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. Also, combat experience suggested that the. However, early experiments with select-fire versions of the M1 Garand proved disappointing. In the Korean War, the select-fire M2 Carbine largely replaced submachine guns in US service. Īfter World War II, the United States military started looking for a single automatic rifle to replace the M1 Garand, M1/M2 Carbines, M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, M3 "Grease Gun" and Thompson submachine gun. Army maintained its traditional views and preference for high-powered semi-automatic rifles. Army studies of World War II combat accounts had very similar results to that of the Germans and Soviets, 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. 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). Its firepower, ease of use, low production costs, and reliability was perfectly suited for the Red Army's new mobile warfare doctrines. It was finalized, adopted and entered widespread service in the Soviet army in the early 1950s. 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. 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. This was done by shortening the standard 7.92x57mm cartridge to 7.92x33mm and giving it a lighter 125 grain bullet, that limited range but allowed for more controllable automatic fire. 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. 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. So the Fedorov Avtomats were rushed back in service against the Finns. But poor production and bureaucratic bungles ensured that by the start of the Winter War (1939), very few substitutes had been produced. Officially they were replaced in Soviet service with new submachine guns, like the PPD, and by 7.62 mm automatic rifles, like the AVS-36. Because they depended on foreign ammunition, the Fedorov Avtomats were withdrawn from service by 1928 and stockpiled. The Fedorov Avtomat saw more significant use during the Russian Civil War, particularly in the hands of the Red Finns during the Karelian Uprising. A factory in Kovrov produced this gun in about 3000 exemplars mainly after 1920. Approximately two dozen Fedorov Avtomats saw combat in during World War I. Initially it was an emergency conversion of semi-automatic rifles designed by Fedorov. Īnother automatic rifle that made its debut during World War I was the Russian Fedorov Avtomat, chambered in 6.5×50mmSR Arisaka. Military throughout World War II and the Korean War. However, for its day it was a brilliant design and was the standard squad automatic rifle for the U.S. The BAR never entirely lived up to the desigers hopes being neither a rifle nor a machinegun. 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. The Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) made its successful combat debut in World War I. The Italian Cei-Rigotti did not fare any better. The British experimented with the automatic Farquhar-Hill rifle before and during World War I, but it was quickly abandoned. It suffered from poor reliability and most were withdrawn from service before the war ended. SIG surplus Mondragóns (around 1000) made their way to World War I, where the gun was mostly carried by German air crews of the Luftstreitkräfte under the designation FSK15. It saw combat during the Mexican Revolution, with about 400 guns having been delivered before a blockade interfered. It was created with the intention of giving a single infantry man the fire power of an entire squad and was subsequently adopted by the Mexican army. Mondragón began work in 1882 and patented the weapon in 1887. The world's first automatic rifle was the Mondragón rifle designed by Mexican General Manuel Mondragón, but manufactured in Switzerland by SIG.
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