The Birth of the Modern Day Assault Rifle
The age of the first true successful assault rifle started to come into play during the end of World War II. The Nazi Germans were producing weapon technology that was more advanced in almost every fashion than any other country in the world at the time. One such weapon was the "Storm (assault) Rifle" known as the StG 44 (Sturmgewehr 44), which had the ability to suppress enemies under fire with out the previous two-man machine gun method. This enabled one soldier with a StG 44 to be able to pin down another group of forces under suppressive fire, while other soldiers could maneuver around to get a better advantage to overtake a force they were fighting. While other gas-operated self reloading rifles such as the MAS-40 were used earlier during World War II, the StG 44 is considered by many historians as the first true modern assault rifle.
The StG 44 had a spring loaded magazine capable of holding up to 30 rounds of 7.92x33mm Kurz cartridges. The detachable magazine was curved and rounds were fed through a tilt-action bolt design that recoiled from a gas-operated piston which auto-reloaded the chamber after each shot was fired. After the defeat of the Nazi Germans, countries including the United States and Soviet Russia began to create their own variations based off the "Storm Rifle" concept with different functional designs on the inner parts. This paved the way for the creation of both of the most well-known assault rifle designers in the Eastern and Western hemisphere, Mikhail Kalashnikov and Eugene Stoner to become two of the most successful individual firearms designers of the 20th century.
AK-47 History
The Birth of the Modern Day Assault Rifle
The age of the first true successful assault rifle started to come into play during the end of World War II. The Nazi Germans were producing weapon technology that was more advanced in almost every fashion than any other country in the world at the time. One such weapon was the "Storm (assault) Rifle" known as the StG 44 (Sturmgewehr 44), which had the ability to suppress enemies under fire with out the previous two-man machine gun method. This enabled one soldier with a StG 44 to be able to pin down another group of forces under suppressive fire, while other soldiers could maneuver around to get a better advantage to overtake a force they were fighting. While other gas-operated self reloading rifles such as the MAS-40 were used earlier during World War II, the StG 44 is considered by many historians as the first true modern assault rifle.
The StG 44 had a spring loaded magazine capable of holding up to 30 rounds of 7.92x33mm Kurz cartridges. The detachable magazine was curved and rounds were fed through a tilt-action bolt design that recoiled from a gas-operated piston which auto-reloaded the chamber after each shot was fired. After the defeat of the Nazi Germans, countries including the United States and Soviet Russia began to create their own variations based off the "Storm Rifle" concept with different functional designs on the inner parts. This paved the way for the creation of both of the most well-known assault rifle designers in the Eastern and Western hemisphere, Mikhail Kalashnikov and Eugene Stoner to become two of the most successful individual firearms designers of the 20th century.
AK-47 History
The AK-47 is one of the first assault rifles that were produced after World War II ended in Europe. In 1938 Mikhail Kalashnikov was drafted into the Red Army as a T-34 tank driver. In 1941, during the battle of Bryansk, Senior Sgt. Kalashnikov was injured during the 19 day fighting period. He was able to make it to a hospital on foot to seek treatment for his wound.
The AK-47 is one of the first assault rifles that were produced after World War II ended in Europe. In 1938 Mikhail Kalashnikov was drafted into the Red Army as a T-34 tank driver. In 1941, during the battle of Bryansk, Senior Sgt. Kalashnikov was injured during the 19 day fighting period. He was able to make it to a hospital on foot to seek treatment for his wound.
At some point, after frequent flashbacks during his hospital admittance, Kalashnikov gained his inspiration for the most successful assault rifle of modern times. Kalashnikov started experiencing flashbacks of the previous battles raids, which in turn started to overwhelm him and he "became obsessed with creating a submachine gun that would drive the Germans from his homeland." He then entered a contest for a gun competition to create a better rifle for the 7.62x41mm rifle round. At the time his proposal was rejected, but it was enough to get him on the newly formed team of rifle designers for further work on designing a modern rifle for the Red Army.
AR 15 History
Eugene Stoner is credited as being one of the most successful firearms designers of the 20th Century along side John Browning, and John Garand. Stoner became the chief engineer of the Armalite division Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation in 1954 after previously working as the design engineer for Whittaker. He began testing firearm models that included the AR-3, AR-9, AR-11, and AR-12. None of these models saw any real progress until the AR-10 design was made. In 1956, Stoner submitted the AR-10 for a late entry into the U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground test trials. The late entry wasn't enough to convince the Army to change its mind on going ahead with the T44 instead, but did a get license for a Dutch manufacturer to produce the weapon.
Eugene Stoner is credited as being one of the most successful firearms designers of the 20th Century along side John Browning, and John Garand. Stoner became the chief engineer of the Armalite division Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation in 1954 after previously working as the design engineer for Whittaker. He began testing firearm models that included the AR-3, AR-9, AR-11, and AR-12. None of these models saw any real progress until the AR-10 design was made. In 1956, Stoner submitted the AR-10 for a late entry into the U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground test trials. The late entry wasn't enough to convince the Army to change its mind on going ahead with the T44 instead, but did a get license for a Dutch manufacturer to produce the weapon.