Top Ten Combat Rifles Of All Time #10-#7
Military.com has rated their “Top Ten Combat Rifles Of All Time” here is #10-#7:
10. M14 (pictured above)
Type: Semi or Fully Automatic Rifle
Caliber: 7.62 x 51 mm (.30 inch)
Muzzle Velocity: Approximately 2,799 feet per second
Rate of Fire: 700–750 rounds per minute
By the end of World War II, with an American infantry platoon carrying as many as four different weapons — and four types of ammo — the U.S. Army decided to develop a single weapon that could fulfill multiple roles. The result was the M14. First fielded in 1957, the rugged, accurate new rifle had plenty of stopping power with the standard NATO 7.62 mm round. It first saw major action in Vietnam, where soldiers liked its performance but struggled with the weight of both gun and ammunition. Before long it was phased out in favor of the lighter M16, but a few frontline units still use the classic weapon, primarily as a sniper rifle.
9. STURMGEWEHR 44
Type: Semi or Fully Automatic Assault Rifle
Country of Origin: Germany
Caliber: 7.92 x 33 mm (.30 inch0,br> Cartridge Capacity: 30 rounds
Muzzle Velocity: Approximately 2,133 feet per second
Rate of Fire: 500 rounds per minute
The Wehrmacht hadn’t been at war with the Soviet Union for long when it became clear that German infantry with their bolt-action Mausers were often at a disadvantage in firefights with Russian automatic weapons. In response, German armament developers came up with a revolutionary new weapon: the first “assault rifle” (the literal translation of the German Sturmgewehr). The key to its success was a shorter 7.92 mm round that allowed for effective automatic fire and permitted soldiers to carry sufficient ammunition. The Sturmgewehr came too late to play a significant role in World War II, but it wins high marks for innovation.
8. 1903 SPRINGFIELD
Type: Bolt-Action Rifle
Country of Origin: United States
Caliber: 7.62 x 63 mm (.30-06 inch)
Cartridge Capacity: 5 rounds
Muzzle Velocity: Approximately 2,700 feet per second
Rate of Fire: 10 rounds per minute
The relatively poor performance of the Norwegian Krag-Jorgensen rifle used by U.S. troops in the Spanish-American War led American planners to look elsewhere for a standard infantry weapon. They “borrowed” the more effective action found on the German 7mm Mauser, added a few modifications, and produced a magazine-fed rifle that boasted phenomenal accuracy. The 1903 quickly gained a reputation as an outstandingly accurate and powerful firearm — at the Battle of Belleau Woods in 1918, U.S. Marines armed with Springfields cut down enemy counterattacks from 700 to 800 yards away. The rifle continued in service through World War II and Korea and even saw combat as a sniper rifle in Vietnam.
7. STEYR AUG
Type: Semi or Fully Automatic Bull-Pup Assault Rifle
Country of Origin: Austria
Caliber: 5.56 x 45 mm (.22 inch)
Cartridge Capacity: 30 and 42 rounds
Muzzle Velocity: Approximately 3,084 feet per second
Rate of Fire: 650 rounds per minute
Looking more like a weapon from a science-fiction movie, the Steyr’s only serious “flaw” is the advanced design that seemed to scare away potential customers after its introduction in 1977. In this radically new “bull-pup” configuration most of the barrel, receiver and action, instead of being in front of the operator’s firing hand, is all moved back in the stock, resulting in a remarkably compact weapon that is light and easy to handle. The Steyr also features an interchangeable barrel system, a transparent magazine, and optional left or right shell ejection capability.
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What?!? Just went through all three of them and they don’t have the BAR anywhere? That just doesn’t seem right. I would think it would be on the list over the STEYR AUG, the M14 or the Lee-Enfield.
January 11th, 2008 at 2:52 pmI think BAR=M14
January 11th, 2008 at 3:00 pmThe BAR was developed in 1917, 40 years before the M14 and fired a .30-06 round compared to the 7.62 round. Completely different weapon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browning_Automatic_Rifle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M14_rifle
January 11th, 2008 at 3:10 pmI also think that the Thompson should be in the top 10 over a couple of the others.
January 11th, 2008 at 3:12 pmWell, I guess the Thompson wouldn’t fall under the definition of a rifle, so that would explain that.
January 11th, 2008 at 3:14 pmThe Steyr AUG doesn’t deserve a place on this list. Where is the Mosin-Nagant M91/30? It should be above or near the Kar-98. I’ll assume that for this list, the M2 doesn’t count as a “rifle,” though I have seen pictures of the ma deuce with optics in Korea
This list is flawed.
January 11th, 2008 at 3:16 pmYou’d think the barrett rifles would make the list as a dominate force in today war theater.
January 11th, 2008 at 3:25 pmI like the option to have spent shell casings eject to the left or right, like the Steyr. Shoothing 16’s and M4’s as a left handed shot sucks because the gas from the breach blasts right back in your face. I wish we could do something like that for our weapons.
January 11th, 2008 at 4:06 pmPDizzle, Stag Arms makes completely left handed AR-15s. The guys in the Army are still out of luck though.
January 11th, 2008 at 6:33 pmI think the BAR was probably not mentioned because it was developed as a light machine gun. I would wager that in the follow up countdown for machine guns it will rank in the top 5.
January 11th, 2008 at 9:08 pmWhat no BAR or Garand?
January 11th, 2008 at 9:25 pmSTG 77 is a good weopen and were widely used and still are
This list is about production and how many were actually used in combat
It’s odd as I was just watching a video about this yesterday
January 11th, 2008 at 10:13 pm