World War II "practical" assault rifles/automatic carbines

[BarnOwlLover]

Sort of like the SHTF version of this thread, but more practical. Not ultimate "desperate times means desperate measures", but still has to take into accounts realities of World War II era production techniques and materials. Hence, minimal heavy machining is desired. Use of stampings and such will be favored, but it doesn't have to be absolutely crude. Also, no aluminum forging or extrusions (not really a thing in World War II outside of the aviation industry), no polymer (modern polymers were in the infancy at the time), but still simple methods are desired.

As far as that goes, I'd put forth some simple but not too crude rifles, like say the Sig 540, Beretta AR70 and AR70/90 and the CIS SAR 80 and SR 88 (early versions without the forged alu. lower receiver) as starting points or points of possible inspiration. As far as mechanism, something simple like a tilting bolt or more likely an AK-type two lug rotating bolt with either a long stroke or even some type of short stroke piston.

Also, like in the other thread, what would be suitable for use as a round for this type of weapon by the standards of the time?

 

[BarnOwlLover]

Now for examples thinking about this thread and what I do intend for it's scope to be. I'm going to break it up into the "most likely to be practical" given common World War II production methods or at least what would seem to be appealing. The second category would be what I call the "outlier" category. Stuff that "conceivably" may've been made in World War II if a few changes get made, mostly in terms of materials or production methods. This will be subdivided into "mild outliers" and "extreme outliers" based on production methods and perhaps even performance. For instance, something like a basic gas piston AR-15 designed for "no frills" production would be a "mild outlier" based on being made out of aluminum forgings (easy to work with if you have access to the materials and machinery), but stuff like say a HK416, FN SCAR, CZ Bren, or HK433 would be perhaps at best "extreme outliers" due to costs and production methods (all have cold hammer forged, chrome lined barrels, which that combination wouldn't become common until years later in service rifles).

Now, for a list of practical examples, I'd include stuff such as:

Beretta AR 70 and AR 70/90
Sig 540 or 550
CIS/ST Kinetics SAR 80 and SR 88/SR 88A
Imbel MD2/3
Imbel MD 97 with steel "lower" receiver
Howa Type 89
FARA 83
HK roller delayed weapons (includes CETME and Sig roller delayed weapons)
AK-inspired weapons
AR-18/180 and similar rifles (like Sterling's similar lines of rifles designed separately from the AR-180)
And other similar items.

Mild Outliers:

"Simple" gas piston AR-15 (including like the T65/86/91, or Colt Model 703)
Forged AK-type weapons
"Full" Imbel MD 97 (with the aluminum lower, why it was based on a redesign of the MD2 family of 5.56mm FN FAL rifles to use an AR-18 type rotating bolt and gas system instead of the original tilting bolt system of the FAL)
VZ58
FN CAL (with a simplified bolt)
FN FNC (simple, but used a forged aluminum lower)
And similar items.

Extreme Outliers:
HK416 (high quality, CHF/CL barrel)
HK433 (extruded aluminum upper, polymer lower, high quality, CHF/CL barrel)
FN SCAR (extruded aluminum upper, polymer lower, high quality, CHF/CL barrel)
CZ Bren 2 (forged or extruded aluminum upper, polymer lower, moderately high quality, CHF/CL barrel)
FB Radom MSBS Grot (extruded aluminum upper, polymer lower, moderate quality, CHF/CL barrel)
FB Radom Beryl family (high quality AK derivative, CHF/CL barrel)
HK G36 (probably biggest extreme outlier--mostly polymer receiver, CHF/CL barrel, but pretty inexpensive).

Now caliber. SCHV is allowed for discussion, though it didn't become a big deal until after the Korean War for US ordinance, and more so until Vietnam and after. Though World War II era, and even pre- and post-war experiments are worthy of discussion.

 

[Alan Stevens]

How about a U.S. M2 carbine with a 30-round magazine and select fire.

 

[BarnOwlLover]

Not an assault rifle by US Army/NATO definitions. .30 Carbine isn't an effective assault rifle round generally speaking to 300+ yards/meters. Not to mention that though it was more widely used than envisioned, the M1 and M2 carbines were originally envisioned as PDW-type weapons. Basically a World War II version of the HK MP7 and FN P90 (though only the Germans and Belgians currently use them in the PDW role).