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Assault rifle

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This article is about automatic firearms used by many military and law enforcement organizations. For semi-automatic firearms restricted by some United States laws, seeassault weapon.

StG 44 German assault rifle with curved magazine and wooden stock facing left
TheStG 44was adopted by theWehrmachtin 1944. It fires the7.92×33mm Kurzround.
AK-47 assault rifle with curved magazine and wooden stock facing left
Currently the most used assault rifle in the world along with its variants, theAKMand theAK-74,theAK-47was first adopted in 1949 by theSoviet Army.It fires the7.62×39mmM43 round.
M16 assault rifle with triangular stock facing left
TheM16was first introduced into service in 1964 with the United States Armed Forces. It fires the5.56×45mm NATOcartridge, and is the most produced assault rifle in its caliber.

Anassault rifleis aselect fireriflethat uses anintermediate-rifle cartridgeand adetachable magazine.[1][2][3][4][5]Assault rifles were first put intomass productionand accepted into widespread service during World War II. The first assault rifle to see major usage was the GermanStG 44,a development of the earlierMkb 42.[6][7][8]While immediately after World War II,NATOcountries were equipped withbattle rifles,the development of theM16 rifleduring theVietnam Warprompted the adoption of assault rifles by the rest of NATO. By the end of the 20th century, assault rifles had become thestandard weaponin most of the world's armies, replacingfull-powered riflesandsubmachine gunsin most roles.[8]Thetwo most successfulmodern assault rifles are theAK-47and the M16 designs and their derivatives.[8]

Origin of term

The termassault rifleis generally attributed toAdolf Hitler,who used the German wordSturmgewehr(which translates to "assault rifle" ) as the new name for the MP 43 (Maschinenpistole),subsequently known as theSturmgewehr 44.[6][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]Allied propaganda suggested that the name was chosen for propaganda purposes, but the main purpose was to differentiate the Sturmgewehr from German submachine guns such as theMP 40.[15]

It has been suggested, however, that theHeereswaffenamtwas responsible for the nameSturmgewehr,and Hitler had no input besides signing theproduction order.[16][15]Furthermore, Hitler was initially opposed to the idea of a new infantry rifle, as Germany lacked the industrial capacity to replace the 12,000,000Karabiner 98krifles already in service, only changing his mind once he saw it first-hand.[17]

The StG 44 is generally considered the first selective fire military rifle to popularize the assault rifle concept.[6][8]Today, the termassault rifleis used to define firearms sharing the same basic characteristics as the StG 44.[6][8]

Definition

TheU.S. Armydefinesassault riflesas "short, compact, selective-fire weapons that fire a cartridge intermediate in power between submachine gun and rifle cartridges."[18]In this strict definition, a firearm must have at least the following characteristics to be considered an assault rifle:[2][3][4]

Rifles that meet most of these criteria, but not all, are notassault riflesaccording to the U.S. Army's definition. For example:

  • Select-fire rifles such as theFN FAL,M14,andH&K G3main battle rifles are not assault rifles; they fire full-powered rifle cartridges.
  • Semi-automatic-only rifles like theColt AR-15are not assault rifles; they do not have select-fire capabilities.
  • Semi-automatic-only rifles with fixed magazines like theSKSare not assault rifles; they do not have detachable box magazines and are not capable of automatic fire.

Distinction from assault weapons

Further information:Assault weaponandAssault weapons legislation in the United States

In the United States, selective-fire rifles are legally defined as "machine guns",and civilian ownership of those has been tightly regulated since 1934 under theNational Firearms Actand since 1986 under theFirearm Owners Protection Act.[19]However, the term "assault rifle" is often conflated with "assault weapon",a U.S. legal category with varying definitions which includes many semi-automatic weapons. This use has been described as incorrect and a misapplication of the term.[20][21]

History

Cei-Rigotti

Main article:Cei-Rigotti

The 1890s Cei-Rigotti prototype was built to fire the fully powered7.65×53mm Mauserand the weaker6.5×52mm Carcano,it was somewhat of a predecessor. However, it had its magazine fixed.

WWI designs

Fedorov Avtomat
Ribeyrolles 1918 automatic carbine


The Fedorov Avtomat (also anglicized as Federov,[22][23]Russian:Автома́т Фёдорова,romanized:Avtomát Fyódorova,IPA:[ɐftɐˈmatˈfʲɵdərəvə],lit.'Fyodorov's automatic rifle') is a select-fire infantry rifle and also one of the world's first operational automatic rifles, designed byVladimir Grigoryevich Fyodorovin 1915 and produced in theRussian Empireand later in theRussian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.A total of 3,200 Fedorov rifles were manufactured between 1915 and 1924 in the city ofKovrov;the vast majority of them were made after 1920. The weapon saw limited combat inWorld War I,but was used more substantially in theRussian Civil Warand in theWinter War.Some consider it to be an "early predecessor" or "ancestor" of the modern assault rifle.[23][24][25][26]

Breda PG

Main article:Breda PG

The 1935 Breda was built to fire the fully powered7×57mm Mauserand the weaker6.5×52mm Carcano,it was capable of fully automatic andburst fire.

