Individual long-barreled small arms with a rifled barrel are the main weapon of a soldier in any army. The American television channel "Discovery" again pleased the world with its next rating of weapons, according to the results of which the best rifle of the twentieth century was chosen. Despite some bias and bias in the programs of the Military Channel, I think that it is always useful to get acquainted with a foreign view on a topic of interest to us.
Each model was evaluated by military experts for accuracy of fire, combat effectiveness, originality of design, ease of use and reliability. The presented models of weapons were created throughout the twentieth century, which did not bother experts at all - in their opinion, good small arms have been used in the regular army for decades, and then they get a second life in regional conflicts, with which the twentieth century abounds. To be convinced of the validity of these words, it is enough to recall the Mosinskaya "three-line" model of 1891, the Kalashnikov assault rifle or the legendary "Colt" М1911 - the index speaks for itself, but even after 100 years the pistol does not seem an anachronism and is still widely used throughout the world.
By the way, this is perhaps the only rating with a completely predictable ending.
10th place - Rifle that hits on the spot.
Automatic rifle M14
Caliber: 7.62 mm
Muzzle velocity: 850 m / s
Rate of fire: 700-750 rds / min.
Magazine capacity: 20 rounds
During the Second World War, the American army faced a major problem: each infantry platoon used three types of small arms with different ammunition: a standard M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle (caliber 0.30-06), a Thompson 45 caliber submachine gun and a light machine gun "Browning" М1918 (7, 62 x 63 mm). The result of work on the topic of "universal small arms" was the creation of the automatic rifle M14, the weapon was put into service in 1957 (complete with the M76 grenade launcher). The M14 used a full-size cartridge of 7, 62 caliber (the powder charge is 1.5 times greater than that of the AK-47), due to which the rifle had a large effective firing range and high ammunition lethality.
However, in practice, the new rifle turned out to be of little use for combat operations: the prohibitively powerful ammunition did not allow firing in bursts without the use of bipods - at a distance of 100 meters, the 3rd bullet in the queue went 10 meters above the initial aiming point. Most of the rifles were issued to soldiers with the translator of fire modes removed - firing bursts from the M14 was nothing more than a waste of cartridges. Having suffered with the M14 for several years, the Americans adopted a new automatic weapon chambered for a low-impulse cartridge. In 1964, the M14's combat career as the main army rifle ended, but the high power and excellent accuracy of this unsuccessful machine gun made it possible to create on its basis a line of special rifles - the M21 self-loading sniper rifle, high-precision weapons for special forces - the M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle, the TEI M89 sniper rifle -SR for the Israel Defense Forces, a rifle for the Lithuanian Armed Forces, etc.
9th place - First assault rifle
Automatic assault rifle Sturmgewehr 44
Caliber: 7, 92 mm
Muzzle velocity: 650 m / s
Rate of fire: 500 rounds / min.
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
Such a unique weapon that its creation was hidden even from Hitler. In the middle of World War II, the Wehrmacht came up with the idea
creation of new small arms, combining the high rate of fire of a submachine gun and the power of a long-barreled rifle. German designers have found an ingenious solution - an intermediate cartridge 7, 92 x 33 mm. Now the recoil did not snatch the machine gun from the hands, however, the effective range and destructive power of the ammunition were quite consistent with the classic long-barreled rifle. And thanks to the decrease in the mass of the cartridge, the wearable ammunition has increased.
Alas, Uncle Adolf himself stood in the way of a successful project - fortunately for our soldiers, Hitler did not appreciate the advantages of an intermediate cartridge and closed the project. But the enormous firepower of the assault rifles impressed the military so much that in 1943 their mass production began under the "left" designation MP-43. During one of the inspection trips, the leader of the German nation was surprised by the request of the soldiers - they need more assault rifles. Despite the revealed deception, Hitler independently came up with a sonorous name for the new "wunderwaffe" - Sturmgewehr 44 ("Hurricane Rifle").
Despite the primitive design, the German assault rifle is rightfully praised for its innovative design - it is still debated whether the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle was inspired by the StG 44.
8th place - American long-liver
Bolt action rifle Springfield M1903
Caliber: 7.62 mm
Muzzle velocity: 820 m / s.
Rate of fire: 10 rounds / min.
Clip capacity: 5 rounds
An American rifle of the early twentieth century, one of the many successful designs created at that time. Accurate and reliable weapon.
In 1941, American soldiers went into battle with the same rifles as their fathers 20 years ago. New M1 Garand rifles were simply not enough, and the Marines had to use the Springfield M1903 in battle, but objectively the rifle at that time was not at all obsolete, surpassing all Japanese models in terms of basic characteristics. It was also used in Vietnam as a special sniper rifle (“What was not there, in this Vietnam!” - the reader will exclaim, and he will be right - weapons from all over the world, from different time eras, fought there). Today, Springfields are treasured by many American families.
Nice weapon, but in my opinion the creators of the show could have found more interesting things for the rating. Americans have paid tribute to their traditions, their rating is right.
