Two or three decades after the war, the question arose of replacing the old intermediate cartridge with a new low-impulse central ignition cartridge (in the Warsaw Pact countries - 5.45 mm, in NATO countries - 5.56 mm). New models of weapons were created, the most famous were the M.T. Kalashnikov AK-74 assault rifle and the American M-16 assault rifle, which exist in numerous modifications. The opinion that the bullets of these cartridges are allegedly extremely unstable (have no stability margin) when they hit the human body, which leads to their tipping over wound channel and excessive costs kinetic energy in the human body are unfounded due to the fact that the energy costs for “tipping” the bullet in the body (due to high speed rotation, the gyroscopic effect is huge) is greater than the total muzzle energy given out by the bullet at the exit from the barrel. The popular term - "displaced center of gravity" is applied to these bullets without any justification. Accordingly, there is no reason to say that the use of 5.45 cartridges contradicts the concept of limiting the use of force in war on the principles of reasonable sufficiency, defined by the 1907 Hague Convention.

The Kalashnikov assault rifle will remain in history as a standard of reliability.

They just didn’t do anything with it - they dropped it flat from two meters, onto the barrel, onto the butt. A ZIL-131 drove over it, then they dug it out of the asphalt - the bolt hook dented into the road, reloaded - it shoots. They soaked in the swamp, poured sand into the barrel, small pebbles into the bolt frame - turn, spit a couple of times, the rest at the target, the pebbles into the sand are crushed into the sand. And when they were still on guard: you put it like a plank between two stumps, and you sit with your weight of 90 kg every day, day after day. Then you clean it, look down the muzzle - it is even, and it shoots at the shooting range just as accurately as before /Unknown Russian fighter/

... Then we already had the opportunity to shoot, for a change, with AKs, mainly Soviet-made AK-47s. This weapon seemed to everyone to be something like a sling and a bow of primitive savages, it was so simply arranged and finished, but at 300 yards 7.62 mm caliber bullets pierced through the brickwork and could easily kill a soldier hiding behind it. This could not fail to impress, but then seriously did not make anyone think ... /Deng Sheni, shooting instructor, ex. US Airborne officer, participant in the war in Iraq /

The main thing in the production of weapons is the achievement of high manufacturability and unification of production. It is these achievements, as well as the reliability of weapons, that are the glorious pages of weapons under the Kalashnikov brand.

Ammunition Comparison

Cartridge specification	Chuck size	bullet weight	bullet speed	bullet energy
5.56 mm NATO	5.56 × 45mm	3.95-5.18 gr.	772-930 m/s	1700-1830 J
7.62 mm NATO	7.62 × 51mm	9.33 gr.	838 m/s	3275 J

Modern machines

Modern assault rifles have a caliber of 5.45-9 mm, a mass of 2.5-5 kg, a rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute or more, an effective fire range of up to 400 m, and an aiming range of up to 1000 m. Many designs provide for firing bursts of 2 -3 rounds to increase the accuracy of fire. For reference hand-to-hand combat a bayonet is attached to some models of automata.

performance characteristics of some of the most famous models machine guns (assault rifles)

Name	Country	Year of admission	Cartridge caliber	Length, mm	barrel length	Weight, kg	Magazine capacity	kind of fire	Shots /min	Sighting range, m	Muzzle velocity : m/s
Germany		7.92x33	940	419	4,62	30	he	500	275 −600	647-700
AK-47	USSR		7.62x39	870	414	4,8	30	he	680	400	690
FN FAL	Belgium		7.62×51	1090	533	4,45	20	he	650	600	823
G-3	Germany		7.62x51	1023	450	4,5	20	o/n/f	600	400	800
M14	USA		7.62x51	1118	559	4,5	20	he	700-750	400-500	850
М16А1	USA		5.56x45	990	508	3,1	20 or 30	he	850	500-600	990
France		5.56x45	757	488	3,8	20 or 30	o/f	950	300-450	960
AK-74

AKs of the "hundredth" series were created at the same IZHMASH plant, where all Kalashnikov assault rifles are produced, on the basis of models already mastered in production. The main "parent" of all "hundred parts" was AK74M. In fact, the developers of the "hundredth" series simply took the AK74M caliber 5.45x39 mm as a basis and adapted it for two more calibers - 5.56x45 mm and 7.62x39 mm. They also made shortened modifications of assault rifles for all three calibers - 5.54x39 mm, 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm.

The Soviet military leadership, starting from the moment the 7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle entered service, needed another new type of weapon that would be smaller than the AK47 and AKM, but would have more firepower than the automatic versions created under pistol cartridge (submachine guns).

The legendary reliability of Kalashnikov assault rifles is due to very large assembly tolerances and, accordingly, wide gaps between the moving parts of the weapon. But this same moment is one of the reasons why the assault rifle has a low accuracy of combat, although given parameter the modified AKM is significantly superior to the AK47.

