The Top 10 Combat Rifles That Changed Modern Warfare

A combat rifle is a military service rifle that fires a full-power rifle cartridge, a mainstay of every modern army in the world. The combat rifle is the soldier’s closest companion and best friend.

Despite the changes in battle tactics over the past hundred years, it is still the basic weapon of modern armies. It is the primary weapon in both spearheading attacks or defending the front lines. They have constantly evolved to meet new challenges. Today’s combat rifles are among the most accurate and reliable weapons on the modern battlefield.

Now, we are going to list down the best, the most innovative and effective combat rifles in history.

10. M14

An American selective fire automatic rifle that fires  (.308 Winchester) ammunition. Thee M14 gradually replaced the M1 Garand in U.S. Army service by 1961 and in U.S. Marine Corps service by 1965. It was the standard issue infantry rifle for U.S. military personnel in the United States, Europe, and South Korea from 1959 until it was replaced by the M16 rifle in 1970. The M14 was used for U.S. Army, Coast Guard and Marine Corps basic and advanced individual training from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s. The M14 was the last American 'battle rifle' (weapons that fire full-power rifle ammunition) issued in quantity to U.S. military personnel. The rifle remains in limited service in all branches of the U.S. military as an accurized competition and sniping weapon.

The M14 rifle’s accuracy over long ranges made it an ideal weapon for marksmen. Modified versions of the M14 rifle have been used by snipers in Afghanistan and Iraq. These M14 rifles have been modified to include scopes and fibreglass stocks. The M14 rifle is also on regular display at military funerals, parades and other ceremonies.

9. Sturmgewehr 44 or StG-44

The German-made Sturmgewehr 44 is the grandfather of all modern assault rifles. Its appearance on the World War 2 battlefield was nothing short of revolutionary. The Sturmgewehr didn’t change the outcome of the war, but it did change the philosophy of military rifle design forever.

It was the first successful and widely produced design to use a new shorter cartridge, which permitted controllable automatic fire from a weapon more compact than a battle rifle, coupled with the recognition that most aimed rifle fire in combat situations did not exceed a few hundred metres. Hitler almost had its development cancelled.

By all accounts, the StG 44 fulfilled its role effectively, particularly on the Eastern Front, offering a greatly increased volume of fire compared to standard infantry rifles. Its lasting effect was its major impact on modern infantry small arms development, giving rise to an entire class of weapons borrowing the name assault rifle.

8. M1903 Springfield

The Springfield M1903 was the first service rifle to be adopted by all branches of the United States Armed Forces. It fired the new high-velocity .30-'06 caliber cartridge which would become the standard US rifle and machine-gun round for the next 50 years.

The rifle was developed when US troops, engaged in the Spanish-American War found their bolt-action, .30 caliber Krags and .45 caliber single-shot Springfields far inferior to the bolt-action Mausers, used by the enemy. It was soon discovered that a more powerful and fast-firing rifle is required. The Krag rifles were too weak for ammunition desired by US Army authorities, and lacked some vital features, such as clip-loading, so in 1900, the state-owned Springfield armory was set up to build a new rifle, based on the battle-proven Mauser design.

Some consider the U.S. Model 1903 Springfield to be the most beautiful bolt-action military rifle ever issued. Aside from being sleek and stylish, the 1903 Springfield is also, beautifully made, reliable, rugged and accurate.

The Model 1903 Springfield was very adaptable. Many were turned to sniper use during the Great War using an elaborate Warner-Swasey scope, some were stripped down and fitted with extended 25-shot magazine for air service in observation balloons, and others were set up to take a curious semi-automatic repeating mechanism designed by John D. Pedersen, but it was made too late for use in WWI. There were also .22 trainer and target variants.

The Springfield proved itself to be an excellent match rifle, and several different versions were set up from the early 1920s into 1940. Even though the 1903 Springfield was replaced by the M1 Garand semi-auto in 1936, a variant of the rifle, the 1903A4, ended up being the principal U.S. sniper rifle of World War II.

7. Steyr AUG

The first combat rifle with a futuristic look, the Steyr AUG A1(AUG meaning Armee-Universal-Gewehr—"universal army rifle") is an ambidextrous, selective-fire Austrian assault rifle, submachine gun, or light machine gun designed in the early 1970s by Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG. It is chambered for the 5.56mm NATO cartridge.

