Operation Air cooled, gas operated, magazine fed, shoulder type
M1918A1 selective fire (fully and semi-automatic)
M1918A2 fully automatic
Caliber .30 (30-06)
Muzzle velocity 853.4 mps (2800 fps)
Capacity 20-round detachable box magazine
(1) Bandoleer (BAR belt): 12 magazines
(2) Magazine changeable in 2-4 seconds
(but averaged 6-8 seconds in combat)
Weight 8.33 kg (18.5 lbs)
Overall length 119.4 cm (47 in.)
Rate of fire 550 rounds per minute
Effective range 550m (600 yds)
Ammunition (1) Ball M2; 150 gr bullet, 50 gr charge
(2) Tracer M25, M1: for designating targets and signalling
(3) Armor piercing M2 (black tip); 165gr/53gr
(4) Armor piercing incendiary: for lightly armored flammable targets
Sturmgewehr 44
Country Germany
Type Assault rifle
Inventor Gustloff
Date of design 1943
Service duration July 1944 - May 1945
Cartridge 7.92 x 33 mm
Action Gas-actuated
Rate of fire 500-600
Muzzle velocity 685 m/s (~2247 ft/s)
Effective range 300 m
Weight (Unloaded) 5.22 kg
Length 940 mm
Barrel 419 mm
Magazine capacity 30
Viewing sights Blade front
Tangent U-notch rear
Variants ??
Number built 425,977
The initial M1918A1 version of the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) was first used in combat by American soldiers during World War I, and many saw service in World War II. The BAR received high praise for its reliability under adverse conditions.
In 1940, the model M1918A2 was adopted. Unlike earlier models, it could only be fired in two automatic modes--slow (300 to 450 rpm) or fast (500 to 650 rpm)--but not in semiautomatic mode. Both versions were widely used in the second world war. The USMC preferred the semiautomatic mode in some tactical situations, and modified most of the M1918A2 guns to include that capability. A buffer spring in the butt greatly reduced recoil, to the advantage both of firing accuracy and shooter endurance.
The M1918A2 also mounted its folding bipod (2.38 pounds!) on a special flash hider near the end of the barrel. Since the bipod could easily be detached in this model, it very frequently was! but not often in defensive positions, where it was very effective. The flash hider, which was the point of attachment for the bipod, was not usually removed. Hiding the flash from enemy troops when firing on them isn't the purpose of the hider, all automatic weapons are easily visible when fired at night. It blocks the muzzle flash from the vision of the shooter, maintaining his night vision. That's important!
The Army infantry squad of nine men was tactically organized around a single BAR. The Marine squad of thirteen men was organized around three fire-teams, each organized around a BAR. The much greater fire power of a Marine platoon with its nine BARs over the Army platoon with its four BARs was a great combat advantage.
The BAR was a popular weapon in WWII and Korea, because it was very reliable and offered an excellent combination of rapid fire and penetrating power. The BAR's only serious drawbacks were its lack of a quick-change barrel (to reduce the chance of overheating), and its weight (BAR, with bipod and a loaded bandoleer, came to about 40 pounds).
In Korea, the much greater range and penetrating power of the BAR and the .30 caliber air cooled machine gun, firing rifle ammunition, usually more than offset the light weight and rapid fire capability of the variety of submachine guns the North Koreans and Chinese used, including their burp guns modeled on Soviet weapons such as the Shpagin PPSh41 , which fired pistol ammunition.