German Alexandrovich Korobov, a Russian gunsmith from Tula, began designing assault rifles shortly after the outbreak of World War II, when he designed the TKB-408 bullpup rifle for army trials in 1946-1947. Despite the failure of the TKB-408, German Korobov continued to work on the development of various assault rifles, both the bullpup system and the traditional configuration. During the second half of the 1940s, the designer applied gas braking of the shutter in his series of experimental rifles TKB-454 under the new standard Soviet intermediate cartridge 7.62x39 mm.

The FN FAL (light automatic rifle) is one of the most famous and widely used combat rifles of the 20th century. Designed by Belgian Fabrique Nationale (FN), it has been used in over 70 countries and produced in at least 10 countries, which is saying a lot. Currently, most FAL rifles have ended their service, but they are still used by some units in different parts of the world.

The Steyr AUG (Universal Army Rifle) has been in development since the late 1960s as a replacement for the respected but obsolete Stg.58 (FN FAL) battle rifle for the Austrian army. Steyr AUG was developed by the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch (now this company is called Steyr-Mannlicher AG & Co KG). Serious assistance in this was provided by the Austrian army. The new rifle was put into service in 1977 under the symbol Stg.77 (assault rifle, model 1977). Mass serial production began in 1978.

FN SCAR, perhaps, can be described as one of the best recent developments in terms of creating a modern automatic rifle that could quickly turn into a light machine gun, a semi-automatic sniper or a short-barreled assault automatic carbine for working in narrow spaces. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, first things first.

Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle - a rifle designed for special operations forces, later called FN SCAR, the abbreviation in the name of the weapon was as follows: FN - Fabrique Nationale, a brand that does not need comment, S - Special Operations Forces, C - Combat, A - Assault, R - Rifle. FN SCA

In the 50s of the last century, the American weapons designer Stoner developed an automatic rifle of 7.62x51 caliber, which worked on the direct removal of powder gases from the barrel through a gas outlet tube directly to the bolt frame, without a gas piston. Development was completed in 1954 and was named AR-10. The first samples were manufactured by Armalite (Armalite Division of the Fairchild Aircraft Corp). This rifle was not put into service, instead, after extensive testing, the US military chose the M14 automatic rifle of the same caliber (7.62x51 NATO).

Immediately before starting to write this article, I will stipulate some details so that they do not consider me an amateur and an absolutely incompetent author who, for some reason, undertook to write articles about weapons. The facts below can be substantiated more deeply in our forum, at your first request. The name of this weapon is often written in three versions: AK74, AK-74 and AK 74. The differences are minor, but they are. The correct name for the new weapon that replaced the AKM is AK74. And nothing else.

In fact, the AK74 "machine guns" have both adherents and opponents. And there are a lot of arguments for this, both from the side of the first and from the side of the second. Consider the typical misconceptions regarding this weapon.

The IMI Galil automatic rifle was created in Israel by engineer Israel Galili. In 1969, the first prototypes of this weapon were made, and in 1973, after field army tests, it entered service with the SSI - the Israel Self-Defense Forces. The weapon was developed at the Israeli plant for the production and development of weapons - IMI (Israel Military Industries). The creation of this rifle was preceded by the events of the Arab-Israeli conflict of 1968, referred to as the "Six-Day" War. At that time, the Israel Self-Defense Forces were armed with Belgian FN FAL automatic rifles of 7.62x51 mm caliber. These rifles were inferior to the 7.62x39 mm AK-47 and AKM assault rifles in terms of reliability in the desert, as well as combat characteristics in close combat, but excelled in the accuracy of combat and effective firing range due to a more powerful cartridge and smaller gaps in the mechanisms.

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And, closing the topic, let's still deal with the terms.

By itself, the term "rifle" historically denotes a weapon with a "screw", that is, rifled, barrel. Currently, the term rifle refers to an individual long-barreled small arms with rifled barrel. The term "carbine" in relation to military weapons means "short rifle".

Carbines TOZ-78, TOZ-99 and TOZ-122

Rifle (reloading rifle)

Historically, the rifle got its name from the rifled, "screw" barrel, which was invented at the turn of the 15th - 16th centuries. For that time, rifled guns had high accuracy and firing range - up to 1000 steps. The rifling gave the bullet a rapid rotation in flight, which ensured its stability. However, the imperfection of the rest of the design details and the high cost of production were the reason that rifled weapons were not popular for a long time.

The appearance of percussion caps and the free delivery of a bullet when loading a rifled gun at the end of the first half of the 19th century. opened up really wide possibilities for the use of rifling in infantry weapons. The soldiers of the tsarist army were convinced of this during the Crimean War of 1853-1856. Allied troops, equipped with such weapons, easily fired aimed fire at a distance of up to 1200 paces, hitting both advanced chains and artillery and convoys. The Russians then used smooth-bore guns, the firing range of which did not exceed 300 steps.

Mosin rifle

The advent of breech-loading systems was another key milestone in the history of rifles. The loader no longer had to stand up to his full height every time and turn the gun muzzle towards him. The bullets moved along the rifling without special dispensers. And, finally, loading from the treasury led to the creation of unitary cartridges.

