The top 10 combat rifles

[102first_hussars]

I will always beleive the M-16 is the best because of its lightness and its low recoil, its reliability is acceptible now days, if a soldier routinely cleans his rifle like soldiers are supposed to do then the weapon is just fine

 

[Screaming Eagle]

That was one of the problems that the M-16's had in Vietnam

 

[Matt308]

And the recoil spring makes a hell of a racket rattling on your cheek. Gotta love that weapon. I have a AR-15 16in shorty and an AR-15A2 equivalent with 20in barrel/ACOG 4x sight. Gotta love the latter.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

my dad's got an AR-15 in .22 which he uses for compitition shooting... doesn't cut it nearly as much as a 12bore for rabbiting

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I will always beleive the M-16 is the best because of its lightness and its low recoil, its reliability is acceptible now days, if a soldier routinely cleans his rifle like soldiers are supposed to do then the weapon is just fine

Well since the AKs recoil is negligable as well I would take the AK for its ruggedness over the M-16 any day.

 

[glennasher]

The M16 has been in service longer than the M1 Garand by now, so it would have to make the list, though not at the number one spot, for certain. I do find it curious that the HK G3 isn't there, it sold in large numbers to countries using the FAL, as it was less costly and easier to make. I don't see the MP-43 as being worthy of the list, personally.

 

[ToughOmbre]

I'll take the M16A1, M16A2 over the AK any day. They are far more accurate. The AK47 is a fine weapon and reliable but the A1 version of the M16 corrected (with the forward assist mechanism) the jamming problems encountered by the early M16s circa 1965 in Viet Nam. More improvements came with the A2. Not to forget the M1 Garand, Thompson M1 and the M14.

 

[trackend]

Never thought the FN was that brilliant the mech was not very well sealed against dust and fine particals (specially the gas regulator) so required a fair bit of maintenance however It may have improved since the late 60,s.

 

[Aussie1001]

Not that i have fired any of them happens to be a law in aus that you are not allowed to own an auto of any kind period.
Even Semi-autos have been a lot hader to get since some guy down in Tasmania killed 30 people.
Sign to think that the actions of one wacko screws the who thing up sort of angers me but thats life.
Just pure speculation but wasn't the M16 susseptable to jaming ?
And was the calibure of the M16 .223 if so would'nt the AK have the edge over it for stopping power as it was in 7.62 wasn't it ?

Anyway i thought that the M 1 garand was used in WW2 !!!?
By the way screaming eagle where abouts in Qld do you live i'm near gympie about 200 klicks up from Brisbane

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The M16 has been in service longer than the M1 Garand by now, so it would have to make the list, though not at the number one spot, for certain. I do find it curious that the HK G3 isn't there, it sold in large numbers to countries using the FAL, as it was less costly and easier to make. I don't see the MP-43 as being worthy of the list, personally.

I would take the G36 anyday which replaced the G3.

It is a damn good weapon, I really enjoyed shooting it when we were training with the German Bundeswehr. I prefered it over our M-16s.

 

[ToughOmbre]

Just pure speculation but wasn't the M16 susseptable to jaming ?

See my previous post, A1 version of the M16 corrected the jamming problem.

And was the calibure of the M16 .223 if so would'nt the AK have the edge over it for stopping power as it was in 7.62 wasn't it ?

Not really. The M16 had a higher muzzle velocity than the AK. Also the M16 rounds tumbled in flight giving it all the stopping power it needed.

Anyway i thought that the M 1 garand was used in WW2 !!!?

WW II and Korea.

"The greatest battle implement ever devised."

-- General George S. Patton, Jr.

 

[trackend]

There's been talk for sometime Chris that the 36 will replace the SA80 as standard British infantry weapon I have only handle the 80 and not discharged one but it does'nt feel a very robust rifle and having spoken to a guy who worked in Royal Ordinace during it's development he told me the original test weapons were excellent but after they had to reduce the unit costs it turned into a poor gun although the later upgraded version is supposedly reliable.

 

[rogthedodge]

Absolutely true trackend, it was down to RA being told to produce it for £x a weapon. Stupid when you factor in the cost of the H&K upgrade.

As I understand it it was a political decision not a Forces budget decision that caused all the problems.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

There's been talk for sometime Chris that the 36 will replace the SA80 as standard British infantry weapon I have only handle the 80 and not discharged one but it does'nt feel a very robust rifle and having spoken to a guy who worked in Royal Ordinace during it's development he told me the original test weapons were excellent but after they had to reduce the unit costs it turned into a poor gun although the later upgraded version is supposedly reliable.

I have fired the SA80 when we did training up in England and honestly I would take G36 over the SA80 anyday. But then again I also preferred the M-16/M-4 over teh SA80 as well.

 

[SoD Stitch]

The M16 has been in service longer than the M1 Garand by now, so it would have to make the list, though not at the number one spot, for certain. I do find it curious that the HK G3 isn't there, it sold in large numbers to countries using the FAL, as it was less costly and easier to make. I don't see the MP-43 as being worthy of the list, personally.

The reason the MP-43/Sturmgewehr 44 is on the list is because it was the world's first true "assault" rifle; sturmgewehr literally translates as "assault rifle", which is where we get the term from. True, it was very heavy compared to a modern assault rifle (it's almost exactly twice as heavy as an M-16A2), but it was the first automatic weapon to fire a rifle-caliber bullet with reasonable accuracy. If Germany had equipped her armed forces with this weapon at the beginning of WWII instead of at the end, I think things would've turned out differently. It was, quite literally, years ahead of it's time.

 

[RevJoel]

I'm going to pick a nit here. I saw the program and I believe that to include assault weapons in the list is comparing apples and oranges. Neither the AK, the Mouse-16, the AUG or the MP 43 can be considered a combat rifle (MBR). First and formost, the 5.56mm and the 7.62 short and the 7.92 Kurtz are intermediate power cartridges and not MBR cartridges such as the 303 Brit, 30-06, 7.92 Mauser round or the 7.62 x 51. Just my humble opinion!

Pax Christi
Rev. Joel+

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

What are you talking about?

The M-16 and AK are fine combat weapons. I used the M-16 for years when I was in the US Army.

 

[rogthedodge]

I've got the answer:

If you're carrying it? - M-16

If you're cleaning it? - AK47

If you're drilling with it? - Lee-Enfield

Hordes of Ruskies appearing at 300 yards? - FN FAL/'tweaked' SLR (with 30 round Bren box on it)

 

[Screaming Eagle]

By the way screaming eagle where abouts in Qld do you live i'm near gympie about 200 klicks up from Brisbane

Sorry for the lateness of my reply I live in Gladstone, near rocky.

 

[T4.H]

In my army-times, I only used the G3, Uzi and MG3.
G3: nice weapon, on 200 m precise (I always hit the 6 to 10...).
As long you were not in a sandy area...
JAM...

As I know, they realy like the new HK G36 in the German army. One I know, he said it is the best one in the world now. If it is true, I don't know.