Traditional Military Rifles JANUARY 2014 • NUMBER 38 raditional military rifles generally Over many decades the rifle has been devel- fire full-sized ammunition, such as 7.62 oped to meet the needs of a variety of mili- T× 51 mm (NATO standard) and 7.62 × tary and law-enforcement users. Selective- 54R mm (Warsaw Pact standard),1 and were fire battle rifles, such as the Heckler & Koch3 G in common military use until the wide- or FN FAL, allow the user to select either semi- spread introduction of military assault or fully-automatic firing modes. Other variations rifles.2 The latter are chambered for inter- of traditional full-powered rifles are employed mediate calibre ammunition, and are less as sniper rifles—designed for long-range ac- cumbersome and more suited to closer- curacy and usually bolt-action or semi-auto- matic—and anti-materiel/large-calibre sniper WEAPONS WEAPONS & MARKETS range combat. Traditional military rifles, 4 including those with selective fire capabil- rifles. The latter employ calibres in excess of ity (often referred to as ‘battle rifles’), have 12.7 mm; are used against infrastructure, however been retained for some specialized lightly armoured vehicles, and personnel; and are also usually bolt-action or semi-automatic military uses, especially where greater (see Berman and Leff, 2011). power and accuracy is required. Some states also permit civilian posses- The functioning of modern military rifles sion of essentially military rifles, although in can be divided into three broad categories: most cases this is restricted to semi-automatic manually operated, semi-automatic, and auto- models. matic.3 With bolt-action rifles (the most com- As with any category of small arm, it is mon type of manually operated rifle) the bolt virtually impossible to aggregate total world is used to chamber a live cartridge and, after production of rifles, due to a variety of factors, firing, to extract and eject a spent cartridge. including incomplete or opaque manufactur- Self-loading (semi-automatic and automatic) ing records and the sheer length of time that rifles make use of the propellant gases or re- some weapons have been in use (approaching coil generated by firing to ‘cycle’ the action a century in some cases). Table 1 lists produc-
Notes (moving parts)—extracting and ejecting a tion estimates for some of the most common th st spent cartridge and, on the bolt’s return, feed- traditional military rifles of the 20 and 21 ing a live cartridge from the magazine into the centuries. Contrary to early expectations, intermedi- chamber. In the automatic mode of operation ate calibre firearms have not fully replaced the weapon continues to cycle and fire as long those of larger military calibre, notably those as the trigger stays depressed and cartridges retained for sniper and ‘designated marks- remain in the magazine. man’ use. These have included either pur- States developed bolt-action rifles in the latter pose-built or modified weapons able to provide th half of the 19 century, when military (notably a high degree of accuracy at extended ranges. colonial) doctrine favoured engaging enemy For example, the earlier general-issue M14 ri- forces at long ranges. Modern self-loading fle is the basis for the US military’s M21 and rifles (developed in the early20 th century) M25 sniper rifles. In the United Kingdom, the retained similar calibres, barrel lengths, and British Army deployed Mk 4 Lee Enfield field effective ranges to their bolt-action predeces- rifles rechambered to 7.62 × 51—designated the sors. Following the Second World War a change L42A1 sniper rifle—until the 1990s. Similarly, in doctrine prompted most militaries to adopt the German Heckler & Koch PSG 1 sniper rifle assault rifles for shorter engagement distances (and later evolutions) is a derivative of the G3 (Bevan, 2013; Pauly, 2004, pp. 111–17, 143–52). rifle (see Jones and Ness, 2008, pp. 284, 254–
FN FAL 7.62 x 51 mm rifle
A traditional rifle chambered for full-sized rifle calibre ammunition with a characteristic long barrel. Research
Small Arms Survey Research Notes • Number 38 • January 2014 1 Table 1. Production of selected traditional military rifles
Model Estimated number of units produced globally About the Lee Enfield series (all marks) 17 million Small Arms Survey G3* 7 million+ The Small Arms Survey serves as the M1 Garand (carbine) 5.5 million principal international source of public information on all aspects of small arms FN FAL 2 million+ and armed violence, and as a resource * May include some licensed production data. centre for governments, policy-makers, Sources: FN Herstal (2013); Hart Ezell (1995, p. 9); Jones and Ness (2008, p. 238); Skennerton (2007, p. 153) researchers, and activists. In addition to Research Notes, the Survey distributes its findings through Occasional Papers, Spe- 55). Notes cial Reports, Working Papers, Issue Briefs, For the simple reason of practical- a Book Series, and its annual flagship ity, many contemporary purpose-built 1 These cartridges are longer, heavier, and publication, the Small Arms Survey. sniper rifles employ the same cali- develop greater muzzle energy than The project has an international staff bres used in military rifles, including intermediate equivalents. with expertise in security studies, political 7 62 51 7 62 54 2 See Small Arms Survey Research Note 25 . × mm (NATO) and . × R science, international public policy, law, Military Assault Rifles. mm (Warsaw Pact) calibres. These economics, development studies, conflict 3 A range of rifles using other loading calibres are effective at moderate ranges resolution, sociology, and criminology, mechanisms persist, but mainly confined (800–1,000 metres), with performance and works closely with a worldwide net- to civilian use. at longer ranges being dependent on work of researchers and partners. 4 See Small Arms Survey Research Note 7 ammunition quality and user skill. The Small Arms Survey is a project In summary, it is clear that modern Anti-materiel Rifles. of the Graduate Institute of International military and law-enforcement forces and Development Studies, Geneva. For continue to rely on a variety of rifle more information, please visit: types for roles to which assault rifles References www.smallarmssurvey.org are not best suited. In recent years— Berman, Eric G. and Jonah Leff. 2011. Anti- and notably following engagements materiel Rifles. Research Note No. 7. Geneva: Publication date: January 2014 in Afghanistan and Iraq—a number Small Arms Survey.
2 Small Arms Survey Research Notes • Number 38 • January 2014