What are the different types of assault rifles?

Answer 1

"Assault " rifle is a very generic term relating to an evolution in military doctrine , that is to say , changing from a slower marksmanship based advance on an objective , to a more rapid , high volume of fire overwhelming of an objective.

The precursor weapons of this change would have been the WW2 StG44 , chambered for the 7.92x33 Kurz cartridge , and perhaps the .30 M1 Carbine. Although the .30 Carbine cartridge is more a magnum pistol cartridge , it was packaged as a lighter than then current issue rifle , with a detachable magazine , that held either 15 , or 28 cartridges.

Historically , armies are slow to change from what worked in the past , be it pikes to Brown Bess , .30-40 Krag to 1903 Springfield , 03A3 Springfield to M1 Garand , and so forth.

To the point; the next evolutionary step would likely be the SKS carbine , in 7.62x39 Russian , a post WW2 design based on the 7.92x33 Kurz cartridge.

In each case , the designs were changing from the full size battle rifle cartridges , to a reduced power/sized intermediate cartridge , with the capability for rapid reloading and a higher individual volume of fire. Thus, we see the SKS begin to replace the Moisin-Nagant rifles , and the M14 eventually replacing the M1 Garand , the M1 Carbine being removed from service due to being underpowered for active combat.

Further evoultion brings us to the Kalishnikov rifles , and the M16 series. Again , intermediate size cartridges , as compared to the squad level machineguns of the time , selectively changable from semi auto to full automatic fire , high individual rates of fire , and rapid reloading from large capacity detachable magazines.

Moving a group of men armed in such a manner , delivering a high volume of aimed fire , was , and remains , the doctrine for taking an objective.

Assault is the term for capturing the objective by overwhelming force.

Assault rifle is a generic term for a selectively semi- auto/ full automatic rifle , the tool used to perform that task.

"Semi-Automatic Assault Rifle" is a term deliberately coined by the Brady gun control group to confuse and mislead the general public ,attempting to cause a hysterical demand from a vocal minority, to remove from lawful ownership a civilian copy of the military style rifle of the current era. Civilian copies of military pattern that were NOT capable of fully automatic fire.

Oddly enough , these rifles were once refered to in sales literature , as "Police " or " Law Enforcement " models , to distinguish them from their military / militia counterparts.

This is an excedingly condensed opinion of the post WW2 era of weapon devlopement , and glosses over a great deal of the political & doctrinal concerns of the time period.

As well , there is a LOT of historical data left out , concerning other weapons that developed tangentally or parallel to the " assault " rifle doctrine. All of which is important to know , to put everthing in it`s proper perspective.

Long story short , however , is that "assault " is a behavior- NOT a weapon.