Sturmgewehr 44

Main article:StG 44
Sturmgewehr 44

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 metres (1,300 ft) and that contemporary rifles were overpowered for most small arms combat.[7][8][9][27][28][29]They would soon develop a select-fire intermediate powered rifle combining the firepower of a submachine gun with the range and accuracy of a rifle.[7][8][9][27][28][29]

The result was the Sturmgewehr 44, an improvement of the earlierMaschinenkarabiner 42(H),and approximately half a million Sturmgewehrs were produced by the war's end.[7][8][9][28][29]It fired a new and revolutionary intermediate powered cartridge, the 7.92×33mm Kurz.[6][7][8][9][28][29][30]This new cartridge was developed by shortening the standard7.92×57mm Mauserround and giving it a lighter 125-grain bullet, which limited range but allowed for more controllable automatic fire.[6][7][8][9][28][29][30]A smaller, lighter cartridge also allowed soldiers to carry more ammunition "to support the higher consumption rate of automatic fire."[8][27]

The Sturmgewehr 44 features an inexpensive, easy-to-make, stamped steel design and a 30-round detachable box magazine.[31]"This weapon was the prototype of all successful automatic rifles. Characteristically (and unlike previous rifles) it had a straight stock with the barrel under the gas cylinder to reduce the turning moment of recoil of the rifle in the shoulder and thus help reduce the tendency of shots to climb in automatic fire. The barrel and overall length were shorter than a traditional rifle and it had apistol gripto hold the weapon more securely in automatic fire. "The principle of this weapon—the reduction of muzzle impulse to get usable automatic fire within the actual ranges of combat—was probably the most important advance in small arms since the invention ofsmokeless powder."[30]

AK-47

Main article:AK-47
Variants of AK

Like the Germans, the Soviets were influenced by experience showing that most combat engagements occur within 400 metres (1,300 ft) and that their soldiers were consistently outgunned by heavily armed German troops, especially those armed with Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifles.[32][33][34][35][36][37]On July 15, 1943, a Sturmgewehr was demonstrated before thePeople's Commissariat of Arms of the USSR.[38]The Soviets were so impressed with the Sturmgewehr that they immediately set about developing an intermediate caliber automatic rifle of their own to replace the badly outdatedMosin–Nagantbolt-action rifles andPPSh-41submachine guns that armed most of the Red Army.[8][35][37][38][39][40]

The Soviets soon developed the7.62×39mm M43cartridge, which was first used in the semi-automaticSKS carbineand theRPDlight machine gun.[41]Hugo Schmeisser,the designer of the Sturmgewehr, was captured after World War II, and, likely, helped develop the AK-47 assault rifle,[17]which would quickly replace the SKS and Mosin in Soviet service.[42][43]The AK-47 was finalized, adopted and entered widespread service in the Soviet army in the early 1950s.[32]Its firepower, ease of use, low production costs, and reliability were perfectly suited for the Red Army's newmobile warfaredoctrines.[32]In the 1960s, the Soviets introduced theRPK light machine gun,itself an AK-47 type weapon with abipod,a stronger receiver, and a longer, heavier barrel that would eventually replace the RPD light machine gun.[41]

A ChineseType 56 assault rifle
A FinnishRK 62,based on the Polish licensed version of AK-47

The AK-47 was widely supplied or sold to nations allied with the USSR, and the blueprints were shared with several friendly nations (thePeople's Republic of Chinastanding out among these with theType 56).[32]As a result, more AK-type weapons have been produced than all other assault rifles combined.[44]As of 2004, "of the estimated 500 million firearms worldwide, approximately 100 million belong to the Kalashnikov family, three-quarters of which are AK-47s."[44]

Post-StG battle rifles

Main article:Battle rifle
TheM1 Garand(top) andM1 Carbine

The U.S. Army was influenced by combat experience with semi-automatic weapons such as theM1 GarandandM1 Carbine,which enjoyed a significant advantage over enemies armed primarily with bolt-action rifles.[27]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 failed to recognize the importance of the assault rifle concept,[27]and instead maintained its traditional views and preference for high-powered semi-automatic rifles.[8][27][29][45]At the time, the U.S. Army believed that the Sturmgewehr 44 was "intended in a general way to serve the same purpose as the U.S. carbine" and was in many ways inferior to the M1 carbine,[46]and was of "little importance".[27]