In Russia, the rifle became a "rifle" in the middle of the 19th century. In 1865, a 6-line rifle gun was adopted by the Russian army, which received the name "rifle" - "understandable for every soldier and explaining to him the main principle on which the successful operation of a rifled gun is based." In a number foreign languages By the way, there is no division into guns and rifles.

Mauser 98k

Nowadays, a rifle is an individual long-barreled small arms with a rifled barrel. A shortened rifle was called a “carbine”, which again is not applicable to all countries where a carbine is called a gun of any length, but at the same time having all sorts of bells and whistles for use in cavalry. In Poland, our rifles are called carbines at all, and our carbines bear the proud name of carbines.

Traditionally, those models of rifles that use the muscular strength of the shooter to actuate the mechanisms of the rifle are called "magazine". In Russian, the term "bolt rifles" is still used. This name owes its origin to the English "bolt action rifle" - "(non-self-loading) rifle with a longitudinally sliding bolt."

Rifle (Self-Loading Rifle)

(Self-loading (semi-automatic) rifle)

The first rifles using for reloading weapons (unlocking the barrel, removing and removing the spent cartridge case, feeding a new cartridge, locking the barrel, cocking the trigger) the energy generated by the previous shot appeared at the very end of the 19th century, but the massive rearmament of armies to self-loading rifles began only in 30s of the 20th century. Self-loading rifles are often also called semi-automatic, since they, unlike automatic rifles(machines), without human participation is not carried out full cycle firing, but only reloading, and for the next shot, the shooter must release and press again trigger. The term of the army life of most self-loading rifles was not too long, since the experience of the Second World War showed the need for the possibility of automatic fire and the excess power of rifle cartridges. The transition to a new class of weapons - assault rifles, automatic weapons chambered for an intermediate cartridge, began as early as 1943-44, and gained full momentum in the early 1950s, with the start of the Soviet Kalashnikov assault rifle. However, in many countries, self-loading rifles remained in service until the 1980s (for example, in the UK, where before the adoption of the SA80 weapon system, the self-loading SLR, a variant of the Belgian FN FAL, was standard). At present, most of the self-loading weapons remaining in the troops are, like the remaining magazines, sniper weapons, or parade-ceremonial weapons (for example, SKS carbines in the armies of Russia and China).

Machine guns and assault rifles

There is often confusion as to what is the difference between a submachine gun and an assault rifle. And the difference is in the languages. It's just that in Russian it is customary to call "Automatic" (in relation to weapons) in English they call "Assault rifle", i.e. "Assault rifle".

The assault rifle is the main offensive weapon of modern infantry. Modern assault rifles usually have a caliber from 5.45 to 7.62 mm, magazine capacity from 20 to 30 or more rounds, fire modes are fully automatic (bursts) and single shots6, and some models also have a cut-off (i.e. bursts of 2 or 3 shots). The effective firing range is on average up to 600 m, the effective practical rate of fire is up to 400 rounds / min in bursts. Many automata (including those shown here) are "progenitors" or constituent parts entire families of automatic weapons (from short "carbines" to hand-held machine guns - good to that an example is the Austrian AUG or the AK / RPK family). Almost all machine guns can be equipped with a bayonet, a night, optical or collimator sight, and some can also be equipped with a 30-40mm grenade launcher or a nozzle for throwing rifle grenades (rifle grenades are put on the barrel and fired with a blank cartridge).

Current trends for assault rifles are the widespread use of composite plastics and light alloys, the installation of built-in optical or collimator sights with magnification from 1x to 4-6x, the transition to the Bullpup scheme (mechanics in the butt).

According to the classification adopted in the USSR / Russia, assault rifles can be considered the second generation of automatic rifles, that is, individual automatic (intended for firing bursts) weapons. The distinction between generations is carried out according to the cartridge used in this weapon. If a weapon uses a powerful "rifle" type cartridge (eg 7.62mm NATO, 7.5mm Swiss), it is classified as first generation. Classic examples of first-generation automatic rifles are the American M-14 and AR-10, the Belgian FN FAL, and the German G3. If a weapon uses the so-called "intermediate" cartridges (7.62x39, 5.45x39, 5.56mm NATO (5.56x45)), such a weapon is classified as a second generation and is actually called an "automatic" or "assault rifle". The main advantages of weapons chambered for an intermediate cartridge were: less weight of carried ammunition, less recoil energy of the weapon (and as a result, a reduction in the mass of the weapon and facilitating automatic fire control).

Stg.44, Germany, 1944

The first machine gun was created in Russia during the First World War. The Germans took the next step by creating by 1944 a real StG44 assault rifle chambered for their own intermediate cartridge of 7.92x33mm, but the Soviet Kalashnikov AK assault rifle (called AK-47 in the west) became the first truly massive (and one of the most famous in the world). The next step was taken in the United States, adopting the M-16 rifle in 1963 under a specially designed small-caliber and low-pulse cartridge .223 Remington or M193 5.56x45mm (created by Sierra Bullets based on the hunting cartridge .222 Remington). In the 80s, a modification of this cartridge, developed in Belgium under the designation SS109 (with a heavier bullet), was adopted as the standard 5.56mm NATO ammunition. Following the USA and the USSR, the low-impulse cartridge M73 5.45x39mm and the weapon system AK-74 and RPK-74 for it are adopted.

