Assault carbine. Automatic

This question remains very popular to this day. Therefore, we decided to present to the readers a review from the fishki.net portal.

The term “assault rifle,” which came into Russian weapons terminology as a copy of the German term Sturmgewehr and the English term Assault rifle, is distinguished by the fact that, despite its wide popularity, it does not have a single clear definition.

The term “assault phase rifle” was first used by the American designer Isaac Lewis, creator of the machine gun of the same name, in relation to a line of experimental automatic rifles created in 1918-20 under the standard American rifle cartridge.30 M1906 (. 30-06, 7.62x63mm). These automatic rifles were created under the same "fire on the move" concept as the Browning BAR M1918 automatic rifle.

The authors of this concept are considered to be the French, who proposed arming the infantry with automatic rifles, suitable for firing from the shoulder or from the waist, on the move or from short stops. The purpose of these automatic rifles was to support infantry armed with conventional repeating rifles directly during an attack on enemy positions. The first production model of a weapon of this class can be considered the Shosh submachine gun of the 1915 model (Fusil Mitrailleur CSRG Mle.1915). Soon after it, the Russian automatic rifle of the Fedorov system of the 1916 model appeared, later called the “automatic”. And finally, in 1918, the already mentioned M1918 Browning automatic rifles appeared.

John Moses Browning began the creation of an automatic rifle in 1917, commissioned by the American military during the First World War. The main objective was to develop automatic weapons for infantry, suitable for firing bursts from the shoulder and even from the hip when advancing, to create a high density of fire.

Thus, the Browning system, despite its shortcomings, turned out to be tenacious - it was in service with the US Army until the 1960s, and in some places longer. It must be said that Browning was quite successful in his task - the M1918 series weapon was reliable, although expensive to manufacture. Through the efforts of the Belgians from FN Herstal, the Browning design also spread to Europe, where before the Second World War it was in service in Belgium, Poland, and Sweden , Baltic countries.

However, the M1918 is difficult to classify. Being too heavy for the original role of an automatic rifle (the M1918 is more than 2 times heavier than the M1 Garand rifle or any other army repeating rifle of that time), it, on the other hand, was not a full-fledged light machine gun due to the small magazine capacity and non-replaceable barrel . In terms of firepower, the M1918 in all modifications was inferior to such models as the Degtyarev DP-27, ZB-26 or BREN. However, it was a reliable weapon that provided increased firepower to infantry.

Sturmgewehr - Haenel / Schmeisser MP 43MP 44 Stg.44 (Germany)

The development of hand-held automatic weapons chambered for a cartridge intermediate in power between pistol and rifle began in Germany back in the mid-thirties. In 1939, the intermediate cartridge 7.92×33 mm (7.92mm Kurz), developed by the German company Polte, was chosen as the new base ammunition. In 1942, by order of the German arms department HWaA, two companies began to develop weapons for this cartridge - C.G. Haenel and Karl Walther.

In general, the Stg.44 assault rifle was a fairly successful model, providing effective fire with single shots at a range of up to 500-600 meters and automatic fire at a range of up to 300 meters, although it was, however, overly heavy and not very convenient to use, especially when shooting lying down.

There is a legend that the Kalashnikov assault rifle was copied from the Sturmgewehr and that Schmeisser himself, allegedly while in Soviet captivity, participated in the development of the AK. However, the AK and Stg.44 designs contain too many fundamentally different solutions (receiver layout, trigger device, barrel locking unit, etc.). And the very possible participation of Schmeiser in the development of the Kalashnikov assault rifle looks more than doubtful, given that the myth places Hugo Schmeiser in Izhevsk, while the experimental AK-47 was created in Kovrov.

The 7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK) is an assault rifle adopted for service in the USSR in 1949. It was designed in 1947 by Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov.

AK and its modifications are the most common small arms in the world. According to experts, one fifth of all small firearms on Earth can be attributed to this type (including licensed and unlicensed copies, as well as other AK-based developments). Over 60 years, more than 70 million Kalashnikov assault rifles of various modifications were produced. They are in service with 50 foreign armies. The main competitor of the Kalashnikov assault rifles is the American M16 automatic rifle, which was produced in quantities of approximately 10 million units and is in service with 27 armies around the world. According to many experts, the Kalashnikov assault rifle is the standard of reliability and ease of maintenance.

Based on the 7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifle, a family of military and civilian small arms of various calibers has been created, including AKM and AK74 assault rifles and their modifications, a Kalashnikov light machine gun, Saiga carbines and smoothbore guns and others.

M16 (official designation - Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is an American automatic rifle of 5.56 mm caliber, developed on the basis of the AR-15 rifle and adopted for service in the 1960s.

An automatic rifle of 5.56×45 mm caliber with an air-cooled barrel, automatic operation based on a gas engine (using the energy of powder gases) and a locking circuit by rotating the bolt. Powder gases, diverted from the barrel through a thin gas outlet tube, act directly on the bolt frame (and not on the piston, as in many other schemes), pushing it back. The moving bolt frame rotates the bolt, thereby disengaging it from the barrel. Then the bolt and bolt carrier move under the influence of residual pressure in the chamber, compressing the return spring, and at the same time the spent cartridge case is ejected. The straightening return spring pushes the bolt group back, the bolt removes a new cartridge from the magazine and sends it into the chamber, after which it engages (locks) with the barrel. This completes the automatic operation cycle and after the shot everything is repeated all over again.

The M16 and its modifications remain the main weapon of the American infantry to this day.

M16 is a rifle with a classic layout. The butt contains devices for cleaning weapons. On the right side of the receiver you can clearly see the bolt rammer (designed for manually chambering the bolt if the energy of the return spring is not enough) and the cover above the cartridge ejector window, which protects the mechanism from dirt and automatically opens when the bolt is cocked. In addition, on rifles, starting with the M16A2 modification, a reflector appeared, which allows the shooter to fire from the left shoulder without fear of cartridges getting into the face.

The rifle received its “baptism of fire” during the Indonesian-Malaysian confrontation of 1962-1966, where it was used by special units of the British army. However, the M16 gained worldwide fame during the Vietnam War, where it was widely used by the US and South Vietnamese armies.

FN FAL (French Fusil Automatique Leger - light automatic rifle) is a NATO firearm manufactured in Belgium by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal. One of the most recognized and widespread automatic rifles.
The FN FAL was originally developed for the 7.92x33mm intermediate cartridge used by the Germans during World War II, then prototypes chambered for the English .280 British cartridge appeared. Later it was converted to the 7.62x51 mm NATO cartridge, adopted as a single cartridge for NATO countries. During the Cold War, she received the nickname “the right hand of the free world.”

The development of a new automatic rifle chambered for the German intermediate cartridge 7.92x33mm Kurz (read: assault rifle) was started by the FN company in 1946 and was carried out in parallel with the creation of a rifle chambered for “traditional” rifle cartridges. The development of both rifles was led by the famous designer, Browning student Dieudonne Saive.

A rifle chambered for conventional full-size cartridges was released in 1949 under the designation SAFN-49, around the same time the first prototypes of a new assault rifle appeared, created for the new intermediate cartridge 7x43mm (.280) of English design. In 1950, new 7mm assault rifles - Belgian and English EM-2 - were tested in the USA. The Americans recognize the merits of the Belgian rifle design, but completely reject the idea of ​​an intermediate cartridge - instead they create a slightly (12 mm) shortened version of their standard .30-06 rifle cartridge under the designation T65. Within the framework of the newly created NATO alliance, a program to standardize small arms systems begins, and under US pressure in 1953-54, NATO accepts as a single new American T65 cartridge under the NATO designation 7.62x51mm.

At the same time, something like a gentleman’s agreement is concluded between the United States, Belgium and England - in exchange for the European NATO countries accepting a new American cartridge, the United States will accept a Belgian rifle modified for a new single cartridge. As the near future has shown, the Americans did not fulfill their part of the agreement, and in 1957 they adopted the M14 rifle of their own design instead of the FN FAL.

The abbreviation FAMAS stands for Fusil d’Assaut de la Manufacture d’Armes de St-Etienne (that is, “assault rifle developed by MAS” - the Arms Factory in Saint-Etienne). The unofficial name is “kleron” (French “horn”)

In 1969, in France, it was decided to create a new assault rifle of 5.56mm caliber, which should replace the MAS Mle.49/56 self-loading rifles of 7.5mm caliber, 9mm MAT-49 submachine guns and 7.5mm MAC Mle.1929 light machine guns in the army. . The development of a new rifle was entrusted to the arsenal in the city of Saint-Etienne, and Paul Tellie became the director and chief designer.

The first prototypes of the new rifle were created by 1971, and in 1972-73 they began to be tested in the French army. At the same time, in order to get weapons of 5.56mm caliber into service, France is adopting Swiss-designed SIG SG-540 assault rifles, produced under license at the Manurhine arms factories. In 1978, the FAMAS rifle in the F1 version was adopted into service in France, and in 1980 it was first shown at a parade, where it was armed with soldiers of the French airborne forces. As production progressed, the FAMAS rifle became the main individual small arms in the French Armed Forces, the total production volume was about 400,000 units, of which a small number were exported, including to the UAE.

In the early 1990s, the French arms concern GIAT Industries (manufacturer of FAMAS) began developing an improved model called FAMAS G1. The new version of the rifle received an enlarged trigger guard and a slightly modified forend. By 1994, based on the FAMAS G1, the FAMAS G2 version was developed, the main difference of which was a modified magazine receiver, designed not for the old “native” FAMAS magazines, but for NATO-standardized magazines from the M16 rifle, which have a standard capacity of 30 rounds ( these magazines have a different latch design from the early FAMAS ones and are not interchangeable with them). In 1995, the French Navy purchased the first batch of new FAMAS G2 rifles, and a little later the French Army began to receive them. These rifles are also offered for export.

In the late 1990s, the FELIN program was launched in France, designed to create a 21st century infantry weapon system. As part of this program, a slightly modified FAMAS G2 rifle was equipped with various equipment, including electronic day and night sights, a laser range finder, weapon status sensors, as well as a data transmission system (including a picture from the sight) to the soldier’s helmet-mounted display and then to a wearable computer or up the chain of command.