7th place - Back to front
Automatic rifle Steyr AUG
Caliber: 5, 56 mm
Muzzle velocity: 940 m / s
Rate of fire: 650 rounds / min
Magazine capacity: 30 or 42 rounds
The exotic design and technology of the Austrian Steyr AUG rifle has become a real challenge to the army's traditions. The Armee Universal Gewehr small arms complex, which appeared in 1977, represented a new direction in the design of small arms - bullpup assault rifles, in which the magazine and bolt assembly are located behind the fire control handle and trigger. This gave the rifle lightness and compactness, and also increased the accuracy of fire. Among other interesting features of Steyr AUG: a set of quick-detachable barrels of different lengths (it takes a dozen seconds to replace), a built-in optical sight of low magnification, no translator of fire modes (the choice of modes is carried out by the depth of pressing the trigger), the choice of the direction of ejection of casings - the adaptation of the weapon was carried out for the first time for right-handers and left-handers.
But, despite its outstanding technical characteristics and excellent Austrian quality, "Steyr" is not widely used in the world - in addition to the Austrian army, it is licensed in Australia, used in some Arab countries and in the US Coast Guard. The unusual appearance of the machine scared off most of the potential customers.
6th place - Hitler's favorite rifle
Bolt action rifle Mauser K98k
Caliber: 7, 92 mm.
Muzzle velocity: 860 m / s.
Rate of fire: 10-15 rounds / min
Magazine capacity: 5 rounds
The Mauser K98 rifle, adopted by the Reichsheer in 1898, absorbed the most promising achievements of the then weapons science. These include: smokeless powder, cartridge clips that you can simply slide into the magazine, and finally the sliding bolt action - fast and simple, still used in most hunting rifles.
Not surprisingly, the young Corporal A. Hitler liked the rifle. In 1935, a shortened version of the "Mauser K98" was adopted by the Wehrmacht army, receiving the name "Mauser K98k".
In 1943, when preparing an assassination attempt on Hitler (it was planned to land two elite snipers in the area of Hitler's alpine residence), the question arose before British intelligence: which rifle to use in the operation. The answer was clear: only the Mauser M98k due to its high accuracy. The situation gradually changed, along with her plans to eliminate the mustachioed Fuhrer changed. In 1944, the British canceled the operation altogether: Hitler, with his stupid orders, caused Germany more harm than good.
On May 9, 1945, the history of the Third Reich ended, and the history of the Mauser K98k continued. The kosher rifle has become the main small arms of the Israel Defense Forces (although the Americans are cunning - in the first years of the IDF's existence, its small arms were a hodgepodge of all over the world, and the Mauser was far from the main one, but not the last).
5th place - Right hand of the free world
Automatic rifle FN FAL
Caliber: 7.62 mm
Muzzle velocity: 820 m / s.
Rate of fire: 650-700 rds / min
Magazine capacity: 20 rounds
The FN FAL assault rifle has become a symbol of the struggle of Western civilization for the ideals of freedom and democracy - weapons were supplied to 70 countries of the world, and they are still being produced in the USA. The "Big Belgian Barrel" was originally designed for a shorter ammunition, but in connection with the standardization of weapons within the NATO bloc, it was redesigned for the powerful American cartridge 7.62 x 51 mm. Despite the excessive power, the engineers of Fabrik Nacional managed to achieve more or less acceptable accuracy of fire in automatic fire mode. The result is a heavy classic rifle with tremendous destructive power, reliable and easy to operate.
FN FAL was the main small arms of the Israel Defense Forces during the Six Day War, used in the jungles of Vietnam by units of the Canadian and Australian armies, where it proved to be better than the American M16. A funny embarrassment happened during the Falklands Conflict - British Marines and Argentine soldiers fired at each other with FN FAL.
4th place - Weapons of the victors in World War II
Semi-automatic rifle М1 "Garand"
Caliber: 7.62 mm
Muzzle velocity: 860 m / s
Rate of fire: up to 30 rounds per minute.
Clip capacity: 8 rounds
A true legend, a symbol of that great generation of Americans. The soldier, armed with the M1, felt real power in his hands - the semi-automatic eight-shot rifle was the best infantry weapon in the world at that time.
The M1 Garand, named after Canadian engineer John Garand, entered service in 1936 and remained the primary rifle of the US Army until 1957.
When millions of American soldiers went to war on foreign shores, the M1 rifle suddenly had a curious flaw: to increase the rate of fire, John Garand used an automatic ejection of an empty pack in his weapon - after the eighth shot sounded, the clip instantly flew out of the rifle bolt mechanism with a clang. A very convenient function in peacetime, but the enemy soldiers quickly realized what a specific sound means - the American G. I. is unarmed. But not everything is so simple - perhaps the cunning marine flicked the spare clip on the bolt and threw the pack on the ground, waiting for the deceived Japanese to raise his head from the shelter.
