Automatic rifle facts for kids

The M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle.

Usually, an automatic rifle is a rifle that continuously fires bullet as long as the trigger is pressed. Cartridge shells are ejected and new cartridges are loaded into the chamber automatically. However, some automatic rifles are designed to give both semi- and fully automatic fire. Automatic rifles are usually selective fire and use rifle bullets from a magazine. This makes them different from other automatic firearms like the machine gun and submachine gun.

Use

Soldiers in the United States Army who carry the M249 SAW are called automatic riflemen. The weapon is also called an automatic rifle. However, it is a fully automatic firearm. These are normally called squad automatic weapons (SAW) or light machine guns.

An assault rifle is quite similar to an automatic rifle. However, it uses less powerful bullets than the machine gun or battle rifle. This allows the soldier using it to control the recoil of the weapon without using a bipod or something similar. Bullets like these are called "intermediate" bullets. For example, the AK-47 assault rifle often uses a 7.62x39mm bullet. The bullet is the same diameter. However, it is smaller and less powerful compared to the 7.62x54mmR. The 7.62x54mmR was what was being used with rifles when the AK-47 was brought in to service.

History

The Mexican Mondragón rifle, the first automatic rifle in the world.

The very first automatic rifle was the Mexican Mondragón rifle. It was designed by General Manuel Mondragón. He began working on the weapon in 1882. He patented it in 1887. In the 20th century, automatic rifles go back to World War I. This is where the Browning Automatic Rifle (B.A.R.) and Huot were first used. They were supposed to be used like light machine guns to help soldiers attack. However, only the Mondragón rifle and the B.A.R. were used in World War I.

Example

• Browning Automatic Rifle

Related pages

• Semi-automatic rifle
• Assault rifle
• Sniper rifle
• Light machine gun
• Squad automatic weapon

Images for kids

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  2nd Lt. Val Browning with the Browning Automatic Rifle in France during World War I

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  1885 Mannlicher Self-Loading Rifle

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  The Italian Cei-Rigotti, one of the world's first automatic rifles.

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  Chauchat Automatic Rifle

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  Fedorov Model 1916 Automatic Rifle

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  The Soviet AVS-36 battle rifle,

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  Both early (top) and late-war (bottom) variants of the FG 42.

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  The German StG 44, the first assault rifle manufactured in significant numbers

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  An AK-47 with a machined receiver

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  The M1 Rifle and M1 Carbine

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  U.S. M14 rifle, advanced by the proponents of the battle rifle concept

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  British L1A1 (FN FAL)

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  The T48, an American copy of the FN FAL

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  Norwegian AG-3 (HK G3)

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  AR-10 rifle

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  ArmaLite AR-15

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  American 5.56×45mm M16A1

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  Heckler & Koch HK33A2 with Trijicon Compact ACOG

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  The 7.62×51mm NATO and 5.56×45mm NATO cartridges compared to an AA battery.

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  The Steyr AUG was one of the first bullpup rifles to enter widespread use.