The Maschinenpistole 43, Maschinenpistole 44, Sturmgewehr 44 (MP43, MP44, Stg44) were names for a light automatic rifle developed for Nazi Germany during World War II as part of the Maschinenkarabiner (machine carbine) program and developed from the Mkb 42(H). The many names of the Mkb 42(H)'s successor results from the complicated events in the bureaucracy of the Third Reich. Download high resolution version (907x382, 52 KB) Greg Kihn Bands File links The following pages link to this file: Sturmgewehr 44 ... M16A2 (American) Assault rifles (translated from the German Sturmgewehr) have been defined various ways, but they are generally understood to be selective fire rifles or carbines (depending on the particular firearms size), using intermediate-powered ammunition. ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Rimmed, centerfire . ... 7. ... In firearms terminology, an action is the system of operation that the firearm employs to seal the breech (in a breech-loading firearm), and to load consecutive rounds. ... The gas-operated system for implementing automatic reloading of a firearm is one of five such systems, the others being recoil-operated, Gatling, chain, and blowback. ... The Rate of fire is the speed at which a specific firearm can operate. ... A guns muzzle velocity is the speed at which the projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: Immense human sacrifice, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons - the atom bomb being the ultimate. ...
The MP43, MP44, and StG44 were names for a nearly identical weapon with only small production differences and dates. The last, the StG44, was called "Sturmgewehr" literally "Storm rifle", or more commonly translated as assault rifle. It combined the traits of submachine guns (SMG) and automatic rifles. The translation "assault rifle" became very popular to describe this class of weapon, but it was far from being the first of this type. M16A2 (American) Assault rifles (translated from the German Sturmgewehr) have been defined various ways, but they are generally understood to be selective fire rifles or carbines (depending on the particular firearms size), using intermediate-powered ammunition. ... MP5KA4 9 x 19 mm with 3-round burst trigger group A submachine gun is a firearm that combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the ammunition of a pistol, and is usually between the two in weight and size. ... An automatic rifle is any rifle capable of fully-automatic fire; a type of automatic firearm. ...
It chambered a shorter version of the standard 7.92 mm rifle round, which, in combination with the weapon's design allowed it to be used like a SMG in close quarters but with greater accuracy and range then a SMG for farther targets. However, it had much less range and power than regular rifles of the day; fortunately, at that time, much of the fighting was taking place at closer ranges such as in towns, cities, and wooded areas. It had much less range and power than battle rifles, the standard of the day, but most shooting took place at the relatively short ranges it was useful at, anyway. A battle rifle or main battle rifle is a military longarm firing a full sized rifle cartridge. ...
It was a popular weapon—much of the army was armed with either submachine guns or bolt-action rifles—but only a limited number of soldiers were issued the semi-automatic rifles. There was also a distinct lack of a dedicated light machine gun (LMG). The MG34 and MG42 had versions that were meant to serve in this role but they were on the heavy side for a LMG. The Stg44 was not a light machine gun, but it did fill the need for a light automatic rifle that offered mobile suppresive fire, like the Bren, while at the same time offering much of the convenience of a SMG or light automatic rifle such as the US M1 Carbine. MG34 The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG34, was a German machine gun that was first produced and accepted for service in 1934, and first issued to units in 1935. ... Maschinengewehr 42 Type Machine gun Nationality Germany Era WW2 History Date of design 1942 Production period 1942 - 1945 Service duration 1942 - 1945 Operators Nazi Germany War service WW2 Specifications Type Calibre 7. ... The Bren Gun was Britains primary light machine gun in WWII and served on after the end of World War 2 until phased out in favour of smaller calibre weapons. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about: United States Wikinews has a related story: United States United States government CIA World Factbook Entry for United States House. ... M1 Carbine Type service rifle Nationality US Era WW2 Platform Individual Target Personnel History Date of design Production period 1943 Service duration 1943 - 1960s Operators US, Israel War service WW2, Korea Specifications Type semi-automatic rifle Calibre 0. ...
The FG42 was also a light automatic rifle, but it was developed for paratroopers to serve as a semi-automatic rifle and light support weapon. However, it saw very a limited production of just a few thousand units. The production problems resulted because it was not economical to manufacture and from the internal politics in the Nazi government. The Fallschirmjagergewehr 42, shown with magazine and detachable bayonet. ...
The MP43/44 was a intermediate weapon for the period; the muzzle velocity from its 42 cm barrel was 647 m/s, compared to 732 m/s (K98k), 744 m/s (Bren), 585 m/s (M2 Carbine, and 365 m/s (MP40).
The Mp-44 was a better gun allround.