The development of the G11 rifle was started by Heckler and Koch (Germany) at the very end of the 1960s of the last century, when the German government decided to create a new, more effective rifle to replace the G3 rifles.
It was decided that the Bundeswehr needed a light, small-caliber rifle with high shooting accuracy. To ensure reliable destruction of the enemy, it was necessary to ensure that several bullets hit the target, so it was decided to create a rifle chambered for a caseless cartridge of 4.3mm caliber (later switched to 4.7mm caliber) with the ability to fire in single, long bursts and with a burst cut-off of 3 shots . The Heckler-Koch company was supposed to create such a rifle, with the participation of the Dynamite-Nobel company, responsible for the development of a new caseless cartridge.

The rifle's automation operates using the energy of powder gases removed from the barrel. The cartridges are placed in the magazine above the barrel with the bullets facing down. The G11 rifle has a unique rotating breech chamber into which the cartridge is fed vertically downward before firing. Then, the chamber rotates 90 degrees, and when the cartridge aligns with the barrel line, a shot occurs, but the cartridge itself is not fed into the barrel. Since the cartridge is caseless (with a combustible primer), the automatic operation cycle is simplified by eliminating the extraction of the spent cartridge case. In the event of a misfire, the faulty cartridge is pushed down when the next cartridge is fed. The mechanism is cocked using a rotary handle on the left side of the weapon. When shooting, this handle remains motionless.

The barrel, firing mechanism (except for the safety/translator and trigger), rotating breech with mechanics and magazine are mounted on a single base that can move back and forth inside the rifle body. When firing in single or long bursts, the entire mechanism performs a full recoil-recoil cycle after each shot, which ensures reduced recoil (similar to artillery systems). When firing in bursts of three shots, the cartridge is fed and fired immediately after the previous one, at a rate of up to 2000 rounds per minute. In this case, the entire mobile system comes to the extremely rear position after the third shot, while the recoil begins to affect the weapon and the shooter again after the end of the burst, which ensures extremely high accuracy of fire (a similar solution was used in the Russian AN-94 “Abakan” assault rifle ).

Following the recent revision of the OICW Block 1 / XM8 program, Heckler & Koch has decided to enter the US military and police weapons market with a new, alternative system, the HK416. This modular assault rifle combines the familiar ergonomics and appearance of an M16 rifle with significantly improved reliability through a variety of measures.

First of all, this is the replacement of the direct gas system of the M16 rifle with a more reliable and much less sensitive to contamination scheme with a gas piston with a short stroke, borrowed from the G36 rifle. In addition, Heckler-Koch engineers improved the bolt and return mechanism with a recoil buffer and used a cold forged barrel with increased survivability (more than 20,000 rounds). The forend is made in such a way that the barrel is hung in a cantilever, on the forend itself and on the upper surface of the receiver there are Picatinny rail type guides (MILSTD-1913) for attaching any compatible sighting devices and other accessories, including laser sights, flashlights and an under-barrel 40mm AG36 grenade launcher /AG-C. Initially, the HK416 was developed as a separate replacement module for installation on any lower receiver of an M16 rifle or M4 carbine, but later HC began producing complete HK416 carbines.

The HK416 assault rifle (automatic) is built on the basis of gas-operated automatics with a short stroke of a gas piston located above the barrel. The barrel is locked by a rotating bolt with 7 lugs. The receiver is made of aluminum alloy. The fire mode switch is three-position, allowing for single shots and bursts. The design retains the T-shaped bolt cocking handle, traditional for the M16 series rifles, located above the butt, as well as the bolt stop mechanism. On the upper surface of the receiver, as well as on the forend, there are guides for attaching sights (open or optical), as well as other accessories. The butt is telescopic, sliding, multi-position, similar in design to the butt of the M4 carbine.

The G36 assault rifle has been developed by the German company Heckler and Koch GmbH since the early 1990s under the in-house designation HK 50. In 1995, the G36 was adopted by the Bundeswehr (German Army), and in 1999 by the Spanish Armed Forces . In addition, the G36 is used by the UK police and is exported to the USA and a number of other countries for sale to local law enforcement agencies and military structures. Especially for the civilian market, based on the G36 automatic rifle, the Heckler-Koch company released the SL-8 self-loading rifle of .223 Remington caliber.

The G36 rifle is significantly different from previous HK developments, built on the basis of automatic weapons with a semi-free jam (HK G3 and others), and is more reminiscent of the development of the American Armalite AR-18 rifle than the previous own HK systems.

The butt of the G36 rifle folds sideways and is made of plastic. On the upper surface of the receiver there is a large carrying handle, in the rear of which there are sighting devices. The standard G36 rifle for the Bundeswehr has two sights - an optical magnification of 3.5X, and a red dot sight located above it, intended for use at close ranges. The export version of the G36E rifle and the shortened G-36K “carbine” have only one 1.5X optical sight. An even shorter version of the G36C (C stands for Compact or Commando) instead of a carrying handle, has universal Picatinny-type rails for attaching sights of any type.

The G36 is fed from clear plastic 30-round magazines that have special mounts for combining magazines into “packs” to speed up reloading. Because the G-36's magazine receiver is built to NATO standards, the G-36 can accept any standard magazine, including 100-round Beta-C dual drum magazines.
The G36 rifle can be equipped with a bayonet or a 40mm under-barrel grenade launcher manufactured by Heckler-Koch, in addition, the G36 flash suppressor has a standard diameter and can be used for throwing rifle grenades (however, the automatic rifle does not provide for the presence of a gas regulator, and therefore such a practice is hardly recommended ).

Based on the G36 rifle, an attempt was made to create the HK MG36 light machine gun, characterized by a longer and heavier barrel and the presence of a bipod, but this option did not find popularity and was not produced in series.

The Heckler-Koch HK417 7.62mm NATO automatic rifle is developed on the basis of the Heckler-Koch HK416 5.56mm NATO automatic rifle.

The development of the NK 417 rifle began in 2005 based on the experience gained by international coalition troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, where, under certain conditions, 5.56mm weapons showed insufficient effective firing range and insufficient penetrating and stopping effect of small-caliber bullets. The NK 417 series rifles went into mass production in 2007 or 2008, and are offered for arming army and police forces.

The HK417 rifle has a modular design that largely replicates the design of the American M16 rifle, with one important difference - the German HK417 rifle has a modified automatic gas system that uses a conventional gas piston with a short working stroke. There are a number of other differences, however, all the main controls and the method of disassembling and assembling weapons are inherited from the M16. This is explained primarily by the fact that the United States is expected to be one of the main markets for the HK417.

The compact AK-9 assault rifle is one of the new developments of the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant (IzhMash), intended to arm employees of special units of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. The assault rifle is built on the basis of the design of the “hundredth series” of Kalashnikov assault rifles, and is designed for special 9mm caliber cartridges (9x39) with subsonic bullet speed (SP-5, SP-6). This model promises to be a direct competitor to such systems already in service in Russia as the SR-3M and 9A-91 assault rifles, as well as the AS.

In terms of design, the AK-9 assault rifle generally follows the design of the AK-74M assault rifles, differing in the shortened gas engine and barrel components. The machine gun has plastic fittings of an improved shape; on the bottom of the forend there is a Picatinny rail type guide for installing an under-barrel flashlight or a laser target designator. On the left side of the receiver there is a standard rail for attaching optical sight brackets. The plastic stock is also made like an AK-74M assault rifle; it folds to the side (to the left). A quick-detachable shot silencer can be installed on the barrel of the machine gun. The cartridges are fed from plastic magazines with a capacity of 20 cartridges.

Automatic grenade launcher complex "Groza" OTs-14

The Groza OTs-14 automatic grenade launcher system was developed in Tula, at TsKIB SOO, and was produced in small batches at the Tula Arms Plant in the mid-1990s. The index “OTs” means “TsKIB Model”; all models of military small arms created in TsKIB SOO receive this index (models of sporting and hunting weapons receive the index “MC”). The development of an automatic grenade launcher system for close combat was started in 1992 by designers Valery Telesh (developer of the 40mm underbarrel grenade launchers GP-25 and GP-30) and Yuri Lebedev, and already in 1994 the first prototypes were ready. The main idea of ​​​​creating a specialized complex was that the traditional installation of an under-barrel grenade launcher on a standard assault rifle (be it an AK-74 or M16A2) greatly worsens the balance of the weapon, and therefore it is necessary to initially design the weapon taking into account the installation of a grenade launcher on it. In addition, due to the modular design of the weapon, it was supposed to achieve great flexibility in its use.

Initially, this automatic grenade launcher system was created for the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for special 9mm SP-5 and SP-6 cartridges. The “Groza-1” variant (another designation is TKB-0239) was created for army special forces and chambered for the widely used 7.62x39 cartridge.

The OTs-14 "Groza" assault rifle was created on the basis of the receiver and mechanisms of the AKS-74U assault rifle - the main changes affected the adaptation of the bolt to a different cartridge with a larger diameter of the case bottom, and the trigger mechanism. In addition, the OTs-14 is configured according to the bullpup design, so that the pistol grip fire control is moved forward, in front of the magazine, and the butt plate is attached directly to the rear of the receiver. The highlight of the OS-14 is its variable configuration: the basic machine gun can be used in the variants of a carbine, an assault rifle (with an extended muzzle and a front additional handle for holding), a silent machine gun (with a silencer), an automatic grenade launcher system (the standard fire control handle and forend are replaced with fire control handle with trigger switch "automatic grenade launcher" and an under-barrel 40mm grenade launcher). The OTs-14 assault rifle underwent military tests in the Chechen campaign, but was not particularly popular and never entered mass production.

AEK-971 (GRAU Index - 6P67) - an assault rifle developed in 1978 at the Degtyarev plant in Kovrov under the leadership of Stanislav Ivanovich Koksharov based on the Konstantinov system assault rifle (SA-006), which participated in the 1974 competition.

In 2013-2015, a modification of the AEK-971 called “A-545” took part in a competition for a new general-arms assault rifle. In April 2015, the deputy chairman of the board of the Military-Industrial Commission announced that the machine gun would be put into service along with the AK-12.