The assault rifle is made of fiberglass reinforced polymer. Because of this, the gun is extremely lightweight, weighing only around 7 pounds. The gun is capable of firing 680 to 750 rounds per minute and because of this, features an interchangeable barrel and replacement barrels of varying lengths for various combat situations. The gun is a bullpup design, which means that the magazine is located on the butt of the gun behind the trigger. It also has a collapsible bipod mount so you can prop the gun up and shoot one handed, if necessary.

Although it may appear unorthodox at first glance, the Steyr AUG’s design allows it to be disassembled in only seconds.

It was adopted by the Austrian Army as the StG 77 (Sturmgewehr 77) in 1978, where it replaced the 7.62mm StG 58 automatic rifle (a licence-built FN FAL). In production since 1978, it is the standard small arm of the Austrian armed forces and various national police units. The rifle and its variants have also been adopted by the armed forces of Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malaysia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Pakistan, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

6. Mauser model 98K Carbine

The Karabiner 98 Kurz (Kar98k, K98, K98k) is a bolt action rifle chambered for the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge that was adopted in 1935 as the standard service rifle by the German Wehrmacht. It was one of the final developments in the long line of Mauser military rifles. Although supplemented by semi- and fully automatic rifles during World War II, it remained the primary German service rifle until the end of World War II in 1945. Because of its great accuracy, they were also fitted for use as sniper rifles.

Millions were captured by the Soviets at the conclusion of World War II and were widely distributed as military aid. The Karabiner 98k therefore continues to appear in conflicts across the world as they are taken out of storage during times of violent clashes.

The rifle is still valued highly by gun collectors.

5. FN FAL

Name a war, revolution, or revolt during the Cold War that involved the British Commonwealth, Western European nations or their allies and you found the Fabrique Nationale FAL in the hands of the soldiers fighting the battles.

The FAL, or Fusil Automatique Léger ("Light Automatic Rifle"), is a semi-automatic/selective fire battle rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FN). During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries, with the notable exception of the United States. It is one of the most widely used rifles in history, having been used by more than 90 countries.

In many ways, it was the West’s answer to the Kalashnikov, albeit firing the heavier 7.62 x 51-millimeter NATO round instead of the AK-47’s 7.62 x 39-millimeter intermediate round.

Despite its weight and size, the FAL is one of the longest battle rifles of the 20th century. It was easy to maintain, field strip and clean. It reassembled without special tools and it was a select-fire weapon.

It was well-suited for jungle warfare. The rifle could punch through thick foliage. It was also a far more reliable weapon than the early version of the M-16. The FAL rarely jammed or misfired—problems that plagued the M-16 for years.

"The Right Arm of the Free World", as it’s been affectionately called, may rightfully claim its place as being the greatest rifle that answered the call during those uncertain days of the Cold War. While never an assault rifle, it made its mark as the last of the great battle rifles.

4. M1 Garand

"In my opinion, the M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised."- Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.

The U.S. Rifle M1 Garand was a semi-automatic rifle chambered for the .30-06 Springfield rifle cartridge. It was the first standard-issue semi-automatic rifle to be the standard small arm of the US Military, and the first semi-automatic rifle to be adopted by a major military power. It was the product of a genius, John Cantius Garand. While the M1 Rifle was never officially referred to as the Garand, it is known by no other name so widely. First adopted in 1936, the M1 Rifle served the US in World War II, Korea, a host of "police actions" and interventions, and, in the hands of allies, in the Vietnam War. Even there the US Army fielded accurized sniper M1 rifles even though the M1 had by that time been supplanted by the M14 and later the M16.

Today, the M1 remains in use for drill purposes. To many, the M1 Rifle has a classic elegance and grace characteristic of a bygone era, when steel was forged in white heat and walnut was carefully shaped for both form and function. There will never be again such a rifle, so brimming with the genius of an individual mind, so well constructed to outlive us all, so sculpted for the hand to handle.

3. Lee–Enfield

The Lee–Enfield is a bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle was the main firearm used by the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during the first half of the 20th century. It was the British Army's standard rifle from its official adoption in 1895 until 1957.

A redesign of the Lee-Metford, the Lee-Enfield superseded the earlier Martini-Henry, Martini-Enfield, and Lee-Metford rifles. It featured a ten-round box magazine which was loaded with the .303 British cartridge manually from the top, either one round at a time or by means of five-round chargers. The Lee-Enfield was the standard issue weapon to rifle companies of the British Army and other Commonwealth nations in both World Wars.