After 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"andThompson submachine gun.[29][47]Early experiments with select-fire versions of the M1 Garand proved disappointing.[48]During theKorean War,the select-fire M2 Carbine largely replaced the submachine gun in U.S. service[49]and became the most widely used Carbine variant.[50]Combat experience suggested that the.30 Carbineround was under-powered.[51]American weapons designers reached the same conclusion as the German and Soviet ones: an intermediate round was necessary, and recommended a small-caliber, high-velocity cartridge.[8][52]

AmericanM14

Senior American commanders had faced fanatical enemies and experienced major logistical problems during World War II and the Korean War,[53][54][55][56]and insisted that a single powerful.30 caliber cartridge be developed, that could be used by the new automatic rifle, and also by the newgeneral-purpose machine gun(GPMG) in concurrent development.[8][57][58]This culminated in the development of the7.62×51mm NATOcartridge and theM14 rifle[8][57]which was basically an improved select-fire M1 Garand with a 20-round magazine.[59][60]The U.S. also adopted theM60 GPMG,which replaced theM1919 Browning machine gunin major combat roles.[57]Its NATO partners adopted theFN FALandHeckler & Koch G3rifles, as well as theFN MAGandRheinmetall MG3GPMGs.

BelgianFN FAL

The FN FAL is a 7.62×51mm, selective fire, automatic rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturerFabrique Nationale de Herstal(FN). During theCold Warit was adopted by manyNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) countries, most notably with theBritish Commonwealthas the semi-automaticL1A1.It is one of the most widely used rifles in history, having been used by more than 90 countries.[61]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 theFree World".[62]

West GermanHeckler & Koch G3

The Heckler & Koch G3 is a 7.62×51mm, selective fire, automatic rifle produced by the German armament manufacturerHeckler & Koch GmbH(H&K) in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agencyCETME(Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales).[63]The rifle proved successful in the export market, being adopted by the armed forces of over 60 countries.[64]After World War II, German technicians involved in developing theSturmgewehr 45,continued their research in France at CEAM. The StG 45 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 StG 45 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 theMP5 SMG.

M16

Main article:M16 rifle

The first confrontations between the AK-47 and the M14 ( "assault rifle" vs "battle rifle" ) came in the early part of theVietnam War.Battlefield reports indicated that the M14 was uncontrollable in full-auto and that soldiers could not carry enough ammunition to maintain fire superiority over the AK-47.[8][59][65]And, while the M2 Carbine offered a high rate of fire, it was under-powered and ultimately outclassed by the AK-47.[66]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.

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 mm) select-fire rifle weighing 2.7 kg (6 lb) when loaded with a 20-round magazine.[29]The 5.56 mm round had to penetrate a standard U.S.helmetat 460 metres (500 yd) and retain a velocity in excess of the speed of sound, while matching or exceeding the wounding ability of the.30 Carbine cartridge.[67]

This request ultimately resulted in the development of a scaled-down version of theArmaLite AR-10,called theArmaLite AR-15rifle.[8][68][69][70]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.[8][59][68]In January 1963, Secretary of DefenseRobert McNamaraconcluded that the AR-15 was the superior weapon system and ordered a halt to M14 production.[59][68][71]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 it was on AR-10 to the rear of the receiver),[69]the newly redesigned rifle was subsequently adopted as the M16 Rifle.[8][59][68][72]"(The M16) was much lighter compared to the M14 it replaced, ultimately allowing soldiers to carry more ammunition. The air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed assault rifle was made of steel, aluminum alloy and composite plastics, truly cutting-edge for the time. Designed with full and semi-automatic capabilities, the weapon initially did not respond well to wet and dirty conditions, sometimes even jamming in combat. After a few minor modifications, the weapon gained in popularity among troops on the battlefield."[59][73][74]

Despite its early failures, the M16 proved to be a revolutionary design and stands as the longest continuously serving rifle in American military history.[68][72]It has been adopted by many U.S. allies and the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge has become not only the NATO standard but "the standard assault-rifle cartridge in much of the world."[68][75][76]It also led to the development of small-caliber high-velocity service rifles by every major army in the world, including the USSR and People's Republic of China.[68]Today, many small arms experts consider the M16 the standard by which all other assault rifles are judged.[68][77][78]

HK33

Main article:Heckler & Koch HK33
HK33A2

During the 1960s other countries would follow the Americans' lead and begin to develop 5.56×45mm assault rifles, most notably Germany with theHeckler & 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, bi-pods, etc.) that could be easily removed and arranged in a variety of configurations.

