The best rifles of the twentieth century. Discovery Selection
Individual long-barreled small weapon with a rifled barrel is the main weapon of a soldier of any army. The American TV channel Discovery once again pleased the world with its next weapon rating, the results of which selected the best rifle of the twentieth century. Despite some bias and bias of the “Military Channel” broadcasts, I consider that it is always useful to get acquainted with a foreign view on the topic of interest to us.
Each model was evaluated by military experts on the 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 the experts at all - in their opinion, good small arms have been used in the regular army for decades, and then get a second life in regional conflicts, with which the Twentieth Century abounds. To make sure that these words are true, it suffices to recall the Mosinskoye “trilinea” of the 1891 model of the year, the Kalashnikov assault rifle or the legendary Colt М1911 - the index speaks for itself, but even after 100 years, the pistol does not seem anachronistic and is still massively used throughout the world.
By the way, this is probably the only rating with a quite predictable final.
10 place - Rifle, beating outright.
Automatic rifle M14
Caliber: 7,62 mm
Muzzle speed: m / s 850
Rate of Fire: 700-750 rds / min.
Store capacity: 20 cartridges
During World War II, the US Army faced a major problem: each infantry platoon used three types of small arms with various ammunition: the standard M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle (0.30-06 caliber), the Thompson submachine gun of the Xth caliber, and the manual machine gun "Browning" M45 (1918 x 7,62 mm). The result of the work on the theme “universal small arms” was the creation of an automatic rifle, the M63; The M14 used a full-sized 1957 caliber cartridge (the powder charge is 76 times as large as the AK-14), thanks to which the rifle had a large effective range of fire and high ammunition slaughter.
However, in practice, the new rifle was unsuitable for combat: an extremely powerful ammunition did not allow to fire in bursts without using bipods - at a distance of 100 meters 3-I bullet in the queue went to 10 meters above the starting point of aiming. Most of the rifles were issued to soldiers with the interpreter of the fire regimes removed - firing in bursts from the M14 was nothing more than a waste of ammunition. After tormenting the M14 for several years, the Americans adopted a new automatic weapon for a low-pulse cartridge. In the 1964 year military career M14 as the main military rifles over, but high power and excellent accuracy of this unfortunate machine helped to create on its basis the line of special rifles - semi-automatic sniper rifle M21, precision-guided weapons for special forces - M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle, Sniper Rifle TEI M89 -SR for the Israel Defense Forces, rifle for the Armed Forces of Lithuania, etc.
9 location - First assault rifle
Automatic assault rifle Sturmgewehr 44
Caliber: 7,92 mm
Muzzle velocity: 650 m / s
Rate of Fire: 500 rds / min.
Store capacity: 30 cartridges
So unique weapon that its creation was hidden even from Hitler. In the middle of World War II, the Wehrmacht came to the idea
creating a new small arms, combining a high rate of fire of a submachine gun and the power of a long-barreled rifle. German designers have found a brilliant solution - an intermediate cartridge 7,92 x 33 mm. Now the recoil did not pull the machine out of the hands; nevertheless, the effective range and destructive power of the ammunition fully corresponded to the classic long-barreled rifle. And thanks to the reduction in the mass of the cartridge, wearable ammunition increased.
Alas, Uncle Adolf himself stood in the way of a successful project - fortunately for our soldiers, Hitler did not appreciate the advantages of the intermediate cartridge and closed the project. But the huge firepower of the machine guns impressed the military so much that in 1943, they began mass production 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 deception that had opened up, Hitler independently came up with a resounding name for the new “vundervaffe” - Sturmgewehr 44 (“Hurricane rifle”).
Despite the primitiveness of the design, the German machine gun is rightly praised for the innovative nature of the design - there are still disputes whether the legendary Kalashnikov machine gun was created under the impression of the StG 44.
8 Place - American Long-Liver
Longitudinal Sliding Rifle Springfield M1903
Caliber: 7,62 mm
Muzzle velocity: 820 m / s.
Rate of Fire: 10 rds / min.
Clip Capacity: 5 Cartridges
The American rifle of the early twentieth century, one of many successful designs created at the time. Accurate and reliable weapons.
In 1941, the American soldiers went into battle with the same rifles as their 20 fathers years ago. New rifles M1 "Garand" was simply not enough, and the Marines had to use the Springfield M1903 in battle, but objectively the rifle was not outdated at that time, surpassing all Japanese designs in basic characteristics. It was also used in Vietnam as a special sniper rifle (“What didn’t exist there, in this Vietnam!” - the reader will exclaim, and he will be right - weapons from all over the world have been fighting there, from different time periods). Nowadays, Springfields are carefully kept in many American families.
A good weapon, but, in my opinion, the creators of the program could find more interesting things for rating. Americans paid tribute to their traditions, their rating - they have the right.