The design feature of the AEK-971 is a balanced automatic circuit based on a gas engine (similar to the AK-107/108 assault rifles). With this scheme, an additional gas piston associated with the countermass moves synchronously with the main one, which moves the bolt frame, but towards it, thereby compensating for the impulses that arise when the bolt group moves and when it hits in the rear and front positions (it is no secret that one of design features of Kalashnikov assault rifles, which ensured high reliability of the weapon - the moving parts of the automation reach extreme positions at a significant speed, and therefore, when the bolt group moves, the assault rifle receives significant and multidirectional impulses of movement, negatively affecting the accuracy of automatic fire). As a result, the shooter only feels the recoil impulse when firing, and the machine gun does not twitch when firing in bursts, but seems to stick to the shoulder. Thus, in the AEK971 assault rifle it was possible to achieve automatic firing accuracy that was 2 or more times better than that of the AKM or AK-74 assault rifles (when firing from the AEK973 7.62mm caliber and the AEK971 5.45mm caliber, respectively).

The development of a new rifle to replace the aging L1A1 rifles (licensed FN FAL of Belgian design) began in England in the late 1960s with the development of a new small-caliber, low-pulse cartridge.

During the initial operation of the rifle, many shortcomings were identified, including insufficiently reliable supply of cartridges, low resistance to corrosion, unsatisfactory strength and service life of some components. In addition, the L85 rifle also has a number of congenital deficiencies that cannot be corrected, such as an excessively rearward center of gravity, which leads to a strong upward movement of the barrel when firing in bursts, and the overall heaviness of the weapon. In 2000, the German company Heckler-Koch, then owned by the British concern Royal Ordnance, received a contract to modernize 200,000 L85 rifles (out of approximately 320,000 produced) in service in the UK. In 2001, the first modified L85A2 rifles began to enter service with the British Army.

The main differences between the M4 and the M16A2 are the shorter barrel and the retractable telescopic stock.
The media report criticism of the M4 due to the lack of reliability of the system: there have been cases of carbine failure. In May 2008, at an international symposium on small arms and light weapons, representatives of the US Congress, the Pentagon and a number of defense companies made a statement stating the need to stop purchasing the machine gun on a non-contractual basis. One of the arguments was the results of the tests: according to them, the number of M4 failures turned out to be higher than the total number of failures of other types of weapons that participated in the tests - the HK XM8, HK 416 and FN SCAR-L assault rifles. The army command's response was to state that the carbine had proven itself in combat conditions and that the number of failures due to external influences was assessed as insignificant.

FN SCAR Mk 16 / Mk 17 - Special Forces Combat Assault Rifle (USA - Belgium)

The SCAR shooting system includes two basic weapon options - the “light” rifle Mk.16 SCAR-L (Light) and the “heavy” rifle Mk.17 SCAR-H (Heavy). The main differences between the SCAR-L and SCAR-H are the ammunition used - the SCAR-L rifles are designed only for 5.56x45mm NATO cartridges (both with regular M855 bullets and with heavier Mk.262 bullets). SCAR-H rifles will use the much more powerful 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge as the base ammunition, with the possibility, after replacing the necessary components (bolt, barrel, lower receiver with magazine receiver), to use other cartridges (however, these plans are still not implemented). In both basic configurations, SCAR rifles must have three possible configurations - the standard "S" (Standard), shortened for close combat "CQC" (Close Quarters Combat) and the sniper "SV" (Sniper Variant). In 2013, the shortest version of the 5.56mm assault rifle was developed - the SCAR-L PDW, intended to serve as a personal defense weapon for military personnel. Changing a variant within the same caliber can be carried out at the base by replacing the barrel by the soldier himself or the unit’s gunsmith. In all variants, SCAR rifles have the same structure, the same controls, the same maintenance, repair and cleaning procedures, and the maximum possible interchangeability of parts and accessories. The interchangeability of parts between rifle variants will be about 90%. This modular system provides the military with the most flexible weapons, easily adaptable to any task, from close combat in the city to solving sniper shooting problems at medium ranges (about 500-600 meters).

Improving shooting accuracy by shifting the mass of the bolt group and reducing the recoil shoulder;
- improved ergonomics, the introduction of a double-sided safety switch for the type of fire, a double-sided bolt stop button and moving the magazine latch back allows you to operate them with one hand holding the weapon (without removing it from the handle, as before);
- built-in Picatinny rails on a rigidly fixed receiver cover for installing attachments (sights, rangefinders, grenade launchers, flashlights);
- a new telescopic stock that folds in both directions, a more ergonomic pistol-type handle, an adjustable butt plate and butt plate, the butt locking mechanism when unfolded is now located in the stock itself, and not in the receiver;
- the telescopic buttstock can now be easily replaced with a non-folding plastic buttstock; for this, both versions have a Picatinny rail at the end, with which they are attached to the receiver (this also allows you to flip the hinge with the rod on the folding model, thus changing the side where the buttstock is folded) ;
- the ability to install a reloading handle on both sides of the receiver (for the convenience of left-handed and right-handed people);
- the ability to fire in three modes (single shots, with a cut-off of three shots and automatically), previously optional for the “hundredth” series;
muzzle device of the machine gun, providing the ability to use foreign-made rifle grenades.
- mechanical sight with an enlarged aiming line;
modified firing mechanism;
- variable rate of fire: automatic fire - 650 rounds/min, mode with burst burst of three shots - 1000 rounds/min;
- shutter stop (shutter delay);
- new design of the bolt group;
- barrel with improved characteristics in terms of manufacturing accuracy, replaceable.

The first production model of weapons chambered for this cartridge was the QBU-88 (Type 88) sniper rifle, made using a bullpup layout. The QBU-88 turned out to be a successful weapon and served as the basis for the creation of a series of small arms, of which the QBZ-95 is a representative.

In 1995, this rifle was adopted by the People's Liberation Army of China. It was presented to the general public two years later, during the return of Chinese control over the territory of Hong Kong - a new garrison was armed with these machine guns.
It is possible to install optical or night sights, for which there are appropriate mounts on the carrying handle. The standard sight has 3 range adjustments: 100, 300 and 500 m. The trigger guard is large, allowing it to be used as a front handle. It is possible to install a bayonet or under-barrel grenade launchers: 35 mm QLG91B, 40 mm LG1, 40 mm LG2 or 38 mm Riot Gun (Type B). The design of the flash suppressor allows the firing of rifle grenades.

The QBZ-95 assault rifle has received high marks for its effectiveness in combat at short ranges, but firing at long ranges is fraught with difficulties.

Initially, the entire range of tasks of assault rifles lay with submachine guns. However, after the Second World War, active development of weapons began, capable of automatic fire with rifle-caliber cartridges. Modern assault rifles are the pinnacle of engineering, having balanced characteristics between heavy weapons and sniper systems. This rating presents best assault rifles in the world, top 10.

10. FN F2000

Unlocks the rating of assault rifles FN F2000, whose development began in the 1990s. Belgian designers were faced with the task of creating a universal weapon that would be effective in all situations. Because of this, the choice of layout fell on the then popular “bullpup”. Moreover, the Belgians managed to patent a frontal extraction system for spent cartridges (the spent cartridges fall out at the muzzle), which made it possible for left-handed people to use this rifle.

The FN F2000 can be equipped with various types of sights, as well as a laser rangefinder and a 40 mm grenade launcher. Now this assault rifle is in service with special units of Belgium, Pakistan, Poland, Chile and Peru. Also, batches of these machines were sent to Saudi Arabia and Slovenia.

9. HK 416

9th place in the ranking is occupied by a German assault rifle HK 416, which was created on the basis of the American M4 carbine, but the main mechanisms are still closer to the H&K G36. HK 416 is distinguished by its versatility, which is expressed in the ability to install any additional modules, as well as high accuracy and accuracy.

However, the rifle has a serious drawback - its high rate of fire. Because of this, the owner may very quickly run out of ammunition, which can lead to serious problems on the battlefield. The HK 416 is in service with special forces in Germany, Italy, Norway, the USA, Armenia and the Russian Federation.

8. Steyr AUG a3

In eighth place - Steyr AUG a3. Development of the Austrian assault rifle began in the late 1960s. According to the reform of the Austrian armed forces, the infantry required the most universal weapons possible. The Steyr company, which was responsible for the development, managed to solve the problem in a rather original way.

Steyr AUG is a whole set of interchangeable modules, as a result of which the weapon can be adjusted to the owner or a specific combat situation. The Steyr AUG a3 modification, created in 2005, is an even more versatile option. The owner can install various types of sights, for example, red dot sights, night sights, and it is also possible to attach an under-barrel shotgun. In addition to Austria, the Steyr AUG a3 is in service with many countries, such as Saudi Arabia, New Zealand and others.

7. FAMAS

Takes 7th place in the ranking of the best assault rifles FAMAS, adopted by France in 1977, thus becoming one of the first assault rifles with a bullpup layout. FAMAS is distinguished by its high reliability and high accuracy of fire, which is why the French military fell in love with the rifle. In addition, it is possible to install auxiliary modules, such as additional handles to suppress recoil. Subsequently, a major modernization of the mountings and mechanisms of the machine gun for the FELIN kit was carried out.

6. FN SCAR

Assault rifle FN SCAR was developed by the Belgian branch of the American company FN Herstal in 2004. These rifles are mainly used by the Texas Rangers, but they are also supplied to the regular army.

The FN SCAR is a simple and reliable weapon for which dust getting into the internal elements is not critical (the main problem for the M16 family of rifles). The FN SCAR has good ergonomics, good accuracy and accuracy of fire, both in automatic and single mode. This is offset by excess weight - the FN SCAR is about half a kilogram heavier than the M16.

The 5th place in the ranking of the best slot machines in the world is occupied by Israeli. It was developed in 1993 as part of a replacement for the obsolete Galil. The Tavor is made using a bullpup layout with a linear design, which ensures high shooting accuracy. This forced the designers to place the sighting bars much higher. Also, the engineers implemented the ability to remake the bolt, so that the cartridges will begin to fly out from the opposite side, which allows left-handed people to use the machine gun effectively.

In general, TAR is a whole complex of universal weapons that can be adapted to perform any task.