Seriously speaking, the M1 "Garand" has shown itself in the best way in a variety of climatic conditions - in the jungles of tropical islands, the sands of the Sahara or the Ardennes snowdrifts. There were no complaints about the reliability of the rifle. The Garand was simple, powerful and had excellent shooting accuracy. Soldiers armed with the M1 fought on all fronts of the Second World War, the rifle was used in Korea and, despite the official release to the reserve, often flickered in the jungle of Vietnam.
3rd place - In the service of the Empire
Bolt action rifle Lee-enfield smle
Caliber:.303 British (7.7 mm)
Muzzle velocity: 740 m / s
Rate of fire: 20-30 rounds / min
Magazine capacity: 10 rounds
For non-automatic rifles, the Lee-Enfield SMLE had a simply terrifying rate of fire due to a successful bolt design and a high-capacity magazine that could hold 10 rounds (according to this indicator, the Lee-Enfield SMLE was in the lead throughout the first half of the twentieth century). A trained shooter could fire up to 30 shots from it in a minute, turning a target into a sieve at a distance of 200 m. "Crazy Minute" was one of the most spectacular numbers during the demonstration performances of the British Army.
The density of fire of the Lee-Enfield SMLE is comparable to that of modern semi-automatic rifles and carbines. It is not surprising that this weapon went through two world wars and was used for a long time around the world, defending the interests of the British Empire. Between 1907 and 1975, 17 million of these killer rifles were produced.
2nd place - Black rifle
Automatic assault rifle М16
Caliber: 5, 56 mm
Muzzle velocity: 1020 m / s.
Rate of fire: 700-950 rds / min
Magazine capacity: 20 or 30 rounds
In 2003, alarming reports began to flow from the territory of occupied Iraq - too many Iraqi soldiers were killed by a head-shot. The results of numerous brutal massacres of prisoners are evident. But why are the bodies of those killed lying everywhere, did the experienced punishers not even bother to remove the evidence in front of numerous international observers, if only for the sake of decency? Iraqi servicemen were shot in the head where they took their last fight, leaning out of tank hatches and windows of houses, in trenches and on barricades. Often in equipment and with weapons in hand.
The Coalition Forces Command attributed this paradox to the superior accuracy of the M-16 rifles and the excellent training of American snipers. Thousands of people around the world have stopped breathing thanks to the M16.
For 50 years, the M16 has been an indispensable attribute of the American soldier. Despite the lower barrel energy, the power of the low-impulse cartridge 5, 56 x 45 mm was quite enough to stop a person, often when it hit the body, the bullet began to tumble inconceivably, further increasing the wound channel. At the same time, recoil decreased and firing accuracy increased. The design of the automatic rifle is made of plastic and alloyed aluminum, thanks to which the M16 had a minimum weight - only 2, 88 kg without a magazine.
The Black Rifle was the nickname given to the M16 by American soldiers in Vietnam, but despite its stylish looks, the new weapon had many problems. The mechanism of the machine did not tolerate the ingress of dirt and sand. The problem was solved by sealing the rifle, for example, the window for ejection of cartridges is closed with a spring-loaded curtain. In short, you need to try to get dirt inside the M16.
The Americans admit that the M16 has excellent accuracy of fire, but this "toy" also requires careful handling from its owner. The American assault rifle is not suitable for a guerrilla unit, it is made for a professional army in which cleaning and lubricating weapons is the daily duty of every soldier. Instead, the M16 makes it possible to shoot from 500 m to the enemy in the head.
1st place - Thirty Rock and Roll Charges. The bad guy's weapon
Automatic assault rifle AK-47
Caliber: 7.62 mm
Muzzle velocity: 710 m / s.
Rate of fire: 600 rounds / min
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
A universal killing machine, the deadliest weapon ever created by man - according to statistics, the number of people killed from a Kalashnikov assault rifle is many times greater than the number of victims of atomic bombings or killed in any other way. 1/5 of all world stocks of small arms are Kalashnikov assault rifles. Countless clones and modifications, 60 years of military service in all hot corners of the planet. In terms of the number of armies that have adopted this weapon, Kalashnikov can only compete with FN FAL. AK-47 is present on the national flag of Mozambique.
How did the Russians manage to achieve such an impressive result? American experts smile and shrug their shoulders - this is probably the only time when America lost to smithereens the Soviet Union. The reasons for the frenzied popularity of "Kalash" - cheapness, ease of maintenance, reliability, reliability and again RELIABILITY.
Covered in rust and mud, buried in the sand or thrown with all its might on the ground - the Kalashnikov assault rifle continues to shoot in any conditions. All that is needed to maintain it is a finger and a rag. It is no coincidence that the experts compared Kalash shooting to the game of rock and roll: the same drive, the same reckless chopper without stopping. True, experts found a "flaw" in the legendary assault rifle - not a very attractive design (but for some reason the ugly appearance of the Kalashnikov assault rifle did not affect its worldwide commercial success at all). Due to its simplicity and efficiency in any conditions, "Kalash" has become a faithful companion of bandits, partisans and terrorists around the world. "Kalash" was promoted with all its might in the United States - Hollywood was specially working to create its negative image: clearly, "Kalash" is a weapon of bad guys.
The same rating. AK-47 again in first place:
