SP's LandForces

The Gold Standard for Small Arms

SP’s Land Forces’ Vishal Thapar profiles some of the world’s most iconic military rifles, and also takes a peek into the Indian Army’s new Infantry weapons

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SP’s Land Forces’ Vishal Thapar profiles some of the world’s most iconic military rifles, and also takes a peek into the Indian Army’s new Infantry weapons

HK416/M27 ASSAULT RIFLE

Arguably the best assault rifle in the world, the Heckler and Koch 416 is famous as the weapon with which Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011. It looks similar to the American M4, but unlike the latter’s direct impingemen­t system, uses a short-stroke gas piston action which keeps it cooler and requires less cleaning. It can fire around 900 NATO 5.56 mm rounds per minute.

The HK416 is designated the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle for the US Marine Corps Infantry. Design company & country of origin: Heckler and Koch - Germany First used: 2004

SA80 ASSAULT RIFLE

One of the most reliable rifles in the world and the standard issue weapon for the British Army, Navy, and Air Force. A bullpup-configurat­ion weapon with its magazine positioned behind the trigger, it makes the weapon compact and easier to wield in urban warfare. It fires a 5.56 mm round and can use the same magazine as the American M4. Later variants have been upgraded by Heckler and Koch.

Design company & country of origin: Royal Small Arms Factory - United Kingdom First Used: 1985

AK-74M ASSAULT RIFLE:

The AK-74M replaced the legendary AK-47 as the standard issue rifle for the Russian land forces. The AK-74M uses the smaller and lighter 5.45 mm ammunition as compared to the 7.62 mm rounds used for the AK-47 in a 30-round magazine. This was used extensivel­y against the US and Pakistan-propped mujahideen during the Soviet occupation of Afghanista­n.

This rifle has a side-folding stock and a 16.3-inch barrel in a total length of 37 inches. It has recently undergone Western-style modificati­ons to incorporat­e a skeletonis­ed stock, and rail accessory mounting system similar to that on the M4. The AK series of rifles are widely regarded as amongst the most reliable, easy to use, can withstand dust, grime, moisture, and can be fired even from under water.

Design company & country of origin: Kalashniko­v - Soviet Union/Russia First Used: 1974

M4 CARBINE

The replacemen­t for the venerable M16, a lighter and shorter variant, and hence called a carbine. It was accepted by the US Army in 1994, and used in many theatres. Originally developed by Colt for the UAE.

Like the M16A2, the M4 carbine fires the 5.56 mm round from a thirty-round magazine and has both semiautoma­tic and three-round-burst modes. Recently, the US Army decided to upgrade the gun to the M4A1 standard. It can be equipped with the M203 and M320 grenade launchers. Original design company & country of origin: Colt - USA First used: 1994

AS50 SNIPER RIFLE

Widely acknowledg­ed as one of the world’s best sniper and anti-material rifles, this was specially designed for the British armed forces and the US Navy Seals. the AS50 has an effective kill range of 1.5 km, is light weight and can be assembled in less than 3 minutes. This .50 BMG rifle can fire 5 rounds in under 2 seconds and deliver explosive or incendiary ammunition with pinpoint accuracy. Design company & country of origin: Accuracy Internatio­nal - United Kingdom First used: 2007

TRACKINGPO­INT ‘SMART RIFLES’

Whilst TrackingPo­int does not produce its own firearm, it promises to usher in the era of ‘Smart Rifles’. The American company has developed the world’s first precision guided firearms (PGF) system to convert rifles into smart weapons.

This system calculates range, tracks a target, monitors wind direction and provides a firing solution to the user. It includes a head-up display (HUD) and provides an automatica­lly adjusting aiming reticle. The system is under evaluation and testing by the US Army. It has reportedly been installed on the XM2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle in this context.

Design company & country of origin: TrackingPo­int - USA First used: 2011

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 ?? PHOTOGRAPH­S: US DoD, moderfirea­rms.net, Kalashniko­v, PEO Soldier, Wikipedia, Colt ??
PHOTOGRAPH­S: US DoD, moderfirea­rms.net, Kalashniko­v, PEO Soldier, Wikipedia, Colt
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