Colt/Armalite M16A1, USA, 1967

I must say that the debate about whether it was worth adopting a small-caliber cartridge into service in the USSR (and this was done clearly "after" "potential adversaries") has not subsided to this day. The most widely used 5.45mm 5N7 cartridge has an unstable bullet with low stopping power and penetrating power, and the improved 5N10 cartridges with a steel carbide core, apparently, did not enter the army en masse. It is not surprising that in local conflicts the good old AKM and RPK are often used under the time-tested and fairly effective cartridge 7.62mm (7.62x39). To confirm this, it is enough to look at reports on military operations in Chechnya. Yes, and M.T. Kalashnikov himself said that by the time the 5.45mm complex (cartridge / machine gun / light machine gun) was adopted, the potential of the 7.62x39 cartridge had not yet been fully disclosed. In addition, it seems to me that in the conditions of combat in populated areas, when the combat distances are small and the overriding, lethal and stopping effect of a bullet comes first (the mass of ammunition carried becomes not so critical, because their rears are nearby), it would be best to show 9mm cartridges (9x39mm SP-6, PAB-9). They are capable of hitting targets in bulletproof vests and behind light shelters at a distance of urban combat (100-400m) and have a high stopping power (important in collisions at short distances - in ruins, when carrying out "cleansing" settlements). I think that complexes like "Thunderstorm" for 9mm ammunition could demonstrate their effectiveness.

Submachine guns

Submachine gun Sudayev, the best PP of World War II

According to GOST (State Standard of the USSR) No. 28653-90 "Small Arms. Terms and definitions" still in force in Russia, the term "submachine gun" stands for "automatic machine, the design of which provides for firing pistol cartridges", and the term "automatic" in turn is defined as "automatic carbine", i.e. a shortened weapon with a rifled barrel that allows automatic fire. Thus, de jure it is legitimate to apply the more general term "automatic" to submachine guns, but in the future I will try to adhere to the more precise term "submachine gun". In general, the definition of the class of small arms "submachine gun" will look like "an individual small arms automatic weapon chambered for a pistol cartridge, designed to be fired with both hands and / or with an emphasis on the shoulder." The latter is necessary to separate submachine guns and conventional pistols with the ability to conduct automatic fire (for example, APS or Glock 18). Automatic pistols assume that firing bursts from them is an auxiliary, not the main firing mode, and are designed primarily for firing at a pistol, with one hand. Of course, such a division can allow for an extended interpretation, since a number of ultra-compact submachine guns, such as the Steyr TMP, Scorpion Vz.61 or Ingram M11, are sometimes referred to by Western authors as "automatic pistols" (machine pistol). On the other hand, the class of submachine guns (submachine gun in English) sometimes includes compact (shortened) submachine guns for an intermediate cartridge, such as the AKS-74U or Colt Commando. At the same time, Western authors and manufacturing companies proceed more from the tactical niche and dimensions of the weapon than from the cartridge used. Again, in the future I will proceed from the domestic (Russian) classification.

Historically, the first automatic weapon for a pistol cartridge appeared at the beginning of the First World War, in 1915. From a tactical point of view, this weapon (double-barreled Italian PP Villar-Perosa) was more of a machine gun for close combat, that is, a group support weapon, rather than an individual infantry weapon. The first full-fledged submachine gun in the modern sense was the PP Bergmann / Schmeisser MP.18, I designed by Louis Schmeisser. Developed on the basis of the experience of fighting in the trenches of the First World War, this model managed to get into the German troops even before the end of hostilities. However, most of the military experts of the leading countries of the world underestimated the role of submachine guns as infantry weapons. PPs were often considered either auxiliary weapons, or even purely police weapons designed to combat riots. However, in the twenties and thirties in most industrial countries, including the USSR, research and development work was carried out in the field of submachine guns. At the same time, a number of Western arms manufacturers actively worked for export, selling their submachine guns not so much to their own armies as to countries Latin America, Africa and Asia. The revision of the role of submachine guns as an army weapon began after studying the Chaco war in the mid-thirties. An experience civil war in Spain, he spurred developments in the field of submachine guns in the heavily militarized Nazi Germany, and in the USSR they realized it only after the Red Army began to suffer serious losses from the fire of Finnish submachine gunners armed with Suomi software during the Winter War of 1940.

Italian double-barreled submachine gun Villar-Perosa in the museum exposition.

German policeman with a Schmeisser MP.18,I submachine gun (1920s).

American soldier with a Thompson M1 submachine gun (Second World War).

The Second World War was the peak of the development of submachine guns as an army weapon. During the war, such PPs as PPSh-41, MP.40 and PPS-43 were developed and produced in millions of copies. However, by the middle of the war, a new type of weapon had also developed, which eventually replaced the PP as the main weapon of the infantry - the machine gun, otherwise known as the "assault rifle" (sturmgewehr-German, assault rifle-English). As a matter of fact, machine guns were developed as more versatile substitutes for submachine guns, having a greater effective firing range with comparable weight and dimensions. The first to abandon the PP in the army were the Armed Forces of the USSR - already in 1949, the Kalashnikov assault rifle and the Simonov self-loading carbine under an intermediate cartridge were adopted.

