Over the last hundred years in the nature of modern warfare occurred great changes, as an intense rivalry between the two countries has given rise to new, more deadly weapons systems. Aircraft, missiles, tanks, submarines and other inventions, which in 1914 was practically nonexistent, quickly occupied key positions in the armies of the world.
But there is one invention that although came to light more than five hundred years ago, but still still occupies an extremely important place on the battlefield. It is an infantry weapons and the means of fire support. No matter how high-tech army or become the world after the Second World War, fighting still can not do without participation in some form or another infantry.
In his famous work on the Korean War This Kind of War (This war) historian TR Fehrenbach wrote: "You can always fly above the earth, it is possible to bomb, destroy, turn to ashes and destroy all life. But if you want to protect and defend her, saving for civilization, you must do so on the ground, throwing his men into the mud, as did the Roman legions. "With this in mind, I present to you the five most lethal types of small arms in the world.
AK-47
The undisputed king of the war is a Kalashnikov AK-47. This highly reliable form of small arms is widely used on the battlefield in the Third World. AK-47 has become an icon and one of the most recognizable symbols in the world - from the United States, where he works devote rap music to Zimbabwe. AK is now armed militants "Islamic state" Islamic Taliban, the various factions in Libya and both sides in the Ukrainian conflict.
As the story goes, the AK-47 is the brainchild of the late Mikhail Kalashnikov. After being drafted into the Red Army, Kalashnikov demonstrated talent inventor and designer of small arms, when recovering from wounds received in the war. By 1947 he had gathered his prototype machine. (But there is some indirect evidence that the AK-47 is at least partially created a German designer Hugo Schmeisser (Hugo Schmeisser), who in 1942 built the same machine Stg44.)
AK-47 - the world's first automatic standard sample, put into service. It used a new cartridge 7.62 mm, which gave a lower return was easier ammunition, used in traditional rifles for infantry. Cartridge 7,62 × 39 mm lay in a heap goal when shooting bursts, and infantryman due to its low weight could take the fight more ammunition.
AK-47 proved to be durable because it is the weapon of the simple structure. Learn how to shoot it, you can very quickly and as a result it is possible to create a large army or militia, simply handing out an AK-47 population. He is extremely simple to use and requires minimal care and maintenance. You can disassemble the machine in a matter of seconds, and it can work with little or no lubrication. All this is very important when soldiers or fighters often illiterate, poorly trained or recruited by conscription.
All the world is made about a hundred million AK-47s of various modifications. Production machine has been established in countries such as the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, Egypt, Yugoslavia and most of the members of the Warsaw Pact. According to the newspaper Independent, one Kalashnikov rifle accounted for 70 people on the planet. Their version of this machine even created Israel and Finland, never former allies or satellites of the USSR. The latest version used in the Russian army, AK-74M is a lighter cartridge 5.45 mm.
M16 rifle family
Modern M16 got its start in 1956, when the inventor Eugene Stoner (Eugene Stoner) experienced in the Infantry School at Fort Benning its predecessor, the AR-15. This rifle will be put into service in the United States four years later, and only in the Air Force. Ground forces began receiving it in 1965, and the Marines in 1966.
The original version of the AR-15 was a reliable innovative weapons. But at the last moment because the composition of the powder rifle was changed and there were misconceptions about its cleansing in Vietnam, it has proved to be unreliable. The problem was compounded by the fact that the M16 for chambering a cartridge directly use the energy of powder gases produced by the combustion of gunpowder.
The latest version of the M16A4 weighs 3.99 kilograms and has a shop at 30 rounds. Effective range rifle is 550 meters, and withstand long-term rate of fire - 12-15 rounds per minute. Bullet SS109 / M855 5.56 mm, which is attached to armor-piercing characteristics more important than lethal force, gradually withdrawn from service in the armies of NATO and its successor comes ammunition M855A1.
In 1967 there was an upgraded version of the original sample M16 - M16A1 rifle, and by 1986 - M16A2. M16A3 rifle produced in small batches for "sea lion" and M16A4 entered service Marines. M4A1 held today armed infantry in the US Army, is exactly the same as the M16, but it has a short barrel, and it is equipped with a telescopic butt shortened. The fire of this machine being fully automatic.
M16 eventually become a reliable weapon. With a modular design and being easily adaptable weapon, it appears in different versions - the rifle to the machine for the infantry. It exists in the form of automatic weapons for the separation and sniper weapons. In recent years, extensive development has received its civilian version, which also has the name of the AR-15, and it happened after the lifting of the federal ban on automatic weapons. The author of the article these two rifles.
The original version of the AR-15 was a reliable innovative weapons. But at the last moment because the composition of the powder rifle was changed and there were misconceptions about its cleansing in Vietnam, it has proved to be unreliable. The problem was compounded by the fact that the M16 for chambering a cartridge directly use the energy of powder gases produced by the combustion of gunpowder.
The latest version of the M16A4 weighs 3.99 kilograms and has a shop at 30 rounds. Effective range rifle is 550 meters, and withstand long-term rate of fire - 12-15 rounds per minute. Bullet SS109 / M855 5.56 mm, which is attached to armor-piercing characteristics more important than lethal force, gradually withdrawn from service in the armies of NATO and its successor comes ammunition M855A1.
