruce N. Canfield. The Winchester Garand, ''American Rifleman'', Volume 153 (April 2005), pages 46–49.</ref>

The [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[AVS-36]], [[SVT-40|SVT-38, and SVT-40]], as well as the German [[Gewehr 43]], were semi-automatic [[Gas-operated reloading|gas-operated]] rifles issued during [[World War II]] in relatively small numbers. In practice, they did not replace the bolt-action rifle as a standard infantry weapon of their respective nations—[[Germany]] produced 402,000 [[Gewehr 43]] rifles,<ref>{{cite book |last1=McNab |first1=Chris |title=German Automatic Rifles 1941-45: Gew 41, Gew 43, FG 42 and StG 44 |date=2013 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |page=19}}</ref> and over 14,000,000 of the [[Kar98k]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grant |first1=Niel |title=Mauser Military Rifles |date=2015 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |page=65}}</ref>

Another gas-operated semi-automatic rifle developed toward the end of World War II was the [[SKS]]. Designed by [[Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov]] in 1945, it came equipped with a [[bayonet]] and could be loaded with ten rounds using a [[stripper clip]]. It was the first widely issued rifle to use the [[7.62×39mm]] cartridge.<ref name="hogg2002">Hogg, Ian (2002). ''Jane's Guns Recognition Guide''. Jane's Information Group. {{ISBN|0-00-712760-X}}.</ref> By the end of World War II, however, semi-automatic rifles had been largely superseded in military usage by their select-fire counterparts - weapons such as the [[AK-47]], [[FN FAL]], and [[M16 rifle|M16]] limited the viability of widespread [[Military deployment|deployment]] of semi-automatic rifles.
[[File:Staff Sergeant Richard J Clark USMC 2013-07-09 16-55.jpg|thumb|U.S. [[United States Marine Corps|Marine]] with a [[Barrett M82]]]]
Gradually, [[military doctrine]] increasingly prioritised the volume of fire over individual marksmanship. During World War II, American ground forces fired approximately 25,000 [[Round (firearms)|rounds]] for each enemy killed. This number rose to 50,000 rounds in the [[Korean War]], and rose again, to 200,000, during the [[Vietnam War]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Arquilla|first=John|title=Information Strategy and Warfare: A Guide to Theory and Practice|publisher=Routledge|year=2007|pages=150}}</ref> The first fully-automatic rifle to see widespread usage was the German [[StG 44|STG-44]], which was reportedly well-liked by troops,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chen |first=Peter |date=2008 |title=Sturmgewehr 44 Rifle {{!}} World War II Database |url=https://m.ww2db.com/weapon.php?q=5 |access-date=18 October 2024 |website=World War II Database}}</ref> as the 30-round select-fire rifle gave them much more flexibility than the bolt-action [[Karabiner 98k]].

Ultimately, [[automatic rifle|fully-automatic rifle]]s would become standard in military usage, as their [[firepower]] was superior to that of a semi-automatic rifle. However, both semi-automatic and bolt-action rifles are still widely used today in military service in specific roles, such as [[designated marksman rifle]]s, which prioritize accuracy over volume of fire. Furthermore, to accommodate for this greater firepower, [[battle rifles]] were mostly replaced by [[assault rifles]], whose lighter bullets allowed more [[ammunition]] to be carried at once. Where semi-automatic rifles continue to be used, they are usually in higher calibers, such as the [[.50 BMG]] [[Barrett M82]].