In most Western countries, submachine guns lasted much longer as a regular army weapon, due to the fact that in 1954 the NATO bloc standardized the 7.62x51 NATO cartridge as the main cartridge, the weapon for which was rather bulky and massive, and the creation of compact samples for airborne troops, crews of combat vehicles and motorized infantry was difficult. However, after the transition of NATO countries in 1979, following the United States to a low-impulse 5.56x45mm cartridge, submachine guns began to be rapidly withdrawn from service. At present, submachine guns have remained mainly in the armament of various army special forces units, where their properties such as compactness and good adaptability to use with a sound silencer are especially in demand.

Russian fighter of the OMON detachment with a submachine gun during the antiterrorist operation (2005).

In terms of police use, the spread of submachine guns was "positively" influenced by such factors as the growth of international terrorism and organized crime, and in the United States - also by social unrest and interracial clashes of the 1960s-1970s. Relatively compact pistols-machine guns, with their relatively short maximum lethal range, are the most suitable for use in police operations in large cities. At the same time, the unification of submachine guns by cartridge with the main police weapon - pistols - also has a certain role.

In addition, compact submachine guns are widely used by high-ranking security services to provide a short-term fire advantage in fleeting fire contacts that usually occur at minimum ranges.

Personal Defense Weapon / PDW

Separately, it must be said about such a class of weapons as "personal defense weapons of military personnel" or Personal Defense Weapon / PDW in the English classification. For a long time, a pistol was considered such a weapon, but already in 1940 in the USA it was developed special weapon, which made it possible to shoot much more accurately than with a pistol, and at a greater range, while being noticeably lighter and more compact than a regular infantry rifle ( we are talking about the American M1 carbine). In the post-war period in Western countries, this role was usually played by submachine guns; in the USSR, either standard machine guns were used for this purpose, and later shortened AKS-74U machine guns. After the transition of Western countries to a small-caliber low-pulse cartridge, shortened machine guns also appeared there, however, back in the fifties of the 20th century in the USA, the idea arose (and by the seventies took root) of creating a special small-caliber cartridge, close in size and recoil momentum to conventional pistol cartridges, but at the same time, at short ranges, comparable in ballistics with a small-caliber automatic (intermediate) cartridge. Such a cartridge gave a number of advantages - in comparison with pistol cartridges, it increased the accuracy of fire due to the greater flatness of the trajectory of a pointed bullet and increased efficiency against soft "anti-fragmentation" army bulletproof vests of that time, and compared to automatic cartridges - less recoil, less weight of ammunition and weapons. In the course of experiments in this direction, a number of prototypes of small-caliber systems of "personal self-defense weapons" were developed, dating back to the fifties - when the first attempts were made to convert the M1 carbine to a special small-caliber cartridge.22 Johnson Spitfire. This can also include developments of the 1960s-70s, such as the IMP Air Force survival pistol (ultra-compact automatic weapon in the bullpup layout without a shoulder rest chambered for .221 Fireball, 1967), Colt SCAMP (automatic pistol with vapor automatics chambered for a special cartridge. 22 SCAMP, 1971).

The IMP Air Force survival pistol in .221 Fireball was developed as a potential survival weapon for US Air Force pilots.

The Colt automatic pistol (SCAMP = Small Caliber Machine Pistol) was also intended to replace conventional pistols for US military personnel. Nearby is shown cartridge.22 SCAMP (5.6mm) compared to 9m pistol cartridge(9x19 NATO).

However, despite certain successes in the creation of such specialized models of "self-defense weapons", it was only at the very end of the 20th and at the beginning of the 21st century that they were adopted for mass armament. The appearance in the late 1980s of the Belgian submachine gun / self-defense weapon FN P90 under a specially designed small-caliber cartridge 5.7x28 mm was perhaps the first example of at least some commercially successful development in this direction. However, the main irony is that this model is currently in service mainly with various forces and special operations units of the army and police of a number of countries, including the US Secret Service. Thus, in most cases, the FN P90 is not an auxiliary weapon for self-defense, but a specialized main weapon for combat professionals. In addition, already in 2006, the German Armed Forces entered service with the HK MP7A1 sample, which is a direct development of the Colt SCAMP concept and also uses a special small-caliber cartridge of 4.6x30mm caliber. © 2007 Maxim Popenker.

Today, the class of "self-defense weapons" includes not only small arms, but also gas weapons, stun guns and even ... batons

machine guns

Port Arthur "machine gun"

First appearing at the end of the 19th century, machine guns clearly showed themselves already in the Anglo-Boer War, and by the time the First World War began, they gained well-deserved popularity.

