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Subject: World's Best Machine Gun?
The Lizard King    9/6/2005 8:56:49 AM
What is the World's "best" all around assault rifle? I would nominate the AK-47 based on the following criteria: Reliability Durability Affordability
 
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WinsettZ    RE:World's Best Machine Gun?GOSPODIN KALISHKIKOV   9/7/2005 11:59:48 PM
Kalashnikov is still alive. Last he entered the news he was making a line of vodka. At the time, he commented that he wished he could have made another peaceful invention, like a lawn mower. There were many jokes on ultra-reliable lawnmowers that would act as Roto-Tills and rip out the grass... But yeah. You should have defined the thread as "best automatic weapon" if you wanted to lump machineguns and assault rifles together.
 
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Godofgamblers    RE:World's Best Machine Gun?WINSETT   9/8/2005 12:12:46 AM
really! i'm sure it's killer vodka he he thanks for the update. in the west he would be one of the richest men in the world. in russia i imagined him pulling in a 50 ruble a month pension or something. and it's not my thread, by the way; i didn't choose the title! always happy to talk about kalishnikov, though:)
 
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AlbanyRifles    RE:World's Best Machine Gun?   9/8/2005 10:05:55 AM
The 1000 meters for the M249 is from a tripod. With a bipod it is listed at 800 meters. My soldiers were able to engage from a bipod on the range at 800 meters no problem. And Flaming Knives, that is why I referenced the US Army standard. And as for heavy versus medium machine gun.....during the interwar years through WW II water cooled .30 cal/.303 cal/7.92mm machine guns were classified as heavy machine guns because of their more efficient cooling systems allowed for longer bursts (15-30 round) over a sustained period of time. This was a standard by most armies because most of the larger calibers (12.7/.50 cal, etc.) were considered as anti-vehicle or aircraft weapons. It is only Post WW II that the change came about. Again, using the US military as an example, during the Korean War, the M1917A1 .30 caliber water cooled machine was classified as a heavy machine gun. And while I know the Bren saw service in the UK forces up until about 1990, it was not in widespread service (you standard was the GPMG was it not). That said, the Bren & RPK were exceptions rather than the standard for how machine guns are fed today.
 
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S.C.P    RE:World's Best Machine Gun?   9/8/2005 11:11:43 AM
Ok By Catogory: Sub Machine Gun: MP5 + variations silencers and folding stock etc... Light Machine Gun: Minimi Medium/General Perpous Machine Gun: GPMG (as used by Britain and many other countries) Heavy Machine Gun: Browning .50 cal (no competion really) * AK47's are not machine guns but "assault rifles". Rifles with an automatic capability are assault rifles.
 
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hist_ed    RE:World's Best Machine Gun?   9/8/2005 12:01:25 PM
I thought that one of the definitions of an assualt rifle was lighter ammo than a full scale combat rifle. Thus the M-16/M-4 with its weenie .223 up to the AK-47 with its more powerful 7.62X39 were classified assault rifles. Somehow the cuttoff seems to be 7.62 NATO (.308). Anything that size or larger was a full scale combat rifle whether it was semi-auto only or selective fire. OK a prize for the first knowledgable person to demolish my thoughts . . .
 
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AlbanyRifles    auto-rifle versus assault rifle   9/8/2005 1:25:47 PM
The difference is in the cartridge.....the assualt rifle may have a rifle caliber bullet but has a reduced powder charge from a full size rifel cartridge. An automatic rifle has a full 30-06 or .308 cartridge. So weapons like the BAR, Sturmgewehr 43, Fallschirmjagergewehr, M-14A1 are auto rifles. Ak-47, M-16, FAMAS are assault rifles.
 
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flamingknives    RE:auto-rifle versus assault rifle   9/8/2005 2:58:22 PM
Isn't the Sturmgewehr 43 what ended up as the MP 44? In which case it fires an intermediate round (7.92x 33mm, IIRC) which would, by the usual definition, be an assault rifle. In fact, Sturmgewehr, loosely translated, is 'Assault rifle'
 
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hist_ed    RE:World's Best Machine Gun?   9/8/2005 5:07:20 PM
So is the .308/7.62 NATO the cutoff? Anything under that in power (not just diameter) is considered an assault rifle and anything .308 or larger is a full scale rifle (and what is the term for that: battle rifle, auto rifle, big a$$ rifle?)? Cheers
 
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flamingknives    RE:World's Best Machine Gun?   9/9/2005 9:57:31 AM
Battle rifle is the typical term for an individual weapon in 7.62x(greater than 50) that uses a semi-automatic action. It can be automatic, but as long as it is not specifically adapted for the automatic role then it's a battle rifle. An automatic - only rifle is an automatic rifle, though that description is also used by US Forces for a light machine gun without a tripod. About the only weapon I can think of that fits the non-US description is the BAR.
 
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AlbanyRifles    RE:auto-rifle versus assault rifle   9/9/2005 10:30:23 AM
I could be wrong, but I thought the MP 44 had the smaller cartridge and the STG 43 had the fullsize cartridge...I know the parachute rifle did. If I am wrong then it is obviously not a good example...but I think you get my point.
 
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