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Assault rifles

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Wars and warfare

AK-47

The AK-47, or AK as it is officially known, also known as the Kalashnikov, is a gas-operated, 7.62×39mm assault rifle, developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is the originating firearm of the Kalashnikov rifle family.

Wars and warfare

M16

The M16 rifle, officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16, is a United States military adaptation of the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle. The original M16 was a 5.56mm automatic rifle with a 20-round magazine.

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M4

The M4 carbine is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is a 5.56×45mm NATO, air-cooled, direct impingement gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine. It has a 14.5 in (370 mm) barrel and a telescoping stock.

Wars and warfare

FN SCAR

The FN SCAR is a gas-operated self-loading rifle with a rotating bolt. It is constructed to be extremely modular, including barrel change to switch between calibers. The rifle was developed by Belgian manufacturer FN Herstal (FNH) for the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) to satisfy the requirements of the SCAR competition. This family of rifles consist of two main types. The SCAR-L, for "light", is chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge and the SCAR-H, for "heavy", is chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO. Both are available in Close Quarters Combat (CQC), Standard (STD) and Long Barrel (LB) variants.

Wars and warfare

Heckler & Koch HK416

The Heckler & Koch HK416 is an assault rifle designed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch. Although its design is in large part based on the AR-15 class of weapons, specifically the Colt M4 carbine family issued to the U.S. military, it uses an HK-proprietary short-stroke gas piston system originally derived from the ArmaLite AR-18. It is the standard assault rifle of the French Armed Forces and Norwegian Armed Forces, and was the weapon used by SEAL Team Six to kill Osama Bin Laden in 2011.

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AK-74

The AK-74 is an assault rifle developed in the early 1970s by Russian designer Mikhail Kalashnikov as the replacement for the earlier AKM. It uses a smaller 5.45×39mm cartridge, replacing the 7.62×39mm chambering of earlier Kalashnikov-pattern weapons.

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AKM

The AKM is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is a common modernized variant of the AK-47 rifle developed in the 1940s.

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StG 44

The StG 44 is a German selective-fire rifle developed during World War II. It is also known under the designations MP 43 and MP 44.

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SA80

The SA80 is a British family of 5.56×45mm NATO small arms, all of which are selective fire, gas-operated assault rifles. The L85 rifle variant of the SA80 family has been the standard issue service rifle of the British Armed Forces since 1987, replacing the L1A1 variant of the FN FAL. The first prototypes were created in 1976, with production ending in 1994. The A1 variant was significantly upgraded in the early 2000s by Heckler & Koch as the SA80A2 and remains in service as of 2018. The A3 variant was first issued in 2018 with several new improvements.

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AK-12

The AK-12 is a Russian 5.45×39mm assault rifle, designed and manufactured by Kalashnikov Concern. It is the newest derivative of the Russian AK-Pattern series of assault rifles. The rifle is intended to eventually replace previous generations of Kalashnikov 5.45×39mm assault rifles in service within the Russian military and other governmental forces. Kalashnikov also offers the AK-12 in 7.62×39mm cartridge, designated as the AK-15.

Wars and warfare

Steyr AUG

The Steyr AUG is an Austrian 5.56×45mm NATO bullpup assault rifle, designed in the 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch and now manufactured by Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG.

Wars and warfare

G36

The G36 is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle, designed in the early 1990s by Heckler & Koch in Germany as a replacement for the heavier 7.62mm G3 battle rifle. It was accepted into service with the Bundeswehr in 1997, replacing the G3. The G36 is gas-operated and feeds from a 30-round detachable box magazine or 100-round C-Mag drum magazine.

Wars and warfare

L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle

The L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle, also known as the SLR, by the Canadian Army designation C1A1 (C1) or in the US as the "inch pattern" FAL., is a British version of the Belgian FN FAL battle rifle. The L1A1 is produced under licence and has seen use in the Australian Army, Canadian Army, Indian Army, Jamaica Defence Force, Malaysian Army, New Zealand Army, Rhodesian Army, South African Defence Force and the British Armed Forces.

Wars and warfare

INSAS rifle

INSAS is a family of infantry arms consisting of an assault rifle and a light machine gun (LMG). It is manufactured by the Ordnance Factories Board at Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli, Small Arms Factory Kanpur and Ishapore Arsenal. The INSAS assault rifle is the standard infantry weapon of the Indian Armed Forces. In April 2015, the Indian government replaced some INSAS rifles of the CRPF with AK-47s. In early 2017, it was announced that INSAS rifles were to be retired and replaced by rifles capable of firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges.

Wars and warfare

SIG SG 550

The SG 550 is an assault rifle manufactured by Swiss Arms AG in Switzerland. "SG" is an abbreviation for Sturmgewehr, or "assault rifle". The rifle is based on the earlier 5.56mm SG 540.