The machine gun is a group automatic rapid-fire weapon for infantry squads, platoons and companies. In addition to infantry, machine guns can be used as the main or auxiliary weapon on armored vehicles, helicopters, and aircraft. Machine guns can be used from light folding bipods (light and single machine guns), from a wheeled or tripod machine - single, easel and heavy (large-caliber) machine guns. Machines can be conventional (for use on ground targets), anti-aircraft (for use on air targets) and universal. The weight of the machine for a modern single machine gun is 4-15 kg, for a large-caliber machine gun - up to 20-25 kg.

Machine guns are usually divided into: hand or light, used from a bipod or hand-held and using the same ammunition as the assault rifles in service, and often based on them (examples are the AK-based RPK, or AUG /hbar, based on the Steyr AUG). Most modern light machine guns they are magazine-fed, and they can use both high-capacity magazines (up to 75-100 rounds) and magazines from standard machine guns (assault rifles). Single machine guns are used both from bipods and from the machine, as a rule they use more powerful rifle cartridges (7.62x54mm in the USSR / Russia, 7.62mm NATO, etc.). The effective firing range of single machine guns is up to 700-800m from a bipod and up to 1100-1200m from a machine gun. The majority of single machine guns are powered by a belt (capacity is usually from 100 to 250 rounds). Typical single machine guns are the Soviet / Russian PK / PKS, the American M-60, the Belgian FN MAG (it is in service with more than 20 armies of the countries of the world), the German Mg.42 and the Mg.3 created on its basis and others. Large-caliber machine guns have a caliber from 12.7 mm to 14.5 mm, they are used only from the machine or mounted on equipment. The feed is tape, the capacity of the tape is usually 50 rounds. The most typical examples are the American Browning M2 machine gun (caliber 50 or 12.7x99mm), which was put into service in 1933 and in various modifications is in service with all NATO countries.

machine gun "Browning" M2

Special attention deserves multi-barreled systems, otherwise called Gatling machine guns (after the name of the American designer of the 19th century, who created a multi-barreled hand-operated shotgun). Through the efforts of the Hollywood "warriors" these systems have become in the minds of many into a kind of hand weapons (see the films "Terminator" ("Terminator"), "Predator" ("Predator"). In fact, such systems are used (actually in the armed forces of different countries) mainly for installation on airplanes and helicopters. So, shown in the mentioned films "Minigun" (Minigun M-134, GAU / 2) is the armament of such US helicopters as UH-1, AH-1G, OH-6 and others. Such a machine gun cannot be used as a manual machine gun for the following reasons: 1) with a rate of fire of 4-6 thousand rounds per minute, not a single person can withstand the recoil 2) with such a rate of fire, thousands (tens of thousands!) one person will not carry away and 3) such systems (American, at least) require power supply (several powerful car-type batteries, at least) (domestic systems, for example, a 4-barrel 7.62mm GShG, use the energy of powder gases to drive automation ).

Pistols and Revolvers

pistol Uzi

What is a modern pistol or revolver? Why are these "products" made of metal and (in recent times) made of plastic enjoy such high popularity all over the world? Perhaps because they are small in size, moderate in weight (well, almost everything :) and can provide sufficient firepower, sufficient not only for self-defense, but also for conducting offensive operations and even hunting for small and medium-sized animals (mainly revolvers or single-shot pistols under a powerful cartridge are used for hunting). Of course, for each situation, you should (ideally) select the appropriate weapons and ammunition.

Pistols

Semi-automatic pistols use a small amount of the energy of the propellant charge that burns when fired to extract a spent cartridge case from the barrel, cock the hammer or striker and send a new cartridge into the chamber. Cartridges are usually located in a box magazine located in the pistol grip. Box magazines can hold up to 15 rounds (and more) in one or two rows, and allow the weapon to be reloaded quickly.

Revolvers

Revolvers are named so because of the rotating (revolving) drum in which the cartridges are located. Usually the drum of a revolver holds 5-7 rounds, some revolvers of caliber .22 (5.56mm) can hold up to 10 rounds. The cartridges in the drum can be reloaded in two main ways - one by one, as, for example, in the Colt PeaceKeeper or Nagant (and most of the old - 19th century - revolvers), or all at once - when the drum is clicked on a special lever sideways (to the left, in most cases ) or when the frame breaks, opening the breech section of the drum. In this case, a special part - the extractor ejects the spent cartridges from the drum. New cartridges are inserted one at a time or with the help of special clips-speedloaders ("speedloaders"). Both revolvers and pistols have two main types of action: Single (or single) action (Single Action) and Double action (Double Action).

Single action means that the Revolver must be manually cocked for each shot (cocking the drum). This type of operation was the only one possible for most early revolvers (like the Peacekeeper "a), and is still implemented in most modern revolvers. This mode improves the accuracy of fire, but reduces the rate of fire. For Pistols, Single action means that the hammer (or striker) pistol for the first shot must be cocked manually (usually, this is done by pulling back and releasing the shutter casing. This cocks the mainspring and sends the first cartridge into the breech).For the second and subsequent shots, the cocking of the mainspring and the reloading cycle are performed automatically, with shutter release.