It is a whole family of different assault rifles developed by the German company Heckler & Koch, designed to perform a range of combat missions. The first samples entered service with the Bundeswehr army in 1995, as part of a program to replace the outdated G3.

The assault rifle is quite heavy, comparable to an AK-74, and additional stiffening ribs on the handle make the HK G36 even heavier. Thanks to this, the design of the machine is much more resistant to mechanical damage. Also, the HK G36 assault rifle has excellent accuracy at a distance and low recoil, which allows you to fire comfortably.

3. M16

M16- one of the best and most famous assault rifles in the world, adopted by the United States. The M16 became available to the army in 1962, and its various modifications are still in service with the American army today.

The rifle gained its main popularity during the Vietnam War, where it was actively used by American soldiers. In addition, the M16 is extremely popular among the civilian population, who use this weapon for hunting, sport shooting and other entertainment.

Among the advantages of the M16 are ergonomics and accuracy when firing a single cartridge. However, when firing in long bursts, the accuracy of this assault rifle seriously drops.

2. Bushmaster Acr 3

Bushmaster Acr 3- an attempt to improve the appearance of the M16 from the American company Bushmaster Firearms International. During the development process, the designers decided to use some elements from the XM8 and FN SCAR in the new machine gun. Thanks to the modular system, the owner has the opportunity to quickly replace individual components of the weapon, thereby changing its characteristics to suit a given combat mission. And although the rifle turned out to be quite versatile, the main obstacle was the cost of $2,700 per unit in the basic configuration.

1st place in the top 10 best assault rifles is occupied by. Its creation began in 2011, and the work was based on the developments accumulated over the past 10 years.

Throughout 2013-2014, the military regularly refused to accept the AK-12 into service, citing numerous flaws in the design of the machine gun. In 2016, the concern provided an updated version, which was essentially a modification of the AK-74M using some elements from the unsold AK-400.

On the AK-12, it is possible to install optics and additional accessories on a Picatinny rail; in addition, a GP-25 and GP-34 under-barrel grenade launcher can be installed under the barrel. In general, the improvements had a positive effect on the image of the machine. Despite the initial criticism, the AK-12 is a very promising product, with wide development capabilities and versatility.

Over the past centuries, weapons and military equipment have continuously evolved. Military necessity led to further technical breakthroughs; all-destructive types of offensive weapons appeared, allowing strikes from distances of hundreds and thousands of kilometers. However, today individual small arms are by no means an anachronism. After all, remote methods of warfare are effective only if the goal of the operation is to destroy the enemy’s industrial and military infrastructure.

Over the past centuries, weapons and military equipment have continuously evolved. Military necessity led to further technical breakthroughs; all-destructive types of offensive weapons appeared, allowing strikes from distances of hundreds and thousands of kilometers. However, today individual small arms are by no means an anachronism. After all, remote methods of warfare are effective only if the goal of the operation is to destroy the enemy’s industrial and military infrastructure.

For the final defeat of the enemy, control of its territory, access to raw materials and industrial resources, and the implementation of humanitarian and other tasks, it is necessary to use infantry and special units that come into direct contact with the enemy. And this is where the protagonist of the war becomes a figure in camouflage with an assault rifle in his hands.

Screenshot from the game Battlefield

History of the issue: how it all began

To begin with, let's define the term “assault rifle” (in Russian terminology - machine gun). So, an assault rifle (in the original assault rifle) - a firearm designed for automatic fire with ammunition that occupies an intermediate position in power between rifle-machine-gun and pistol ammunition. Those. assault rifles do not include models capable of automatic fire, but designed to use pistol ammunition (i.e. submachine guns), as well as automatic weapons using rifle cartridges (automatic rifles).

For the first time, weapons, which, with some stretches, can be classified as assault rifles, were created in Russia by the talented gunsmith V.G. Fedorov. In 1916, mass production of a model began, which the author called an automatic machine. In fact, it was an automatic rifle, but with a sector magazine and chambered for Japanese rifle cartridges of 6.5 mm caliber, which had less power and less power compared to the Russian 7.62x54R cartridge.
recoil impulse. One of the units of the Russian Imperial Army that took part in the battles of the First World War was armed with this weapon.

Fedorov assault rifle: photo from Wikipedia

The pioneers in creating a full-fledged model of an assault rifle, which was the ancestor of this class of weapons, were the Germans. In light of the combat experience of the Eastern Front, the German command became aware of the excess power and range of traditional repeating and self-loading rifles in conditions of, as a rule, short ranges of fire contact. Submachine guns, being almost ideal weapons
for short combat, say, in a forest or when clearing trenches and buildings, when firing at a distance of over two hundred meters, they had insufficient power and efficiency.

As a result of the implementation of the technical specifications of the German Arms Directorate for a new automatic carbine, the MP 43/44 was created, later renamed SturmGewehr 44, which literally means “Assault Rifle” in German. Thus, the new German model gave its name to a new class of small arms. The Sturmgever was created for the cartridge developed before the war - in 1938 - by the Polte factory, which, although it retained the standard 7.92 caliber for the Wehrmacht, had a sleeve shortened to 33 mm and a lighter bullet and, in terms of power, occupied an intermediate position between the pistol and rifle cartridges. As a result, the Germans received a fairly successful model, allowing accurate fire with single shots at distances of up to 600 m and providing high density of fire while maintaining acceptable accuracy when firing in bursts at distances of up to 300 m.

In addition, the new assault rifle was intended for mass and cheap production using stamping and casting. The disadvantages of the machine include its not very comfortable grip when shooting prone. In total, before the end of the war, more than 400,000 assault rifles were produced in various configurations, including samples equipped with optical and infrared sights and even such exotic devices as the Krummlauf Vorsatz J curved-barrel device for shooting from around the corners of buildings and in the dead zones of tanks and fortifications. structures.

The appearance on the Eastern Front of new German weapons chambered for an intermediate cartridge immediately caused a response from Soviet gunsmiths. In 1943, designers N.M. Elizarov and B.V. Semin created the 7.62x39 intermediate cartridge, which went down in history as the M1943 and became the most common intermediate cartridge in the world. It was for this cartridge that the Simonov self-loading carbine - SKS was first created, and then the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle.

There is a legend that wanders from one online publication to another that the Kalashnikov assault rifle was copied from the Stg-44 and that German gunsmiths, including Hugo Schmeisser himself, while in Soviet captivity, took part in its development. It is quite obvious that the Kalashnikov assault rifle, not being a direct copy of the Sturmgever, and having a fundamentally different design of many components, was created under the strong influence of German design. By the way, in the memoirs of the Kovrov gunsmiths, published in one of the Russian specialized magazines, there is a mention of one interesting fact. It turns out that the first production samples of the AK-47 were significantly inferior in accuracy in automatic fire mode to the German machine gun, and the plant management assigned a large cash bonus to the employee who, when shooting AKs at the shooting range, could significantly improve the previously achieved results. The prize remained unclaimed.

So, it is impossible not to notice that the development and successful use of the Stg-44 assault rifle by Nazi Germany had a strong and direct impact on the development of small arms, because armies of all countries of the world have made weapons of this class the main individual weapon of the infantryman.

The development and successful use of the Stg-44 assault rifle by Nazi Germany had a strong and direct impact on the development of small arms

To date, samples of modern assault rifles are classified as third-generation assault rifles (zero includes German MP-43 and Stg-44 assault rifles, first - AK-47, AKM and Czech Vz-58, M-14 (USA) G-3 ( Germany), FAL (Belgium). The main feature of the second generation (which includes the AK-74, American M-16, French Famas, Austrian AUG, etc.) was the transition to smaller caliber cartridges - 5.56x45 and 5.45x39) .

Common features of third-generation assault rifles are the widespread use of plastics and light alloys, which makes it possible to significantly lighten the weapon and reduce the cost of its production; the use of a modular design, the use of optical and collimator (red dot) sights as the main ones, the possibility of installing a large range of additional equipment, laid down at the design stage: under-barrel and muzzle grenade launchers, tactical flashlights, laser target designators, silencers.

What are they fighting with today?

Let's try to look at the most interesting examples of third-generation assault rifles, both mass-produced and under development.

The Italian rifle-grenade launcher system ARX-160 developed by Beretta includes a 5.56 mm assault rifle and a 40 * 46 mm under-barrel grenade launcher, which can also be used autonomously. The firing range of the grenade launcher is 400m. In addition to the assault rifle and grenade launcher itself, the complex includes the Aspis small arms fire control device and the Scorpio grenade launcher fire control device. The modular design of the complex allows, after replacing a number of parts, to use cartridges of 5.56x45 mm, 5.45x39 mm, 7.62x39 mm, 6.8x43 mm, i.e. in fact, the entire range of intermediate cartridges produced today. The machine is equipped with quick-change barrels of 406 and 305 mm, the replacement of which takes no more than five seconds, the cocking handle can be reinstalled on both sides, and it is possible to quickly change the direction of reflection of spent cartridges. The automation operates on the principle of a gas outlet with a short stroke of the gas piston.

The folding butt of the machine gun has 5 length adjustment positions. There are 4 Picatinny mounting rails for installing additional equipment, 6 belt attachment points. The front and rear sights fold down. Standard coating colors are black and olive. An assault rifle with a short barrel weighs no more than 3 kg and is an ideal combat transformer with the ability to fine-tune it to the needs of a particular shooter.
The complex is the basis for the promising Italian set of combat equipment “Soldato Futuro”. The machine gun has been entering service with the Italian army since 2012 and is offered for export. In particular, a variant of the assault rifle chambered for the Soviet 7.62x39 cartridge (AKM magazines are used) was adopted by the special operations forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The HK-416 assault rifle from Heckler-Koch owes its appearance to the desire of this company to enter the American market of military and police weapons. The idea was to create a model that combines the ergonomics and appearance of the M-16, beloved by all Americans, with significantly increased reliability. To achieve this, the direct gas outlet of the M-16 was replaced by a much more contamination-resistant system with a short stroke of the gas piston, the same as on the G-36 rifle.

Heckler & Koch HK-416

The bolt and return mechanism were also improved and a barrel with increased survivability was used. It is curious that at first the HK-416 was developed as a kit of parts for upgrading machine guns of the M-16/M-4 type. At the same time, the barrel with the gas engine, the forend, the receiver and the bolt group were replaced, and replacement of the return spring and buffer was also recommended. In this case, the stock, magazine, trigger mechanism housing with handle and magazine receiver can be used from the old model.

