There are just two main types of rifle ammunition in use around the world today: the 7.62mm x 39mm ‘Short’ round is fired by the AK47 and is in use from Russia and China to the Middle East. (There is an even shorter 7.62 x 25 round fired by a Russian Tokarev pistol and some SMGs.) The 39mm bullet has a relatively large diameter, or calibre, but a relatively low muzzle velocity owing to the lack of propellant. It is still far quicker than a pistol however, so it works by making a large hole in the target and by something of a shock wave to stop the enemy. The effective accurate range of an AK47 is around 300 yards and it weighs about 8lb.
The 5.56mm x 45mm round is fired by the US M16, the British SA80, the Italian Berretta, the Heckler Koch G36 and several other weapons issued to Western forces. The bullet has a relatively small diameter and a very high muzzle velocity through plenty of propellant, so it only makes a small hole in you and the shock wave rips your innards to pieces. The effective accurate range of an M16 is around 300 yards as the light bullet slows quickly. The M16 weighs about 8lb and 1,000 rounds weigh the same as the 7.62 x 39.
REMEMBER:
There is actually not a lot to choose between modern assault rifles so don’t lose sleep over whether your SA80 is not as good as the M16 or AK47. It’s not the gun that will win battles; it’s the man firing it.
The British SA80: In the early 1980s the British Army adopted a 5.56mm x 45mm calibre assault rifle so as to be able to share ammunition supplies with European and American forces. This rifle was called the SA80. It is the worst rifle ever issued to the British Army and probably the worst weapon ever issued to any army. It is still roundly hated by all troops despite various modifications and improvements. While it has been in use, the weapon has been known to jam and pieces break off it. There is also no way that it can be fired left-handed.
The Russian AK47: The AK47 is loosely put together and rattles when you shake it – but it is probably the best rifle ever made. I can say this with some objectivity because I have used it or had it used against me ten thousand times. Originally designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov at the end of World War II, the AK group – Assault Kalashnikov – comes in a range of models. There is the standard AK47 with a wooden butt and fore-stock, there is another which has a wire folding butt and there are several more.
Kalashnikov’s idea of the features to be found in an ideal rifle was exactly the same as all modern thinkers but he was an extremely clever engineer, which is clearly visible in the end result. We have covered these before but I shall go over them again to help them stick in your memory:
Remember the AK47 round is 7.62mm x 39mm and this is different to the longer 7.62mm x 51mm fired by the SLR or FN in that it has a bullet of similar weight and diameter but a smaller cartridge and less propellant. This does lower the muzzle velocity and reduce the range but it will hit hard enough at 300 yards while still only weighing the same per thousand rounds as 5.56mm ammunition. The relatively large bullet travelling slower still makes a large hole in a target and is not so easily deflected by wind, twigs and other cover en route to the target as the 5.56mm.
An AK47 – originally designed towards the end of World War II it is still widely used throughout most Third World countries. (Sean Clee © UK Crown Copyright, 2007, MOD)
The AK47 is purposely made with loose working parts so as to prevent jamming caused by sand, dirt and carbon from the propellant. It was actually designed to be carried and used by peasants fighting unsupported and with insufficient discipline to ensure regular cleaning. It is a well known fact that an AK47 can be left in a pool of mud for two weeks then taken out and fired. Try that with some modern rifles.
The American M16: The M16 is very light – even lighter than the AK47 – and has an automatic fire capability insofar as some versions have full automatic and some allow the firing of three round bursts. It fires the 5.56mm x 45mm round which hits hard enough and is light to carry. The M16 has only one real fault: when it is dirty it jams. It jams from a build-up of carbon if it is not cleaned regularly and it jams if it gets sand in it as many men have found to their cost in the Middle East. For God’s sake keep your M16 clean – and then it will look after you.
Reliability has been much improved since early problems in the Vietnam War where rifles were frequently jamming due to heavy use and the troops initially being told they did not need cleaning – can you believe that? In essence they made a beautifully engineered weapon with tolerances like a Swiss watch.
A US Special Forces detachment meet with General Tommy Franks in October 2001. They are armed with a M11 sniper rifle on the left and a M4A1 carbine (including sound suppressor and optical sight) on the right. The beards and traditional headgear all help as well. (DoD)
The US Army are now planning to replace the old M16 with the Objective Individual Combat Weapon, or OICW. It will fire the same ammunition but be built to work in a dirty or sandy environment. To improve use in and from vehicles the length will be reduced from 40in to around 30in. In the meantime troops are being issued with the M4 which is essentially a M16 with a folding stock and a cut-down barrel. This will help improve use in vehicles but you must still keep it clean. Good move General.
The future of the rifle
In conventional warfare the rifle has now come close to the peak of its potential insofar as it is light, reliable, fast firing and easy to maintain. It has reached the place in its development comparable to the modern motorcar, which, after 100 years of rapid development has now reached a level of sophistication, which will only see minor improvements to the current product, better ashtrays or whatever, before we would have to go back to the drawing board and start again.
Left- and right-handers
Out of every 11 men, around 10 are ‘right-handed’. Due to the benefits of standardization, and millennia of custom, the world is set up for ‘right-handers’. This puts left-handers at an apparent disadvantage in many fields. Obviously, for design reasons, it is necessary to have the cocking handle on one side of a rifle and so forth but the point is that left-handers can get around this – they just need the weapon to be fire-able with the left hand. The SLR, FN, Armalite and AK47 can all be fired by left-handers from the left shoulder. The SA80 cannot. You may not care much about the happiness of left-handers but the firepower of a unit is reduced by every man not comfortable with his weapon.