Semi Auto WWII "Long Rifle" Who really had it figured out?

[green]

Johnson is not a blowback but is securely locked by multiple lugs.
Earliest arm to use a tilting block was the MAS c1928 direct predeccessor of the MAS 44, 49 &49/56.
1918 BAR used a swinging lock borrowed from M1886 Mannlicher.

 

[agentcq]

We are also forgot to mention the Mkb 42 (H) parent to the MP43 and the MP44 and STG44.

The there was a direct copy from the SVT38 and SVT30 for the development of the G/K43's however I believe the MKb, MP and STG's have a lineage of their own. They were purpose built weapons (intermediate cartridge, mid-range, high capacity semi and full auto weapon).

The SVT, G/K43's and Garands belong in the same family.

There is also the FG42 rifles developed for the Fallschirmjager's, but that is a different story.

 

[Epoxy7]

Gas operation isn't a fundamental characteristic of an assault rifle, even if most of them work that way. Select fire and an intermediate cartridge are the two defining characteristics. The Avtomat, by virtue of being select fire and using a slightly less powerful cartridge than most other rifles of the day, comes closer to filling that definition.

A better case could be made that the SVT-40 was the conceptual predecessor to the various post-WWII battle rifles, such as the FAL or the G3.

One could just as easily argue that the Mondragon was the grandfather of the assault rifle; after all it was the first semiauto rifle adopted by an army to use gas operation.

You're missing the point. Gas operation wasn't the technological breakthrough that allowed the assault rifle to work. The gas piston system was. The fact is this is what allowed the first assault rifle to actually work. The German semi auto sucked. They copied the SVT40 system to make it work. Operation Barbarosa was in 1941. The Russians were fielding the SVT40 extensively against the Germans. In 1943, the Germans modified their semi auto rifle, then in 1944 they were fielding their STG44 assault rifle. The backbone of this advancement was the piston system. While the piston system isn't necessary for it to be an assault rifle, it was necessary for the first assault rifle to be created. They were in the middle of a World War. It had to work otherwise they couldn't afford to spare the resources on something that wouldn't be reliable.

I say the SVT40 was the grandfather of the assault rifle, based on the fact that it provided the technological breakthrough needed to create the first assault rifle, the fact that it was the immediate firearm that the Germans were very familiar with (they captured hundreds of thousands of them, reissued them to their troops and extensively studied them to further their weapons designs) and was therefore the most immediate influence on the STG44.


On a sidenote the SVT40 did two main things that distinguished itself from the later battle rifles, and were actually goals of an assault rifle.

1) The stock was made from Arctic Birch in order to make the rifle as light as possible
2) There was a built in muzzle brake/compensator to significantly lesson the recoil.

These last two qualities were the goals of an assault rifle. IE light handier, and more manageable. The SVT40 just wasn't there yet. They aimed for better handling/carrying by using a very light wood. They aimed for control and light recoil with a muzzle brake instead of a smaller round.

The only thing the SVT40 was missing to be an "assault rifle" was a pistol grip and a smaller cartridge. It had all the other features. There was a select fire version, the AVT which used the safety mechanism to select from full auto, safe or semi auto. This version also had a 20 round rock in detachable magazine (Think AK47).

Anyways we could argue this forever. Having taken my SVT40 rifles apart, and my closest relative to the STG44, the CZ858 apart I can clearly see the similarities. If you don't think the first assault rifles were based on the SVT40 (which of course was a progressive advancement from previous designs) then you haven't field stripped both of them. Once you do it's obvious.