Otherwise, the HK-416 has much in common with its “classmates” - a telescopic stock of adjustable length, quick-change barrels, four Picatinny rails for attaching various sighting devices, laser designators, tactical flashlights, under-barrel grenade launchers, etc.
The assault rifle was adopted by some special units of the US Army, including the legendary counter-terrorism unit Delta Force, the US Marine Corps, special units of a number of countries and private military companies, where it proved itself to be excellent. It is also known that in the operation to destroy Osama Bin Laden, a team of 6 US Navy SEALs used HK-416 assault rifles. The weapon has high accuracy and accuracy of fire, which, combined with soft and smooth recoil, makes it an ideal tool in the hands of a professional.

in the operation to kill Osama Bin Laden, a team of 6 US Navy SEALs used HK-416 assault rifles

As a result of summarizing the tactical experience gained by the troops of the international coalition in Iraq and Afghanistan, it turned out that standard NATO 5.56 caliber cartridges under certain conditions have insufficient range and penetration. In addition, a light bullet of the SS 109 cartridge at a distance of 400 m with a side wind of 17 km/h has a drift twice as large as that of a bullet of the 7.62x51 cartridge. In light of these findings, the Heckler-Koch company, based on the HK-416 assault rifle, developed the NK-417 automatic rifle chambered for 7.62x51 NATO. The new rifle is available with 4 barrel options of different lengths, and when using “sniper” barrels 40 and 50 cm long and corresponding ammunition, when firing single shots, the rifle demonstrates accuracy in the region of one minute of arc, which allows us to classify this version of the NK-417 as a tactical sniper rifle .

Heckler & Koch HK-417

When talking about third-generation assault rifles, it is impossible to ignore the SCAR complex. FN SCAR Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle) - a combat assault rifle for special operations forces) - was developed by FN-Herstal USA to participate in the competition for a new assault rifle for US SOCOM soldiers, announced in 2003 by the US Special Operations Command. According to the requirements of the competition, the rifle had to, firstly, make maximum use of the principle of modularity, i.e., be easily adaptable for specific tactical conditions, and secondly, be superior in reliability to the standard M-4 carbine. The terms of reference also stipulated that promising samples would have retrofit kits for 7.62x39, 6.8 Rem, etc. ammunition.

In 2004, it was announced that the winner of the competition was FN-Herstal USA with rifle-grenade launcher systems, which were later standardized as the Mark 16 / Mk.16 SCAR-L and Mark 17 / Mk.17 SCAR-H.
The head of the US SOCOM weapons program, Troy Smith, emphasized that the design of the SCAR rifles was carried out with the active assistance of the special forces themselves, and the peculiarity of the SCAR rifles is that they are special forces weapons that embody many years of combat experience. After the signing of the agreement on the initial stage of production, military tests were carried out in various climatic zones, in which Navi Seals operators, US Marine Special Forces soldiers and Army Rangers took part.

Fn SCAR Mk 17

The SCAR family of rifles, in addition to two “basic” options - the “light” rifle Mk.16 SCAR-L (Light) chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO caliber and the “heavy” rifle Mk.17 SCAR-H (Heavy) chambered for more powerful 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition , includes the Mk 13 Mod 0 or FN40GL - a 40mm grenade launcher that can be used as an under-barrel grenade launcher for either variant, or used independently.

Fn SCAR Mk 13

Both basic configurations offer the possibility of installing barrels of various lengths, which determine their tactical purpose. There are three standard options - "S" (Standard), "CQC" (Close Quarters Combat) - a shortened machine gun for close combat, and "SV" (Sniper Variant) - a sniper weapon. The manufacturer emphasizes the principle of modularity of its design - 82% of the parts, of which there are only 175, can be used in weapons of both calibers.

Varieties of Fn SCAR Mk 16

The steel magazine for the MK-16 is interchangeable with the magazine for the M-4 carbine, although, according to the developer, it is of better quality. The chrome-plated barrel and overall quality of workmanship guarantee a long service life of the assault rifle. The automatic weapon with a short stroke of the gas piston, in addition to low sensitivity to contamination, guarantees the machine increased stability when firing. The principle of double-sidedness is fully implemented: the safety tab and the magazine release button can be activated on both sides, the cocking handle can be installed on both the right and left sides. The stock, folding to the right, is adjustable in length with locking in six positions. A slightly lower rate of fire compared to other rifles contributes to greater stability of the weapon when firing.

Fn SCAR System

The rifles are currently being mass-produced and have entered service with the 75th US Ranger Regiment. However, for a number of reasons, US SOCOM abandoned the use of the Mark 16 / Mk.16 SCAR-L, purchasing instead 7.62 mm SCAR-H assault rifles with upgrade kits for 5.56x45 ammunition. However, the high combat and operational qualities of the SCAR family of rifles have contributed to their widespread use in the armed forces of countries around the world.

What is Russia fighting with?

The much-advertised AN-94 "Abakan", although it demonstrated record accuracy in the fire mode in bursts of two rounds, otherwise has no advantages over the AK-74, moreover, being an extremely complex and expensive design to manufacture, unsuitable for arming soldiers - conscripts.

AN-94 "Abakan"

AK 100 series assault rifles, the development of which began at the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant in the early 1990s, were initially created as commercial weapons designed for foreign markets. The weapon, created on the basis of the AK-74, is its variant for the most common intermediate cartridges in the world: 5.56x45 NATO, 7.62x39 and 5.56x45.

AK-101

• The AK-101 is an assault rifle for the widely used NATO 5.56x45 ammunition and, according to the developer, demonstrates better accuracy in burst mode than the M-16 A2.
• The AK-103 uses the well-deserved 7.62x39 (M1943) cartridge, is compatible with the magazines of old AK/AKM assault rifles and is intended to replace them.
• AK-102, 104 and 105 are small-sized assault rifles, built on the basis of their full-size versions and somewhat superior in their combat and operational characteristics to the AKS-74u. They are distinguished from the “basic” models by a shortened barrel with a special muzzle flash suppressor and a modified sighting bar, which has markings only up to 500 m.

AK-105

All AK 100 series are equipped with a side rail for mounting optics. Black polyamide is used to make the stock, fore-end, pistol grip and magazine body, which is why AKs of the 100th series abroad received the commercial name “Black Kalashnikov”. The largest buyer of the 100th series AK to date is Venezuela, with which a contract was concluded for the supply and licensed assembly of 100,000 AK-103 units. A batch of AK-102s was also acquired by Indonesia.

AK-102

The 100th series AKs, although a commercially successful project, are only a cosmetic upgrade of the AK-74 and are not without its shortcomings. The most significant drawback of the AK family of assault rifles is the difficulty of placing optical sights on them. The problem is primarily due to the fact that at the top of the weapon, where the optics should be installed, there is a detachable receiver cover and gas tube. The side rail with a dovetail mount, which is found on all AK-74m assault rifles, does not solve the problem, since in case of incomplete disassembly, the sight must be removed to clean the assault rifle or eliminate delays when firing. After installing it, naturally, the weapon must be brought back into normal combat. In addition, the sight installed on the AK-74m does not allow the stock to be folded. The sector safety-translator of fire modes on AK family assault rifles is inconvenient, “loud” and causes a lot of complaints.

The 100th series AKs, although a commercially successful project, are only a cosmetic upgrade of the AK-74 and are not without its shortcomings

To eliminate these and other shortcomings and generally “modernize” the design, the Izhmash concern developed the AK-12, which means “Kalashnikov Automatic 2012.” Although the weapon uses classic automatics with a long stroke gas piston, its design has undergone major changes. The trigger mechanism was redesigned, the bolt group and receiver were updated. The receiver cover, which now has increased rigidity, is mounted on hinges and can be tilted up and forward to disassemble and clean the machine gun. These measures made it possible to achieve a constant position of the cover relative to the barrel, which makes it possible to install optical, collimator and night sights on the Picatinny rail located on the cover.
The cocking handle has been moved forward and can, at the shooter’s request, be moved to the left or right side. The fire switch safety now has a different design - it is placed on both sides of the weapon and has four positions - “safety”, “single shooting”, “fixed bursts of 3 shots”, “automatic fire”.

A bolt delay has been added to the design of the weapon, which allows for faster reloading. The folding telescopic stock has a height-adjustable pad and butt plate, which allows you to customize the machine gun to the anthropometric data of a particular shooter. Other innovations of the machine include an abundance of picatinny rails, located, in addition to the receiver cover, also on the upper pad of the forend and on its side surfaces, rifling and bullet entry of the barrel modified to improve accuracy; a new muzzle brake-compensator that allows firing foreign-made muzzle grenades. The manufacturer promises versions of the AK-12 for different ammunition - from 5.56x45 and 7.62x39 to 7.62x51 NATO. The machine gun can be used both with standard magazines of the appropriate caliber, and with a new four-row magazine with a capacity of 60 rounds.

What does Ukraine produce?

As a result of research work on the modernization of the Kalashnikov AK-74 assault rifle, the Scientific and Technical Center for Precision Engineering introduced the Vepr assault rifle in 2003. The machine gun is configured according to the "bullpup" scheme (with mechanics in the butt) and retains the reliable automatic functioning scheme of the AK-74. The developer states that the Vepr is “a quarter shorter than the AK, 200 g lighter and has twice the accuracy.” Cocking handle
and the safety can be moved to either side, while the cocking handle, made as a separate unit, is motionless when firing. It is proposed to standardly equip the assault rifle with a Ukrainian-developed collimator sight. Instead of the forend, it is possible to install a GP-25 under-barrel grenade launcher. The weapon's disadvantages include the inconvenience of changing the magazine (which is typical for all models arranged according to the "bulpup" scheme) and the inconvenient location of the fire mode translator far behind the pistol grip fire control. The Vepr was addressed primarily to special forces soldiers and Ukrainian peacekeepers, but never entered service.