It is considered as one of the best bolt action battle rifles, fast-firing, powerful and reliable. While being less suitable for sporting than Mausers, they are still popular among civilians as a hunting and plinking weapons, and also as a part of the history. Lee-Enfields in all its guises served the Britain and the British Commonwealth for more than 60 years in the front line service and much longer as a specialized weapon (training and sniper).

Although officially replaced in the U.K. with the L1A1 SLR in 1957, it remained in widespread British service until the early/mid-1960s and the 7.62 mm L42 sniper variant remained in service until the 1990s. As a standard-issue infantry rifle, it is still found in service in the armed forces of some Commonwealth nations, notably with the Indian Police and Bangladesh Police, which makes it the longest-serving military bolt-action rifle still in official service. The Canadian Forces' Rangers Arctic reserve unit still use Enfield No.4 rifles as of 2012, with plans announced to replace the weapons sometime in 2014 or 2015. Total production of all Lee-Enfields is estimated at over 17 million rifles.

2. M16

The M16 is the United States military select-fire adaptation of the AR-15 rifle. The rifle was adapted for semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56;45mm NATO cartridge. The rifle entered United States Army service and was deployed for jungle warfare operations in South Vietnam in 1963, becoming the U.S. military's standard service rifle of the Vietnam War by 1969, replacing the M14 rifle in that role.

This weapon was designed in the late 1950s. At the time it was a very progressive design. The US Army demanded for a super light weapon. So the M16 has a number of lightweight materials in order to save weight. It uses aluminum in place of steel, fiberglass construction in place of wood. Also it has an ergonomic design. It incorporated many features, never seen before. At the time of its introduction it was called the "Space Rifle".

The barrel is in one line with the buttstock. This feature significantly reduces the recoil. It operates smoothly during fully automatic fire and is very easy to control. Consequently it is much more accurate during automatic fire than many other assault rifles. Its superior accuracy gives it a decisive advantage.

This superior weapon works great in battle, although it does have some faults. Newer models have a Picatinny-type rail and support various optics and detacheable accessories. It can be also fitted with under-barrel grenade launcher.

Since its introduction this assault rifle was constantly improved. This influential weapon was built in hundreds of variants. Approximately 8 million of these assault rifles were manufactures. The M16 and its derivatives are used by more than 70 countries around the world.

A lot of people like to compare the M16 versus the AK-47. The M16 has 3 main advantages over AK-47, including range, accuracy and weight.

As of 2010, the U.S. Army is supplementing the M16 in combat units with the M4 carbine, which is a smaller version of the M16 because of the smaller-sized M4’s overall lighter weight and maneuverability in close quarters urban combat.

1. AK-47

The AK-47 is a a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62x39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is also known as Kalashnikov, AK, or in Russian slang, Kalash. Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year of World War II (1945). After the war in 1946, the AK-47 was presented for official military trials. In 1948, the fixed-stock version was introduced into active service with selected units of the Soviet Army. An early development of the design was the AKS (folding), which was equipped with an underfolding metal shoulder stock. In 1949, the AK-47 was officially accepted by the Soviet Armed Forces and used by the majority of the member states of the Warsaw Pact.

The weapon was known for unsurpassed reliability. This assault rifle can withstand any misuse and abuse that soldier can throw at it. It is not very accurate, but will operate in worst conditions possible.

This weapon has a remarkable advantage of simplicity. It is simple in design, is made of common materials and uses readily available machining technology. The parts can be manufactured with less precision. From an engineering standpoint it is a low-tech weapon. Production of these rifles can be established at any factory, that makes steel products. No wonder the Kalashnikov assault rifles are being produced all over the world. Also it is simple to maintain.

Compared with the M16, it has simplicity and unmatched reliability. However, its beaten in terms of range and accuracy.

The AK-47’s substantial reliability even under harsh conditions, low production costs compared to contemporary Western weapons, availability in virtually every geographic region and ease of use have made it wildly popular. The AK-47 has been manufactured in many countries and has seen service with armed forces as well as irregular forces worldwide, and was the basis for developing many other types of individual and crew-served firearms. More AK-type rifles have been produced than all other assault rifles combined.

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References:

wikipedia.org
www.washingtontimes.com
www.thebalance.com
www.gunsandammo.com
dailycaller.com
www.ammoland.com
specialoperations.com
warisboring.com
www.fulton-armory.com
www.military-today.com

Images sources: Pixabay and Google images for noncommercial use

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