5.56mm NATO

Main article:5.56×45mm NATO
The7.62×51mm NATOand 5.56×45mm NATO cartridges compared to anAA 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.[79][80][81]In 1961 marksmanship testing, the U.S. Army found that 43% of AR-15 shooters achieved Expert, while only 22% of M-14 rifle shooters did so. Also, a lowerrecoilimpulse, allows for more controllable automatic weapons fire.[79][80][81]

In March 1970, the U.S. recommended that all NATO forces adopt the 5.56×45mm cartridge.[76]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.[76]The U.S. offered the 5.56×45mm M193 round, but there were concerns about its penetration in the face of the wider introduction ofbody armor.[29]In the end the Belgian 5.56×45mm SS109 round was chosen (STANAG4172) in October 1980.[76]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 metres or 2,000 feet).[29]

Also during the 1970s, Finland, Israel, and South Africa introduced AK type assault rifles in 5.56×45mm.[82]Sweden began the transition with trails in 1981 and full adaptation in 1986. During the 1990s, Russia developed theAK-101in 5.56×45mm NATO for the world export market.[83][84]In addition, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Yugoslavia (i.e., Serbia) have also rechambered their locally produced assault rifles to 5.56mm NATO.[85][86]

AK-74

Main article:AK-74
AK-74rifle
Kalashnikov riflefamily:AK-47,AK-74andAK-12(left) as well as rareOTs-14,AN-94,andAEK-971

The AK-74 assault rifle was a Soviet answer to the U.S. M16.[87][88][89]The Soviet military realized that the M16 had better range and accuracy over the AKM, and that its lighter cartridge allowed soldiers to carry more ammunition. Therefore, in 1967, the USSR issued an official requirement to replace the AKM and the 7.62×39mm cartridge.[90]They soon began to develop the AK-74 and the5.45×39mmcartridge.[68][91][92]AK-74 production began in 1974,[90]and it was unveiled in 1977, when it was carried by Sovietparachute troopsduring the annualRed Square parade.[93]It would soon replace the AKM and become the standard Soviet infantry rifle.[93]In 1979, the AK-74 saw combat for the first time inAfghanistan,[94]where the lethality of the 5.45mm rounds led to theMujahadeendubbing them "poison bullets".[95] The adoption of the 5.56mm NATO and the Russian 5.45×39mm cartridges cemented the worldwide trend toward small caliber, high-velocity cartridges.[68]

Compact assault rifles

A USAF security policeman aims hisColt Commandoduring a live-fire demonstration, part of Operation Desert Shield. Note the large flash hider.

Following the adoption of the M16, carbine variants were also adopted for close quarters operations. The AR-15 family of weapons served through the Vietnam War. However, these compact assault rifles had design issues, as "the barrel length was halved" to 10 inches (250 mm) which "upset the ballistics", reducing its range and accuracy and leading "to considerable muzzle flash and blast, so that a large flash suppressor had to be fitted".[96]"Nevertheless, as a short-range weapon it is quite adequate and thus, [despite] its caliber, [theColt Commando] is classed as a submachine gun. "[96]Other compact assault rifles, such as theHK53,AKS-74Uand theDaewoo K1,have been made and they have also been called submachine guns.[97]

Bullpups

Main article:Bullpup
Steyr AUG

In 1977, Austria introduced the 5.56×45mmSteyr AUGbullpup rifle, often cited as the first successfulbullpup rifle,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 5.56×45mmFAMASbullpup rifle. In 1985, the British introduced the 5.56×45mmL85bullpup rifle. In the late 1990s, Israel introduced the 5.56mm NATOTavor TAR-21.In 1997, China adopted theQBZ-95in the new5.8×42mmcartridge, which they claim is superior to both the 5.56×45mm and the 5.45×39mm. By the turn of the century, the bullpup assault rifle design had achieved worldwide acceptance.

Heckler & Koch G36

Main article:Heckler & Koch G36
Heckler & Koch G36with a loaded 30-round magazine

The Heckler & Koch G36 is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle, designed in the early 1990s by Heckler & Koch in Germany as a replacement for the heavier G3. It was accepted into service with theBundeswehrin 1997, replacing the G3.[98]The G36 isgas-operatedand feeds from a 30-round detachablebox magazineor 100-roundC-Magdrum magazine.[citation needed]The G36 was made with the extensive use of lightweight, corrosion-resistant synthetic materials in its design; the receiver housing, stock, trigger group (including the fire control selector and firing mechanism parts), magazine well, handguard and carrying handle are all made of acarbon fiber-reinforcedpolyamide.The receiver has an integratedsteelbarrel trunnion (with locking recesses) and a nylon 66 steel reinforced receiver.[99]The standardBundeswehrversions of the G36 are equipped with a unique ZF 3×4° dual optical sight that combines a 3× magnified telescopic sight and an unmagnifiedreflex sightmounted on top of the telescopic sight.[98]Widely distributed, it has been adopted by over 40 countries and prompted other nations to develop similar composite designs, such as theFX-05 Xiuhcoatl.