In 2010, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine was presented with a new machine gun "Malyuk" (aka Vulkan-M) developed by the Artillery Armament Design Bureau, Kiev. The product is also a bullpup weapon, generally repeating the general concept of the “Vepr”, but with some improvements in terms of ergonomics. The machine gun is equipped with a Picatinny rail and can be equipped with various sighting devices. At the customer's request, Ukrainian-made mufflers can be installed. The machine gun did not arouse interest either from the Ukrainian defense department or from foreign customers.

In 2008, the Ukrainian scientific and production association of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine "Fort" (Vinnitsa) entered into an agreement on the licensed production of the Tavor series of small arms developed by the state-owned Israeli company IMI (Israel Military Industries). The Tavor Tar-21 family of weapons is modular and consists of several samples built on the basis of one main design. The system includes: a standard assault rifle Tar-21 with a barrel length of 465 mm (in Ukraine standardized as “Fort 222”), STAR-21 (CTAR - Commando Tavor Assault Rifle) - a modification with a barrel shortened to 375 mm, intended for special forces ("Fort-221") and a compact machine gun used as a self-defense weapon for vehicle crews - "Micro Tavor" MTAR-21 with a 330 mm barrel, as well as a "Sniper" version - STAR-21 (STAR ​​- Sharp Shooting Tavor Assault Rifle ) - a machine gun equipped with a bipod and an optical sight (standardly equipped with a 4x ACOG sight).

The body of the weapon is made of high-strength polymers in combination with light alloys, and in some places reinforced with steel inserts. Tavor barrels chambered for the NATO 5.56*45 cartridge, produced in Ukraine, are supplied from Israel, where they are made by cold forging. Barrels for "Fort 221" assault rifles chambered for 5.45x39 are produced at the industrial base of NPO "Fort" in Vinnitsa using our own technology. The trigger mechanism provides firing in two modes - single fire and a burst of arbitrary length. Sights normally consist of a collimator sight with an integrated laser designator. The sight illumination turns on automatically when the bolt is cocked and turns off when the machine gun is unloaded. During testing, Tavor assault rifles demonstrated good maneuverability, which is especially important when fighting in urban conditions, increased impact resistance and reliability when used in emergency conditions. The weapon is comfortable when shooting offhand and demonstrates good accuracy.

Fort-221

On December 23, 2009, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a resolution on the adoption by the Security Service of Ukraine, the State Security Administration, the State Border Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine of the Fort-221, Fort-222 assault rifle and Fort223/224 submachine guns ". These samples did not arouse interest in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, because NATO 5.56x45 ammunition, for which Tavor/Fort was originally designed, is not produced in Ukraine. In this regard, the management of NPO Fort announced the start of preparations for its own production of 5.56x45 cartridges. Somewhat later, a version of the Tavor / “Fort-221” was created chambered for the 5.45x39 cartridge, which is produced in Ukraine at the Lugansk Cartridge Plant.

Fort-224

What are they fighting in the ATO zone?

So what are the Ukrainian military and their opponents armed with in the ATO zone in the South-East of Ukraine? The most popular weapon is still the Kalashnikov assault rifle of various modifications. In the hands of our soldiers and national guardsmen are both AK-74 and older assault rifles of the AK/AKM/AKMS family, which are believed to provide some advantages when conducting combat operations in the forest zone due to the lesser tendency for the 7.62x39 cartridge bullet to ricochet at shooting through branches.

The separatists are armed even more variegatedly - in addition to Kalashnikovs of various modifications, they have a variety of exotic weapons, probably brought into the conflict zone from Russian long-term storage warehouses. These are PPSh and even PPD (!) submachine guns, SKS carbines and DP light machine guns. The GRU Spetsnaz groups of the General Staff of the Russian Army operating on the territory of our country, for the most part, use standard AK-74m assault rifles. So, despite the abundance of technically advanced third-generation models on the world market, our soldiers still clutch in their hands the well-deserved Kalashnikov assault rifle, nicknamed by the troops Kalash and, sometimes, a little familiarly, Kalashyan.

The NK433 modular assault rifle, first introduced in 2017, is proposed by Heckler & Koch for the German army as a replacement for the current G36 model

It is quite strange in our age of computer and information technology that some types that have existed for many years still do not seem to have solved all their technical problems. It is quite clear that the problems with assault rifles have not yet been solved. Some of them, created in the 90s, were subject to many criticisms, which led to their premature replacement. The first was the licensed Spanish CETME automatic rifle, which was replaced by the German G36, which is currently being replaced again by a new model.

The French army has begun to receive new assault rifles that will replace the FAMAS bullpup rifle, which has been in service since the late 70s. The HK416F rifle, created by the German company Heckler & Koch, was chosen as a replacement (the numbers indicate compatibility with NATO standards with magazines from M4 and M16, the letter F means France). A total of 117,000 rifles will be purchased, and deliveries will take place from 2017 to 2028. Initially, the contract provided for the supply of 102,000 rifles; an increase of 15,000 units was due to the needs of reserve units. About 93,000 rifles are intended for the army, almost 10,000 for ground units of the navy and air force. The contract also includes 10,767 HK269F 40x46mm grenade launchers, accessories, ammunition, spare parts and technical support for 15 years.

The Heckler & Koch HK416 rifle was selected by France; most of the rifles will go into service with the ground forces

The Army will receive 5,300 rifles in 2017, then will receive 10,000 rifles per year from 2018 to 2023, with deliveries cut in half in the final five years of the contract. The army's share will make it possible to arm the entire personnel of the combat units of the ground forces, which is 77,000 military personnel, as well as those who are not included in these units, plus personnel of reserve units. The first two army units received the HK416F in June of this year: the 1st Sniper Regiment received a batch of 150 rifles and the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion received a batch of 250 pieces. Regarding the new elements: compared to the previous FAMAS rifle, the new model has a magazine for 30 rounds versus 25; the HK416F rifle also has a mirror-symmetrical design, that is, it easily adapts to both right-handed and left-handed people, which cannot be said about the “clarion” (French horn, unofficial name FAMAS), which was produced in two different versions; the butt adapts to the size of the soldier. Four Picatinny rails are mounted on the receiver plate, which allows the installation of additional systems, for example, a 40-mm HK269F under-barrel grenade launcher, also of a double-sided design, a handle with a bipod, optical sights, etc.

The HK416F rifle will be produced in two versions: 38,505 units for infantry units will be purchased in the standard HK416F-S version with a 14.5-inch barrel, and the remaining 54,575 units under the designation HK416F-C (Court - shortened) will be equipped with an 11-inch barrel. Currently, most infantry units are armed with the FAMAS FELIN rifle, adapted to the FELIN combat equipment of the French army. In order to preserve the capabilities of the FELIN complex, these units will keep their old assault rifles in service for some time, as the Army plans to release kits to adapt the new rifle to the next phase of the FELIN program around 2020. The French army plans to modernize a total of 14915 HK416F-S rifles in 2020-2021, work will be carried out at the unit level. At a time determined by the command, the troops will receive new FELIN 2.0 combat equipment, which is a further development of the current system, with a special emphasis on mobility and modularity, as well as weight reduction.

The Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle, however, is still considered a successful platform. The last known contract was concluded with Lithuania for an improved version of this rifle under the designation G36 KA4M1. Improvements are mainly related to ergonomics: new stock, receiver guard and sight rails. Lithuania also purchased a new NK269 underbarrel grenade launcher of a “double-sided” design. The Lithuanian army has already received a number of G36 rifles; A contract from 2016 worth 12.5 million euros provides for the delivery of a publicly undisclosed number of rifles and grenade launchers in 2017.

Germany has finally decided to replace this G36 assault rifle, which was adopted in the mid-90s. In April 2017, the German Defense Procurement Office opened the System Sturmgewehr Bundeswehr competition. Applications were supposed to be submitted by the end of May, but there was no official information from applicants. The projected number of rifles should be about 120,000; the choice will be made next year, while production should start in mid-2019 and run until early 2026, the contract value is estimated at 245 million euros. Little is known about the requirements for the new rifle: weight without magazine 3.6 kg, two barrels of different lengths, double-sided rifle, barrel life of at least 15,000 rounds, receiver life twice as high as average. Oddly enough, the requirements say nothing about caliber, which allows applicants to offer weapons of both NATO standards, 5.56x45 and 7.62x51, although the first of them is apparently preferable.

The German armed forces' need for a new assault rifle is about 120,000 units. The document doesn't say caliber, but all known contenders will likely focus on 5.56mm

Among the contenders we will undoubtedly find three national solutions offered by Heckler & Koch, Rheinmetall and Haenel. It remains to be seen how many foreign applicants, such as FN and SIG Sauer, may try their luck in this competition, given the overwhelming desire of the German parliament to keep the money in their own country.

In February 2017, Heckler & Koch introduced its new modular assault rifle NK433, which combines some of the developments and best characteristics of the G36 and NK416 rifles, but at the same time its cost is lower than the cost of the NK416. It refers to a gas-operated weapon with a short-stroke gas piston, made separately from the bolt frame, and locked by an optimized bolt with 7 lugs. The barrels are modular, quick-release and made in six configurations with lengths of 11, 12.5, 14.5. 16.5, 18.9 and 20 inches; The barrels, chromed inside, are made by cold forging. Self-lubricating sliding parts of the bolt allowed for minimal maintenance of the weapon. At the request of the Bundeswehr, the NK433 rifle has a three-position fire mode switch: “on safety,” “single” and “automatic”; the rate of fire is 700 rounds per minute. The adjustable gas outlet allows the installation of a muffler. The standard magazine corresponds to NATO STANAG 4179, however, using a special kit, the NK433 rifle can be equipped with a G36 magazine. The lower receiver can be replaced with a G36 or AR-15 style receiver, allowing the user to maintain the same habits acquired with the previous weapon, thereby reducing the amount of combat training. The rifle has a right-folding buttstock with a length-adjustable shoulder rest and a height-adjustable cheek rest. Shooting can be carried out with the butt folded; Replaceable grip pads allow you to adapt it to the size of the shooter’s hand. The receiver is made of aluminum, equipped with a NAR (NATO Accessory Rail) standard STANAG 4694, the receiver has a Picatinny/NAR rail at the 6 o'clock position. At the 3 and 9 o'clock positions we will find Nkeu adapters. The N&K company offers a shot counter, information from which can be downloaded from a short distance using radio frequency identification technology. In addition to the 5.56 mm caliber variant, the new rifle from N&K is also available in the .300 AAC Blackout cartridge (7.62x35), the 7.62x39 mm version is designated NK123, while the 7.62x51 mm version is designated NK231.

