Best Battle Rifle?

By number of countries that actually tested and then chose their main battle rifle it has to be the FN, of whatever pattern you choose.

The AK is a great rifle, but it wasnt exactly chosen through competition by most countries using it.
 
I prefer the sights and the ambidexterous safety & mag release of the M14, the ruggedness and accuracy of the FN FAL and positive feeding are positive points. The roller lock action of the G3 series is mechanicaly elegant but I have always found that the G3 series transmits more recoil than the others.

Pity they don't make the SIG's in 7.62 Nato.

Despite the fact that I own a Norc M14, I would crawl over broken glass using my toungue for propulsion for a Belgian Model D.
 
cancer said:
What's the difference between an assault rifle and a battle rifle? length? cartridge energy?


By definition an assault rifle fires an intermediate power cartridge, generally a reduce version of an existing round. The 7.62X39 is a excellent example of the concept, a reduced 7.62X54R. The are designed to provide overwhelming fire inside 300m range. A battle rifle fires a full power rifle cartridge, 7.62X51 ect.
 
LeftFootOfDoom said:
By number of countries that actually tested and then chose their main battle rifle it has to be the FN, of whatever pattern you choose.
The AK is a great rifle, but it wasnt exactly chosen through competition by most countries using it.

Respectfully disagree. Rejection of AK was as much political statement as it's adoption.

AKM would be my personal choice.
 
stokka said:
Respectfully disagree. Rejection of AK was as much political statement as it's adoption.

AKM would be my personal choice.


Can you support that with any articles showing that the AK/AKM/AK74 even met the prerequisite criteria to be considered for adoption by any countries?

I know that Finland (i think) has their version of the AK by Valmet, what are they calling it, AK 95 i think.
 
LeftFootOfDoom said:
Can you support that with any articles showing that the AK/AKM/AK74 even met the prerequisite criteria to be considered for adoption by any countries?

I know that Finland (i think) has their version of the AK by Valmet, what are they calling it, AK 95 i think.
I have never seen any prerequisite criteria. Do you think that they are never influenced by politics and/or economics? Can you really see any NATO country (and Finland is not a full NATO member, well, not sure about now, but when they adopted Valmet, they were not for sure) adopting a caliber and/or rifle of Warsaw pact while it lasted? Or, say, Bulgaria adopting M-16? Speaking of which, - did that rifle satisfy those prerequisites you are talking about? How would you rate M-16 for a battle against non-satisfying AK?

But all things aside - I doubt it very much that gun qualities was the only reason for a country in a second half of the 20-th century.
 
Best battle rifle: FAL
Best assault rifle: M16
Splitting the difference: G3

...and the AK 47 is an assault rifle, not a battle rifle. It is not the size and power of the ammo, but the overall length and girth of the weapon. That it why a CAR is a carbine even though it fires the same ammo as an M16 rifle. It is shorter and smaller, so it is a carbine. The same distinction applies between a battle rifle and an assault rifle.
 
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RobAK said:
eltorro, I would have to agree the PSL is certainly accurate enough, but with it's length and butt size/configuration, I'd still rather take a FAL for a "battle rifle".

Northwind, the dial-up guys are going ot want you dead:D , but Arianna is looking nice!

As a "dial-up guy" I respectfully disagree. If he had posted a picture that huge that just showed that "airsoft-ish" junk she was holding I'd be leading the lynching mob, but since it gave such lovely detail of Adrianna he is forgiven.

Now somebody please confirm that "Exhibitor" is the politically correct term for what we used to call an "Exhibitionist" and I'll be one heck of a happy dude. :D

Just kidding about the rifle of course. My bias is towards the M14 design simply because the liberals and my bank statement have conspired to make it the only one I can become truly familiar with, and my norc has never failed to go bang when I pull the trigger. I trust it more than any other firearm I own, and I don't make that statement lightly.

Given the opportunity to own the FN I used as a teenager or any of the other fine rifles suggested here, I'd likely have to reconsider my choice.
 
I cannot believe the numbe of people saying AK or M16 even after it has been pointed out that they do not fit the definition of "battle rifle".

Do you not read the posts??

Anyway........

My vote goes for FAL all the way...followed by Galil in .308
 
Zorak said:
Best battle rifle: FAL
Best assault rifle: M16
Splitting the difference: G3

...and the AK 47 is an assault rifle, not a battle rifle. It is not the size and power of the ammo, but the overall length and girth of the weapon. That it why a CAR is a carbine even though it fires the same ammo as an M16 rifle. It is shorter and smaller, so it is a carbine. The same disitnction applies between a battle rifle and an assault rifle.


:confused: You stand alone in the world in that opinion. The only defining article of an "assault rifle" is the mid-power cartridge. Carbine is a term refering only to length. To be technical about it, you could have a carbine configured assault rifle. Such as the CAR. I would be curious to find one creditable reference to "assault rifle" that didn't begin with the cartridge. An AK is much bulkier to handle than a M-16 weapon, weight/girth have nothing to do with it.
 
Cocked&Locked said:
:confused: You stand alone in the world in that opinion. The only defining article of an "assault rifle" is the mid-power cartridge. Carbine is a term refering only to length. To be technical about it, you could have a carbine configured assault rifle. Such as the CAR. I would be curious to find one creditable reference to "assault rifle" that didn't begin with the cartridge. An AK is much bulkier to handle than a M-16 weapon, weight/girth have nothing to do with it.

Oh...I don't know about that...for a while I worked with these weapons and worked with NATO soldiers from around the world. The common definition we had of a battle rifle had to to with the length, girth and purpose of the weapon.

It seems to me if we go by calibre than the CAR, FN MiniMI machine gun, and M16 could all be classified at the same thing. So I am not misunderstood, rifles are typically classified by length and action, not calibre.

An SLR / Battle rifle is typically longer with less ammo, heavier, and the emphasis is on aimed shots, marksmanship, longer ranges, and pentration. Many, like the early FNs were only select fire after special modification requiring a tool (typically a bayonet).

Assault rifles are shorter, typically select fire, often with more ammo and smaller calibres. The emphasis shifts to bursts, firepower, and rounds down. These weapons are often used to supplement the killing power of MGs in the field.

Carbines are the shortest of all rifles, many of which shoot small rifle or pistol calibre. A CAR would be an example of this. Typically they are best applied to short range, high firepower applications such as con space, fibua, spec apps, or overland foot recce.

There are bolt, lever, slide action, and semi auto rifles that fire pistol calibres. There are machine guns that fire deer hunting (7.62 / .308) calibres and machine guns that fire varminting (5.56 / .223) calibres. There are pistols that fire rifle calibres. There are rifles that fire grenades, and there are shotguns that fire slugs.

These categories are not rigid, there is a lot of blending. For example, a M14 with a barrel chop and sage stock has really become a carbine. As a gas gun, it's more like a SLR in its internals, but externally, it meets all the criteria of a carbine. It calibre of course remains the same. As such, firearms are not defined by calibre, but by structure, function, and purpose.
 
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