Automatic Rifles by Clyde Roberts

Automatic rifles allow rifle squads to take a light automatic weapon with them in the assault. In 1884 Hiram Maxim invented the world's first automatic portable machine-gun. Until July 1918 American units in France used French machine guns and automatic rifles.

Rifle

When they employed their guns in that fashion, the machine gun officers often ran into opposition from the rifle company commanders, who preferred to have the guns farther forward, fearing that their infantrymen would be at risk of stray low rounds as they advanced under the overhead machine gun fire. Until July 1918 American units in France used French machine guns and automatic rifles.

Automatic rifles allow rifle squads to take a light automatic weapon with them in the assault. In the defense, they add the firepower of 10 or 20 riflemen without the addition of manpower. Characteristically, automatic rifles are light, fire rapidly, and have more ammunition than the rifles in the squad that they support. No additional equipment configuration is needed, because the automatic rifleman fires the M249 either from the bipod mode or from various hand-held positions. In either the offense or defense, automatic riflemen must restrict themselves to firing three-round bursts to maintain their effectiveness against enemy targets.

The M249 in the bipod or hand-held mode moves too easily off its point of aim after three rounds and automatic riflemen must readjust their aim. In the offense, the automatic rifleman is limited to what he can carry and fire on the move. Hence, while the automatic rifle affords a high volume of fire, it also rapidly consumes ammunition. Because machine guns are not as mobile as automatic rifles, they normally remain with and form the key weapon of the base-of-fire element. Because machine guns are not as mobile as automatic rifles, they normally remain with and form the key weapon of the base-of-fire element.

Automatic

In the offense, the automatic rifleman is limited to what he can carry and fire on the move. Hence, while the automatic rifle affords a high volume of fire, it also rapidly consumes ammunition. Because machine guns are not as mobile as automatic rifles, they normally remain with and form the key weapon of the base-of-fire element. Machine guns target enemy automatic weapons, key weapons, and command and control elements. Developed in England and employed by the German army, the "grim reaper" changed the military perception of automatic weapons.

Weapons such as the Browning automatic rifle were embodiments of the true machine gun system, which were represented in great numbers by the Browning. Submachine guns are fully automatic weapons that fire a handgun cartridge and can be operated by one person. Since 1934, there appear to have been at least two homicides committed with legally owned automatic weapons.

Estimates of their equivalent, accurate, rifle firepower varied, with some estimating a single machine gun to be worth as many as 60-100 rifles: a more consensual figure is around 80, still an impressively high figure. Each gun had the firepower of about 100 rifles.

Clyde Roberts is a successful Webmaster and publisher of www.ExpertsonGuns.com. He provides more information about guns and gun issues that you can research in your pajamas on his website.