In 1967 there was an upgraded version of the original sample M16 - M16A1 rifle, and by 1986 - M16A2. M16A3 rifle produced in small batches for "sea lion" and M16A4 entered service Marines. M4A1 held today armed infantry in the US Army, is exactly the same as the M16, but it has a short barrel, and it is equipped with a telescopic butt shortened. The fire of this machine being fully automatic.
M16 eventually become a reliable weapon. With a modular design and being easily adaptable weapon, it appears in different versions - the rifle to the machine for the infantry. It exists in the form of automatic weapons for the separation and sniper weapons. In recent years, extensive development has received its civilian version, which also has the name of the AR-15, and it happened after the lifting of the federal ban on automatic weapons. The author of the article these two rifles.
M240 machine gun
M240 machine gun - automatic weapons fire, are in service in the Army and the US Marine Corps. He also is in service in 68 countries, and for so long that at least one purchase it at the time of - Rhodesia - has ceased to exist.
M240 - the US version of the machine gun FN-MAG, established in 1950 by the Belgian weapons Fabrique Nationale. In MAG, as it was then called, were used features of different types of infantry weapons as the Allied armies and armies of the fascist axis. The machine gun has gained immense popularity and was adopted in many NATO countries. Over the years, the use of MAG managed to shoot everywhere, from South Africa to the Falklands and from Afghanistan to Iraq.
M240 can be used for firing on single targets, such as enemy troops and light vehicles, as well as to fire suppression. With heavier bullet 7.62 mm machine gun has a limit effective range of 1,800 meters.
M240 weighs 12.25 kilograms, has a spare barrel, tripod and other accessories and spare parts, total weight of which can be up to 21.3 kilograms. Machine gun fire mode, withstand long periods without overheating components is 100 rounds per minute. Its rate of up to 650 rounds per minute, but in that case the overheating is inevitable.
It is obvious that since the M240 is in service in a large number of countries, methods of use are very diverse. But the use of guns in the US Army is typical of many of its customers. The US Army set him on armored vehicles and issue two machine guns on the infantry platoon. In the Marine Corps in the company has six machine guns, allowing the commander is very flexible and widely use them.
PC machine gun
Light machine gun Kalashnikov PC solved the problem of the Soviet Army to provide high firepower at office. Like the AK-47, the PC is widely used throughout the world. Where there is AC, PC is always nearby.
PC also invented Mikhail Kalashnikov. He reminds M240, but in reality the PC in the same class as the infantry automatic rifle M-27, are in service in the US Marine Corps, or machine gun Minimi / M-249, which is a branch of automatic weapons.
PC has an important role as an automatic weapon compartment. Although the majority of Marines around the world use weapons capable of fully automatic fire, or fire bursts, well-trained soldiers rarely firing long bursts, since it is obtained from the machine inaccurate, and the store quickly run out of ammo.
But Kalashnikov machine gun acts as an automatic weapon compartment. In PC heavier barrel and frame to withstand impact and heat for prolonged firing. It is said that when mounted on a tripod it has excellent accuracy of up to 800 meters.
To simplify the training of soldiers and solve the problems of security between the AC and PC have a lot in common. At the same Kalashnikov machine gun sight, like an AK-47, which simplifies training shooting. They also have the same ammunition. If gunner end cartridges, it can help out tommy, although the cartridges have to be inserted into the tape.
PC can fire at air targets when mounted on a tripod or bipod, although in practice it can be used to shoot down low-flying helicopters only, and perhaps drones.
Light automatic rifle QBZ-95
QBZ-95, or automatic rifle type 95, is in service with the Chinese army. Designed to replace the Chinese copy of the AK-47, QBZ-95 is different from all the other Chinese rifles. It equipped with all kinds of armed forces of the PLA troops and kind, as well as the Chinese police.
QBZ-95 is made in layout "Bullpup", in which the trigger is brought forward and the front of the store and the impact mechanism. This makes the rifle shorter. As a result of the barrel at the QBZ-95 by 9 inches longer than the machine M4, but the overall length is less. At the rifle has a carrying handle, although in the case of fixing her sights and other optics to use the handle becomes problematic.
Based on the QBZ-95 created an entire line of infantry weapons. The crew combat vehicles and special forces, a version with a short barrel. To increase the firepower department of version is available with a longer and heavier barrel. Unfortunately, you can not use a weighted version of the tape supply cartridges, and can only be used magazines for 30 rounds, which limits the ability to increase the firepower.
In the rifle uses a unique ammunition caliber 5.8 mm, developed in China and is not used beyond its borders. For us it is a mystery what the necessity of such a cartridge. Apparently, he does not have any significant advantages in comparison with NATO and Russian cartridges that are well designed, tested, and have a lot of modifications and destination. One possible explanation is that the QBZ-95 can not use the ammunition from foreign sources of supply.
This rifle was not widely used abroad, but because of the status and size of the Chinese army, it has earned a place on this list.
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