Rheinmetall and Steyr Mannlicher have teamed up to take part in a competition to replace the German G36 rifle and offer it the RS556 model (Rheinmetall - Steyr 5.56), which is a further development of the STM-556 carbine. presented by the Austrian arms company in 2012. The lower receiver is the same as the AR15 rifle, however, modified for left-handed use. The rifle is equipped with a more reliable and significantly less sensitive to contamination system with a short stroke of the gas piston. The piston acts on a rod, which moves the bolt carrier rearward, and is locked by the rotating bolt. The bolt carrier parts are made of steel, while the upper and lower receivers are made of aluminum. The rifle is available with five barrels of varying lengths and does not require any tools to change them. These solutions are inherited from the Steyr AUG model. The rifle has a four-position gas regulator, which can operate in normal mode, in difficult operating conditions mode, in firing mode with a silencer, and in completely blocked gas exhaust. The telescopic polymer stock has 7 length adjustment positions. In addition to the 5.56 mm caliber variant, models chambered for .300 AAC Blackout and 7.62x39 mm cartridges are also offered.

The third German applicant, Haenel (although owned by the Emirati company Tawazun), offered another rifle based on the AR15 in the competition to replace the G36. The operating principle of the Haenel Mk 556 model automation is based on the removal of powder gases from the barrel bore. The stock also resembles that of the M4, with five barrels of varying lengths available. A three-position safety-translator of firing modes allows you to fire single shots and continuous bursts. Depending on the customer’s choice, two options for positions are offered: fuse-single-automatic, respectively, at 0°-60°-120° or at 0°-90°-180°. The trigger force is 3.2 kg, all controls and adjustments are suitable for both hands. The receiver is equipped with four NAR guides, and folding mechanical sights are also installed.

While everything is more or less clear with the three German applicants, little is known about possible foreign applicants. In principle, all major manufacturers of small arms are able to present interesting solutions. Another unclear point concerns the possible common system between France and Germany, proposed by France at the end of 2015, when the NK433 rifle had not yet been “released.”

Another competition, albeit of a significantly smaller scale, was announced in Germany in January 2017. This time, a new rifle became necessary for special operations forces. The Defense Acquisition Agency has identified a requirement for 1,705 rifles, to which five more must be added for evaluation testing and another 40 for acceptance testing, meaning the winner will have to supply a total of 1,750 rifles. As for the requirements for the rifle, some of them are known: a rifle chambered for 5.56x45 mm with a short stroke of the gas piston, a barrel life of at least 10,000 rounds, a receiver three times longer. The rifle must be adapted for right-handed and right-handed use and be equipped with STANAG 4694 guides on the receiver and receiver so that additional devices can be installed, for example, a laser module, a flashlight and other devices. The weapon must be compatible with a silencer and must be less than 900 mm in length without a silencer, and the maximum weight without magazine and optics must not exceed 3.8 kg.

Rheinmetall will undoubtedly offer their RS556 model for this competition, however, Heckler & Koch should offer their NK416A5 or NK416A5 models, while Haenel's participation is still in question. As with the above-mentioned competition, little is known about foreign applicants who might take part in the German competition. German Special Operations Forces (KSK) units began receiving the new Haenel RS-9 .338 LM sniper rifle in 2016, designated G-29 by the Bundeswehr. The length of the weapon is 1275 mm, the barrel length is 690 mm, with the butt folded, the total length is reduced to 1020 mm. The KSK special forces chose the Steiner Military 5-25x56-ZF sight, to which an Aimpoint Micro 1-2 red dot sight is attached for close-range shooting. In June 2017, special forces began to receive the B&T Monoblock suppressor, specially created for the 338 LM caliber. It adds another 222 mm to the length of the rifle and another 652 grams to its weight, which without accessories is 7.54 kg.

Another country that has recently chosen the .338 LM for its snipers is Latvia, which purchased an undisclosed number of Accuracy International AHMS rifles in late 2016. This is a big breakthrough in terms of accuracy and range, since before this Lithuanian snipers were armed with semi-automatic rifles of 7.62x51 mm caliber.

While remaining in the sniper world, some young participants joined historical brands. For example, the Austrian Ritter & Stark with its modular rifle SX-1 Modular Tactical Rifle, available in 7.62x51 300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges, and the Italian Victrix, whose portfolio includes four bolt-action rifles, Pugio chambered 7.62x51, Gladius chambered in 7.62x51, .260 Remington and 6.5 Creed, Scorpio chambered in .338 LM and .300 Win, and Tormentum chambered in .375 and .408 Cheytac, were recently acquired by Beretta. Staying true to Beretta, Poland recently purchased 150 Sako M10 modular rifles chambered for the .338 LM cartridge.

As for assault rifles, Beretta supplies its ARX-200 battle rifles to the Italian army. These 7.62x51mm rifles will allow Italian combat units to improve their combat capabilities over the previous 5.56mm Beretta ARX-160 rifles. Beretta should soon begin development of a semi-automatic version of the ARX-200, which will become a pure marksman rifle in the company's portfolio (the lowest level of marksmanship in the classification adopted by the US Ground Forces).

Many armies are adopting new rifles. At the end of last year, the Czech army received the first batch of CZ Bren 2 assault rifles. 2,600 were ordered, 1,900 with a 356 mm barrel and 700 rifles in a shortened configuration with a 280 mm barrel. Also at the end of 2016, the Dutch naval special forces received their short-barreled SIG MCX carbines, becoming the first among special forces to switch to the .300 Blackout caliber; new carbines will replace submachine guns in close combat. Among the ammunition included in the contract, you can find not only standard cartridges and cartridges with subsonic bullets, but also lead-free thin-walled bullets that help avoid ricochet when working in confined spaces. At the beginning of January 2017, the Turkish army received the first batch of 500 MRT-76 7.62x51 mm assault rifles from MKEK; in accordance with the contract, 35,000 rifles will be manufactured by two companies, MKEK will produce 20,000 pieces, and the KaleKalip company will produce 15,000 pieces, respectively. At the IDEF 2017 exhibition, MKEK presented its new assault rifle chambered for 5.56x45 mm MRT-55 (Milli Piyade Tiifegi - national infantry rifle), which comes in two versions, standard with a barrel length of 368 mm and shortened (MRT-55K). The new rifle features a short-stroke gas system similar to the AR-15; it was developed to meet the needs of Turkish special forces; at the end of 2016, 20,000 rifles were ordered. In addition, a version of the MRT-76 rifle with a 508 mm long table was presented, designated KNT-76 (Keskin Nisanci Tiifegi - sniper rifle); a version of the KAAN-717 carbine with a 305 mm barrel was also shown. As for Russia, it is very active in the small arms market. For example, Venezuela is building a plant in Maracay to produce Russian AK-103 and AK-104 assault rifles, as well as 7.62x39 mm cartridges, which should open in 2019.

India has always been and remains one of the main potential customers for small arms. Its small arms market is worth several billion dollars. The Indian Ministry of Defense recently issued a request for proposals for the procurement of a limited number of 7.62 mm assault rifles, submachine guns and pistols for the Air Force special forces. But this is just the tip of the iceberg of contracts aimed at re-equipping the Indian armed forces. Foreign companies are merging with local firms. You don’t have to look far for an example; in May 2017, the Israeli company IWI created a joint venture with Punj Lloyd, known as Punj Lloyd Raksha Systems, for the joint production of small arms. India's historical opponent, Pakistan, is also in search of new small arms to replace its G3 and Toure 56 rifles in 7.62x51mm and 7.62x39mm calibers. In search of potential contracts, several contenders, including FN, CZ, Beretta, are closely monitoring all that is happening in the country in the field of small arms.

Finally, a small summary table

Based on materials from sites:
www.nationaldefensemagazine.org
www.globalpolicy.org
www.heckler-koch.com
www.rheinmetall.com
www.cg-haenel.de
www.steyr-mannlicher.com
ritterstark.com
www.beretta.com
iwi.net
en.wikipedia.org
www.militaryfactory.com
www.weaponslaw.org
www.bundeswehr.de
pinterest.com
armyman.info

During World War II, close-quarter fire density was achieved with submachine guns when they were available. However, combat experience has revealed the need for a new type of small arms that would make it possible to reliably hit targets not only at short but also at medium ranges. A pistol cartridge could not be used in such a weapon because of its low power, but a rifle cartridge was not suitable either, again due to its power, but it was already too high. The solution to the situation was an intermediate cartridge between a pistol and a rifle and the weapon in which this cartridge is used. Thus, a new type of individual small automatic weapon appeared, designed to destroy enemy personnel in close combat and capable of creating a high density of fire - an assault rifle.

The assault rifle is the main individual small arms weapon of modern infantry. Currently, assault rifles have calibers ranging from 5.45 mm to 7.62 mm. The capacity of modern magazines ranges from 20 to 30 or more rounds. Assault rifles can fire both in fully automatic mode - in bursts and in single shots, while some models have a firing mode in short bursts with a cutoff of 2 or 3 shots. The effective firing range of assault rifles averages up to 600 m. Almost all assault rifles have the ability to mount a bayonet, install optical, night or collimator sights, as well as mount an under-barrel grenade launcher of 30 to 40 mm caliber. Many models also allow you to fire rifle grenades, which are placed on the barrel and fired with a blank or even live cartridge.

Next, you need to decide on some points of terminology. The term "automatic carbine" is the most technically correct in relation to such models as the German Stg.44 and the Soviet AK. This term characterizes an automatic rifle with reduced weight and dimensions. For example, the French Ribeirol automatic carbine Carabine Mitrailleuse 1918 caliber 8x35 SR and the German MKb.42(W) from Walther for the first adopted and mass-produced intermediate cartridge 7.92x33, developed by Polte. Examples of automatic rifles chambered for a rifle cartridge are the American Browning BAR M1918 caliber 7.62x63 and the Soviet ABC-36 caliber 7.62x54R.

