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 AR15, also come in semi-auto models that would not belong under the term "assault rifle."
Definition
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 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.
- Semi-automatic-only rifles like the Colt AR-15 are not 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 are not 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.
List
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See also
- 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
- ↑ Taylor, C. (1983). The Fighting Rifle: A Complete Study of the Rifle in Combat. ISBN 0-87947-308-8.
- ↑ Moyer, F.A. (1970). Special Forces Foreign Weapons Handbook. ISBN 0-87364-009-8.
- ↑ Scroggie, R.J.; Moyer, Frank A. (December 1988). 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
- ↑ "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.