7 seat - Back to front
Automatic rifle Steyr aug
Caliber: 5,56 mm
Muzzle velocity: 940 m / s
Rate of Fire: 650 fps / min
Magazine capacity: Cartridge 30 or 42
The exotic design and technology of the Austrian rifle “Steyr AUG” became a real challenge to the army tradition. The Armee Universal Gewehr complex of small arms that appeared in 1977, revealed a new direction in the design of small arms — automata according to the bullpup scheme, in which the magazine and the gate unit are located behind the fire control handle and the trigger. This gave the rifle lightness and compactness, and also increased the accuracy of fire. Other interesting features of the Steyr AUG include: a set of quick-detachable barrels of various lengths (a dozen seconds are needed for replacement), a built-in optical sight of low magnification, the absence of a translator of fire modes (the choice of modes is carried out by pressing the trigger), the adaptation of the weapon for the first time for right and left-handers.
But, despite its outstanding technical characteristics and excellent Austrian quality, Steyr was not widely spread in the world - besides the Austrian army, it is manufactured under license in Australia, used in some Arab countries and in the US Coast Guard. The unusual appearance of the machine scared away most potential customers.
By the way, the experts made a mistake - the first automatic rifle built according to the “bullpup” scheme was the Korovin machine gun created in 1945. Unfortunately, the unfinished construction and the overall low technical level of execution did not allow him to pass the tests successfully.
6 seat - Hitler's favorite rifle
Longitudinal Sliding Rifle Mauser K98k
Caliber: 7,92 mm.
Muzzle velocity: 860 m / s.
Rate of Fire: 10-15 fps / min
Store capacity: 5 cartridges
Adopted by the Reichsheer in 1898, the Mauser K98 rifle absorbed the most promising achievements of the then weapon science. Among them: smokeless powder, clips with cartridges that can simply be inserted into the store, and, finally, the longitudinal-sliding rotary bolt - fast and simple, still used in most hunting rifles.
It is no wonder that the rifle appealed to the young corporal A. Hitler. In 1935, a shortened version of the “Mauser K98” was adopted by the Wehrmacht army, receiving the nickname “Mauser K98k”.
In 1943, during the preparation of the assassination attempt on Hitler (planned to parachute two elite snipers in the area of Hitler’s alpine residence), British intelligence asked the question: which rifle to use in the operation. The answer was clear: only the Mauser M98k due to its high accuracy. Gradually, the situation changed, along with it changed plans to eliminate the mustache Fuhrer. In 1944, the British canceled the operation altogether: Hitler did Germany more harm than good with its stupid orders.
9 May 1945 years story The Third Reich ended, and the story of the "Mauser KHNUMXk" continued. The kosher rifle became the main small arms of the Israel Defense Forces (although Americans are cunning - in the early years of the IDF’s existence, its small arms were a hodgepodge from all over the world, and the Mauser was far from the main one, but not the last).
5 Place - The Right Hand of the Free World
Automatic rifle FN FAL
Caliber: 7,62 mm
Muzzle velocity: 820 m / s.
Rate of Fire: 650-700 fps / min
Store capacity: 20 cartridges
The FN FAL assault rifle has become a symbol of the struggle of Western civilization for the ideals of freedom and democracy - weapons have been supplied to 70 countries of the world, in the USA it is still being manufactured. The “Big Belgian barrel” was originally calculated on shorter ammunition, but due to the standardization of weapons inside the NATO block, it was remade to fit the powerful American cartridge 7,62 x 51 mm. Despite the excessive power, the engineers of the Factories Nacional managed to achieve a more or less acceptable accuracy of automatic fire. The result was 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 and was used in the jungles of Vietnam by units of the Canadian and Australian armies, where it showed itself from a better side than the American M16. Funny embarrassment happened during the Falklands conflict - British marines and Argentine soldiers shot at each other from the FN FAL.
4 place - Weapons of the victors in the Second World War
Semi-automatic rifle M1 "Garand"
Caliber: 7,62 mm
Muzzle velocity: 860 m / s
Rate of fire: up to 30 shots per minute.
Clip Capacity: 8 Cartridges
A true legend, a symbol of that great generation of Americans. The soldier, armed with the M1, felt in his hands a real power - the semi-automatic eight-charge rifle was the world's best infantry weapon at that time.
The M1 "Garand", named after the Canadian engineer John Garand, entered service in 1936 year and remained the main rifle of the US Army until 1957 year.
The poster of the Second World War - on the flag of the USA 48 stars (there are no Alaska and Hawaii)
When millions of American soldiers went to fight on foreign shores, a funny drawback suddenly appeared on the M1 rifle: 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 with a clang instantly flew out of the rifle shutter mechanism. A very convenient function in peacetime, but the enemy soldiers quickly realized that a specific sound meant that the American GiAi was unarmed. But not everything is so simple - perhaps the sly Marine snapped a spare clip on the bolt and threw the pack on the ground, waiting for the deceived Japanese to lift their heads out of hiding.