The term “assault rifle” (German: Sturmgewehr or English: Assault rifle), introduced by Adolf Hitler as the name of the Haenel automatic carbine designed by Hugo Schmeisser, which was later given the designation Stg.44, initially had a propaganda meaning, but later it became widespread distribution in various states in relation to the entire family of individual small arms automatic weapons chambered for an intermediate cartridge, including such models as M16A4, HK G36, Beretta ARX-160, SIG SG-550, MSBS Radon and FN SCAR. The term “automatic”, introduced in the USSR and used to designate the Fedorov automatic rifle and even the PPSh-41 submachine gun, is in circulation only in Russia and the so-called “post-Soviet space”. At the same time, along with the designation of weapons, in colloquial speech this term is applied to such electronic-mechanical devices as a coffee machine and a gaming machine, while the term “automatic carbine” much more accurately corresponds and describes a certain class of automatic weapons.

The term "automatic" itself was introduced in the 1920s. Russian gunsmith Frolov to designate “machine gun carbines” designed by Fedorov. Initially, in the post-war years, there were still differences between an assault rifle (automatic carbine) and an assault rifle, if we consider this issue in relation to the dimensions of the weapon and the types of cartridges used. So, if in the USSR it was an AK chambered for the 7.62x39 intermediate cartridge that was maneuverable enough for close combat, then NATO adopted assault rifles chambered for the 7.62x51 rifle cartridge, which had a large length and weight, such as the FN FAL and . Powerful and long-range, but bulky weapons could not replace a submachine gun in close combat, for example, in street battles or in dense thickets. Therefore, in the West, submachine guns lasted in the armed forces for quite a long time until they were completely replaced by assault rifles chambered for the small-caliber intermediate cartridge 5.56x45.

Modern assault rifles, according to the current classification in Russia, belong to the second generation of automatic rifles, which are individual small automatic weapons designed for firing in bursts. Generations are divided according to the cartridge used. Assault rifles chambered for powerful rifle-type cartridges, for example 7.62x51 NATO, belong to the first generation. It also includes such models as the Belgian assault rifle FN FAL, American M14 and AR-10, and German. The second generation includes assault rifles that use “intermediate” cartridges - 7.62x39, 5.45x39 and 5.56x45 NATO. Weapons chambered for an intermediate cartridge have the following advantages: less recoil force; ease of automatic fire control; smaller weapon weight; less weight of ammunition carried by a fighter.

The world's first automatic rifle was created in Russia during the First World War - it was a Fedorov assault rifle chambered for a 6.5 mm rifle-type cartridge. However, this weapon did not become widespread for a number of reasons. The second step towards the development of machine guns was made in the Third Reich, during the Second World War. By 1944, the StG.44 assault rifle was developed there for the 7.92x33 intermediate cartridge. But the truly widespread assault rifle and one of the most famous and popular in the world was the Soviet Kalashnikov AK assault rifle. Then, in 1963, the United States adopted the M16 rifle chambered in a new small-caliber and low-pulse cartridge with the military designation M193 or 5.56x45, developed by Sierra Bullets based on the .222 Remington hunting cartridge. One variant of this cartridge, created in Belgium in the 1980s, with a heavy bullet, under the designation SS109, was adopted as the standard 5.56 mm NATO cartridge. However, this was nothing new.

Talented Russian gunsmith V.G. Fedorov began work much earlier on weapons chambered for a cartridge of reduced caliber and power than standard rifle cartridges for bolt-action rifles, self-loading rifles, light and heavy machine guns. Fedorov deduced a pattern of caliber reduction when switching to a qualitatively new weapon with new ballistics requirements. The 5.56-mm cartridge made it possible to increase the firing efficiency at ranges up to 300-400 meters, with a slight decrease in the target range, since a bullet with a higher initial speed had a flatter flight trajectory at these firing distances. After the adoption of the M16 assault rifle chambered for this cartridge into service by the US Armed Forces, the USSR developed its own small-caliber intermediate cartridge 5.45x39 and a weapon system for it - the AK-74 automatic carbine (machine gun) and the RPK-74 light machine gun.

Assault rifle cartridges are available with various types of bullets. Fire from this weapon is carried out at various targets, including light shelters and enemy equipment, and therefore its ammunition includes cartridges with an ordinary bullet with a steel core, with tracer bullets, with armor-piercing incendiary and other special bullets. The intermediate cartridge bullet must have good stopping and penetrating effects. The combination of a high stopping effect of a bullet with a penetrating one has become most relevant with the large-scale introduction of various types of body armor into the Armed Forces around the world. Bullets of modern intermediate cartridges penetrate steel helmets at ranges of up to 800 m, body armor of 2-3 protection classes - up to 400-500 m.

Currently, in the development of assault rifles there is a desire to maximize the improvement of a number of their characteristics, which are extremely important for combat effectiveness. Among them are ergonomics, modularity, accuracy and accuracy of fire, service life, the ability to mount a wide variety of types of sights and additional equipment.

Improving ergonomics is necessary so that a fighter can fire the first shot as quickly as possible or transfer fire to another target, with the maximum probability of hitting a point target with the first shot or the first short burst, and carry the weapon as long and comfortably as possible. This is achieved by introducing into the design of the weapon adjustable elements of the butt and its length, comfortable ergonomic handles, improved balance, a more convenient location of the translator-safety, more effective sighting devices, as well as reducing the size and weight of the weapon itself without compromising shooting accuracy and firepower.

The modularity of a modern assault rifle is necessary due to the constantly changing battle conditions in various conflicts and during special operations. Modular weapons equipped with standard Picatinny mounts allow you to install a variety of sights - from optical and night sights to collimator sights and laser rangefinders, as well as attach a front grip handle, bipod and tactical flashlight to the weapon. In addition, modern assault rifles, such as the FN SCAR-H chambered for 7.62x51 NATO, after replacing the necessary components - bolt, barrel, lower receiver with magazine receiver, can use other cartridges - 7.62x39 M43 and 6.8 mm Remington SPC . Barrel replacement requires a minimum of tools and can be accomplished in a few minutes in the field.

The accuracy and accuracy of fire in the newest assault rifles are increased not only by improving the quality of the barrels, but also by a set of measures, including the use of collimator and optical sights of low magnification and the same improvement of ergonomics by introducing butts adjustable in length and height. Increased service life is achieved by using modern materials and alloys created using the latest achievements in this field. Most modern assault rifles have the ability to mount various types of optical, night and red dot sights, laser rangefinders and laser designators, in addition to iron sights. Some examples, such as the Steyr AUG, HK G36 and FN F2000, are equipped with low power optical sights as the main sighting devices. Sights and equipment of various types are mounted on weapons using standard Picatinny rail mounts. In addition to various types of sights, modern assault rifles can be equipped with front grips, bipods and tactical lights. Plus, many front handles are designed as folding bipods, which allows the shooter to quickly adapt his weapon for targeted shooting from a rest.

The latest assault rifles have versatility in terms of handling by both right-handed and left-handed fighters, which is realized by the ability to quickly move the cocking handle to both the left and right side of the weapon, as well as by placing the magazine release button on more than one , and on both sides of the weapon. Modern assault rifles are equipped with a bolt stop mechanism that stops the bolt in the open position when all the cartridges in the magazine are used up. The bolt stop levers are placed so that the shooter can control them regardless of the grip of the weapon. Reducing the weight of weapons is achieved by the widespread use of composite polymers and light alloys, in particular in the production of receivers and stocks.

Disputes about the adoption of a small-caliber intermediate machine gun cartridge into service in the Soviet Union are still ongoing. Opponents of the small-caliber cartridge blame it for the supposedly small stopping effect and penetrating power of the bullet, talking about the superiority of the old 7.62x39 cartridge in these qualities. In local conflicts, indeed, old AKM 7.62-mm calibers are often preferred to weapons chambered for small-caliber cartridges, since cartridges with a wide range of bullet types are available and produced in large quantities all over the world - from armor-piercing and tracer to armor-piercing incendiary. While for the AK-74 and other models of the 5.45-mm caliber the choice of types of cartridges is limited, and modern 5.45x39 cartridges under the designation 7N22 with an armor-piercing bullet are supplied mainly only to special-purpose units.

However, the use of larger-caliber weapons is justified only at short shooting distances and in street battles, when clearing buildings, since 7.62 mm bullets have a less flat flight path than small-caliber and high-velocity 5.45 mm bullets. It is much easier to hit a target with a 5.45 mm caliber weapon, and this is a very tangible advantage. Moreover, when firing from automatic 5.45-mm carbines, it is much easier to control the weapon if the fire is fired in bursts, which is especially important during urban battles at short and ultra-short distances. But for these purposes, the most suitable are Russian models chambered for 9x39 (SP-5, SP-6, PAB-9), such as the new small-sized assault rifle SR-3PM, 9A-91 and AK-9. This weapon has the ability to hit an enemy protected by NIB or light shelters at a distance of urban combat up to 400 meters (in practice - up to 200 meters), while having a high stopping effect of the bullet, which is extremely important at extremely short distances. But such models only complement the main model adopted for service.

Assault rifles are the most widely used small arms in modern armed forces, and modern individual weapon systems are often automatic-grenade launchers, combining automatic small arms, “artillery” in the form of an under-barrel grenade launcher with a fragmentation shot and an electro-optical system in the form of a daylight/ night television sight, laser rangefinder and ballistic computer, which automatically sets the aiming mark in the lens in accordance with the range to the target, and is also used for programming remote fuses of 20-mm grenades. However, such complexes, although effective, are very expensive weapons, and, moreover, have not yet proven themselves reliable and convenient in real battles. Therefore, at present and in the near future, the improvement of already long-produced and proven assault rifles continues, and work is also underway to create new models based on already familiar design solutions, complemented by the latest developments and the use of the latest materials and production technologies in combination with the above-mentioned modern requirements for this type of small arms.

Currently, there is a need to replace the existing and currently used small-caliber intermediate cartridges due to the insufficient stopping effect of their bullets. One of the promising Russian developments is the newest automatic carbine AK-12, which combines improved ergonomics, increased shooting accuracy and service life, and also has the ability to mount modern sights and equipment. However, the main caliber will remain the same 5.45x39.