See also

Citations

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  37. ^ab[5]Archived2015-09-06 at theWayback MachineM16 Rifle Case Study. Prepared for the President's Blue Ribbon Defense Panel. March 16, 1970. By Richard R. Hallock, Colonel U.S. Army (Retired) "Used in quantity against the Soviets at Stalingrad, the German Sturmgewehr made a deep impression on the Russians. They copied the ballistics of the cartridge while improving the configuration and improving the weapon. They standardized the weapon in 1947 as the AK-47 rifle."
  38. ^ab[6]Archived2015-10-15 at theWayback Machine"The history of the world-known gun started on July 15th, 1943, when a captured complex—an MP-43 gun and a cartridge—were demonstrated at a meeting of the arms committee. Chief designer Nikolay Elizarov and chief engineer Pavel Ryazanov created the Soviet" interim cartridge "within a very short period of time. The technological support was provided by Boris Syomin. After that, scientists started working on a new fire arms system for that cartridge." The History of Kalashnikov Gun. Pravda. 02.08.2003
  39. ^""Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. Kalashnikov, by then a sergeant, was injured within months when a shell stopped his T-34 tank and sent shrapnel through his shoulder. As Soviet history tells it, while Sgt. Kalashnikov recuperated, he began tinkering with infantry weapons, eventually setting his mind on designing a lightweight automatic assault rifle that would expel the better-armed Nazis from Russian soil. Soviet infantry fought World War II with two basic small arms: one was the badly outdated Mosin–Nagant Model 1891 bolt-action rifle. The other was the PPSh series of submachine guns, reliable arms that were effective but only at short range. Something better was needed, and that something was in the hands of the Nazi Wehrmacht. It was called the MP44 Sturmgewehr (assault rifle), and it could fire in full or semiautomatic mode. Chambered for a revolutionary new cartridge, a short 7.92mm round that was less powerful than a full-size rifle cartridge, yet far more powerful than the pistol cartridges for which submachine guns were chambered, the Sturmgewehr made a deep impression on the Soviets who faced it." The Father of 100 Million Rifles Mikhail Kalashnikov was a poor Russian farm boy who happened to be a mechanical genius, and for better or for worse, the rifle he designed has changed history. Article by C.J. Chivers. Uploaded on February 28, 2006 ".25 December 2013.Archivedfrom the original on August 15, 2016.RetrievedJuly 8,2016.
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  42. ^[8]Archived2017-05-10 at theWayback MachineInterview with AK-47 rifle inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov. 'I sleep soundly' Shamed by his parents' exile, he was determined to do his bit for the Soviet cause. And so Mikhail Kalashnikov invented what was to become the world's most prolific killing machine. Nick Paton Walsh tracks down the 83-year-old at his tranquil lakeside. by Nick Paton Walsh.The Guardian,Thursday 9 October 2003
  43. ^"Interview with AK-47 rifle inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov. Russia celebrates Mikhail Kalashnikov's 90th birthday – the designer who armed the world. This online supplement is produced and published byRossiyskaya Gazeta(Russia), which takes sole responsibility for the content ".Archived fromthe originalon 2015-12-09.Retrieved2018-04-06.
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References

Further reading

  • Crawford, S. (2003).Twenty-First Century Small Arms.MBI Publishing Company.ISBN0-7603-1503-5.
  • Cutshaw, C. (2006).Tactical Small Arms of the 21st Century.Gun Digest Books.ISBN0-87349-914-X.
  • Halls, Chris (1974).Guns in Australia.Sydney: Paul Hamlyn.ISBN0-600-07291-6.
  • Lewis, J. (2004).Assault Weapons: An In-Depth Look at the Hottest Weapons Around.Krause Publications.ISBN0-87349-658-2.
  • Popenker, M., et al. (2004).Assault Rifle: The Development of the Modern Military Rifle and Its Ammunition.Wiltshire, UK: The Crowood Press Ltd.ISBN1-86126-700-2.
  • Senich, P. (1987).German Assault Rifle: 1935–1945.Paladin Press.ISBN0-87364-400-X.

External links

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