Double action for Revolvers means that for the first and all subsequent shots, the hammer is cocked by the shooter's muscular strength when the trigger is pulled, while the drum is rotated. This mode increases the rate of fire and simplifies shooting, but significantly increases the force required for triggering (from 1-2 kgf for single-action revolvers to 5-6 kgf or more for double-action revolvers). For Pistols, the hammer (striker) is cocked by pulling the trigger for the first shot only, all other shots are fired by automatic cocking. However, the first cartridge must be chambered by jigging the bolt. As a rule, double-action pistols remain cocked in this case, similar to single-action pistols, however, they allow you to remove the hammer from the cocking and carry a weapon with a cartridge in the chamber and an uncocked hammer. In addition, this mode allows you to try to re-fire a cartridge that has misfired by simply pulling the trigger again.

Some, mostly compact, pistols and revolvers have a Double Action Only mechanic, whereby the hammer is ALWAYS cocked by pulling the trigger, even if reloading is automatic. Often in such weapons there is no fuse, since such a scheme provides a shot only when the trigger is fully squeezed out with considerable effort.

It seems to me that it should be said separately about the latest fashion in pistol building - the use polymer materials for the manufacture of the frame (body) of the pistol. Naturally, serial all-plastic pistols so far are more of a fantasy, because the barrels, bolts and main parts of the trigger are made of steel. The polymer frame has its pros and cons. The first, most tangible plus is less weight (the difference for pistols of the same class with steel and polymer frames can reach 150-200 grams). The second plus is the great cheapness of manufacturing and a smaller number of frame parts. The third is the high corrosion resistance of modern polymers. The most characteristic representatives of the class of "plastic" pistols are the Glock series, Smith & Wesson Sigma, CZ100 ...

AK and M-16 are gradually becoming history, new models are being created on the basis of successful designs. In addition to numerous clones of the "Kalashnikov" and the "black rifle", a lot of original samples appeared on the arms market: accurate, versatile and reliable.

Some of them underwent a rigorous selection and, based on the results of military tests, were put into service. IT.TUT.BY has selected five of the most modern assault rifles and machine guns that have been put into service over the past 10 years.

FN SCAR

Developed by the American division of FN Herstal, the FN SCAR modular assault rifle was able to impress representatives of the US Department of Defense Special Forces (SOCOM).

Small-scale production of the FN SCAR began back in 2007, but the first batches of rifles entered service with the American Rangers only in 2009. There are two main modifications of the rifle: light SCAR-L, Mk 16 Mod (5.56 mm) and heavy SCAR-H, Mk 17 Mod 0 (7.62 mm).

Also based on Mk 17 Mod 0 made sniper rifle Mk 20. Models have 60% common parts.
The rifle is made according to a modular design, which allows you to change its characteristics depending on the upcoming combat mission. To do this, there is a set of barrels of different lengths and calibers. For this, and also for its simplicity and reliability, the FN SCAR was highly appreciated by the US Special Forces. During the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, it turned out that the rifle is not afraid of fine desert sand, which quickly disabled the M16, is easy to maintain and has excellent accuracy.

Moreover, SCAR-H, although it uses a powerful 7.62x51 mm NATO ammunition, allows the use of less powerful Soviet 7.62x39 mm cartridges and magazines from Kalashnikov assault rifles.

Also during the war, it turned out that even after several hits of 5.56 mm caliber bullets, the enemy remains combat-ready. As a result, American special forces often used the FN SCAR-H. SOCOM plans to withdraw from further purchases of SCAR-L. And FN SCAR-H will be purchased with a kit for converting them to a 5.56 mm cartridge.

CZ 805

Czech gunsmiths have always been famous for their ability to create reliable, technologically advanced and accurate weapons. Therefore, it is not surprising that their new CZ 805 assault rifle managed to beat the Belgian FN SCAR in the competition.

The CZ 805 is a multi-caliber modular rifle that, after a slight conversion, can fire three types of ammunition at once: 5.56x45 NATO, 7.62x39 Soviet, and the promising 6.8x43 Rem SPC.

For each ammunition, there are three interchangeable barrel options, a separate shutter and magazine shaft. The use of a long, heavy barrel, coupled with a bipod and a 100-round magazine, turns the CZ 805 into a light machine gun.
It is noteworthy that a bayonet-knife was developed specifically for this assault rifle, although in Western countries to walk in a bayonet attack is considered bad form. Production of the CZ 805 has been underway since 2009, assault rifles enter service with the Czech army.

HK417

In terms of reliability, this assault rifle is comparable to a Kalashnikov assault rifle. HK417 was created taking into account the experience of combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. From there, increased requirements for reliability, as well as the 7.62x51 NATO caliber, which has a good stopping effect. So that the soldiers of the coalition did not experience difficulties with the operation of the HK417, the engineers of Heckler & Koch GmbH made it so that the main controls and the method of disassembly and assembly are identical to the M16. Although the gas venting mechanism and other structural elements are significantly different from those of the American rifle.

The HK417 has been produced since 2007 in four versions, differing only in length, quality of barrel processing, and, well, in weight. Sniper - HK417 20" "Sniper" Model has high accuracy: about one arc minute when using special cartridges.