Speaking seriously, 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 snow drifts of the Ardennes. 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 transfer to the reserve, often flashed in the jungles of Vietnam.
3 place - In the service of the Empire
Longitudinal Sliding Rifle Lee-Enfield SMLE
Caliber: .303 British (mm 7,7)
Muzzle velocity: 740 m / s
Rate of Fire: 20-30 fps / min
Store capacity: 10 cartridges
Afghan Mojahed with Lee-Enfield SMLE, Kunar Province, 1985 Year
For non-automatic rifles, the Lee-Enfield SMLE had a terrifying rate of fire, thanks to the successful design of the bolt and the high-capacity magazine that could fit 10 cartridges (according to this indicator, Lee-Enfield SMLE was in the lead throughout the first half of the 20th century). A trained shooter could fire a shot from the 30 to it in a minute, turning a sieve into a 200 distance in the sieve. The Crazy Minute was one of the most spectacular performances during the British Army show.
Lee-Enfield SMLE fire density is comparable to that of modern semi-automatic rifles and carbines. Not surprisingly, these weapons passed two world wars and were used throughout the world for a long time, defending the interests of the British Empire. Between 1907 and 1975, 17 was released for millions of these slaughter rifles.
2 place - Black rifle
Automatic assault rifle M16
Caliber: 5,56 mm
Muzzle velocity: 1020 m / s.
Rate of Fire: 700-950 fps / min
Magazine capacity: 20 or 30 cartridges
In 2003, alarming information began to come from the territory of occupied Iraq - too many Iraqi soldiers were killed by a head-shot. The results of numerous atrocities with the prisoners are evident. But why are the bodies of the dead lying everywhere, did not the experienced punitives even bother to clean up evidence in the face of numerous international observers? Iraqi soldiers shot their heads where they took their last fight, leaning out of the hatches tanks and windows of houses, in trenches and on barricades. Often in equipment and with weapons in hand.
The Coalition Forces Command explained this paradox to the excellent accuracy of the M-16 rifles and the excellent training of American snipers. Thousands of people around the world stopped breathing thanks to the M16.
Comics for American soldiers: how to properly clean and disassemble the M16, 60-s. Flavored with taste
.For 50 for years, the M16 is an indispensable attribute of the American soldier. Despite the lower receiver energy, the power of the 5,56 x 45 mm low-impulse cartridge was quite enough to stop a person, often when it hit the body, the bullet began to inconceivably tumble, further increasing the wound canal. At the same time, recoil was reduced and shooting accuracy increased. The design of the automatic rifle is made of plastic and doped aluminum, so that the M16 had a minimum weight - just 2,88 kg without a magazine.
“Black Rifle” is a nickname given to the M16 by American soldiers in Vietnam, but, despite its stylish appearance, there were many problems with the new weapon. 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 the sleeves is closed with a spring-loaded shutter. In a word, you need to try to get dirt inside the M16.
Americans recognize that the M16 has excellent accuracy, but this “toy” also requires careful attention from its owner. The American assault rifle is not suitable for the partisan detachment, it was created for a professional army in which to clean and lubricate weapons is the daily duty of every soldier. In exchange, the M16 gives you the opportunity to shoot the enemy in the head with 500.
1 place - Thirty rock and roll charges. Weapon bad guys.
Automatic assault rifle AK-47
Caliber: 7,62 mm
Muzzle velocity: 710 m / s.
Rate of Fire: 600 fps / min
Store capacity: 30 cartridges
The universal killing machine, the most deadly weapon ever created by man - according to statistics, the number of people killed from the Kalashnikov assault rifle, 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 make up Kalashnikovs. Countless clones and modifications, 60 years of military service in all the hot corners of the planet. By the number of armies that 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 are smiling and shrugging their shoulders - this is probably the only time that America has lost the Soviet Union to smithereens. The reasons for the frantic popularity of "Kalash" - low cost, ease of maintenance, reliability, reliability, and once again RELIABILITY.
Osama Bin Laden and his Kalashnikov
Covered with rust and dirt, buried in the sand or thrown to the ground with all its might — the Kalashnikov automatic rifle continues to fire in any conditions. Everything that is necessary for its service - a finger and a rag. It is no coincidence that experts compared the shooting of "Kalash" with the game of rock-and-roll: the same drive, the same crazy rubilovo without stopping. True, the experts found a “flaw” in the legendary machine gun - not a very attractive design (but for some reason the ugly appearance of the Kalashnikov machine gun did not affect its worldwide commercial success). Due to its simplicity and effectiveness in any conditions, Kalash has become a loyal companion of bandits, partisans and terrorists all over the world. "Kalash" was struggling to promote in the USA - Hollywood specially worked on creating its negative image: unequivocally, "Kalash" is the weapon of the bad guys.
The same rating. AK-47 again in the first place:
Note: many phrases and statements in this text may seem strange to you. The author just translated the most funny opus experts Military Channel.
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