In a short time, the rifle gained great popularity and today it is in service with special forces in many countries of the world: the Netherlands, Norway and Great Britain, it is used by the French Foreign Legion and other units.

Beretta ARX-160

This rifle was created as part of the "Soldier of the Future" program and is characterized by incredible reliability and tactical flexibility. Therefore, it was immediately adopted. The Beretta ARX-160 has been produced since 2009 and has already fought in Afghanistan, where it received high marks from the military.

The main ammunition for the ARX-160 Coyote is 5.56x45 mm NATO, but if the situation so requires, then after replacing the barrel, chamber and bolt, the use of 5.45x39 mm, 6.8 mm Remington SPC and 7.62 cartridges is allowed. ×39 mm.

The designers of the rifle took care of left-handers as well - the Beretta ARX-160 is equipped with windows for ejection of spent cartridges on both sides receiver. Therefore, if necessary, you can adjust the direction of the ejection both to the left and to the right.

Additionally, the rifle can be equipped with an optical-electronic sight with day and night channels. It also provides for the installation of a 40-mm grenade launcher, which comes with a laser rangefinder and a ballistic computer.

Thales Australia F90

The F90 was designed to replace the Australian Army's F88 Austeyr rifle. Despite the external similarity, there are many differences in the design of these rifles. For example, the Thales Australia F90 is equipped with a non-replaceable barrel, the designers replaced the front folding handle with a universal Picatinny rail, improved the shape of the butt and made a number of other changes.

To speed up the reloading of the assault rifle, a slide delay was introduced into its design. Especially for the rifle, the 40 mm SL40 grenade launcher was developed, which is loaded from the treasury and has a movable barrel.

There are two versions of the new rifle: standard, with a barrel length of 508 mm, and F90 Carbine (407 mm). The possibility of replacing some nodes for the use of other ammunition is not provided.

The creators of the rifle tried to make it as reliable, simple and inexpensive to manufacture as possible. In 2014, a contract was signed for the supply of these rifles to the Australian Army.

Initially, the entire range of tasks for assault rifles lay on submachine guns. However, after World War II, active development weapons, capable of automatic fire with rifle-caliber cartridges. Modern assault rifles are the pinnacle of engineering, with balanced performance between heavy weapons and sniper systems. This ranking includes best assault rifles in the world, top 10.

10.FN-F2000

Unlocks the assault rifle rating FN-F2000 which began development in the 1990s. The Belgian designers were faced with the task of creating universal weapon effective in all situations. Because of this, the choice of layout fell on the then popular "bullpup". Moreover, the Belgians managed to patent the system of frontal extraction of spent cartridge cases (the spent cartridge cases fall out at the muzzle), which made it possible to use this rifle by left-handers.

The FN F2000 can be equipped with various types of sights, as well as a laser rangefinder and a 40mm grenade launcher. Now this assault rifle is in service special units 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 - a high rate of fire. Because of this, the owner can run out of ammo very quickly, which can lead to serious problems on the battlefield. HK 416 is in service with the special forces of 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 armed forces of Austria, the infantry needed the most versatile weapons possible. Steyr, 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, resulting in weapons can be adjusted to the owner or a specific combat situation. Modification Steyr AUG a3, created in 2005, is an even more versatile option. The owner can set different types sights, for example, collimator, night, it was also possible to attach an underbarrel 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

7th place in the ranking of the best assault rifles is FAMAS, adopted by France in 1977, thus becoming one of the first bullpup assault rifles. FAMAS is distinguished by high reliability and high accuracy of fire, for which the French military fell in love with the rifle. In addition, it is possible to install auxiliary modules, such as additional handles for recoil suppression. Subsequently, a major modernization of the mounts and mechanisms of the machine 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. Basically, these rifles are used by the Texas Rangers, but there are deliveries to the regular army.

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

5th place ranking the best slot machines peace is occupied by Israel. It was developed in 1993 as a replacement for the obsolete Galil. "Tavor" is made according to the "bullpup" layout with a linear scheme, which made it possible to ensure high shooting accuracy. This forced the designers to place the ribs much higher. Also, the engineers implemented the ability to remake the shutter, so that the shells will fly out from the opposite side, which allows left-handed people to use the machine 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 various assault rifles developed by the German company Heckler & Koch, designed to perform a number of combat missions. The first samples came into service with the Bundeswehr army in 1995, as part of a program to replace the obsolete G3.

The machine gun has a fairly large weight, comparable to the AK-74, and additional stiffeners on the handle make the HK G36 even heavier. Due 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 comfortably fire.

3. M16

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

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

Among the advantages of the M16 can be noted ergonomics and accuracy when firing a single cartridge. However, when shooting long lines the accuracy of this assault rifle is seriously reduced.

2. Bushmaster Acr 3

Bushmaster Acr 3- an attempt to improve appearance 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. Thanks to the modular system, the owner has the ability to quickly replace individual components of the weapon, thereby changing its characteristics to 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 developments accumulated over the past 10 years were used in the work.

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

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