The 4 leading Assault Rifle Series: AK's, M-16's, FN's, and H&K

AK Series: Possibly the ultimate 'Assault Rifle'. Based on the German MP44 this gun has made its way round the world and is still a sucsess

M-16 Series: Lightweight and versatile, Sucsessor to the AK series? It served US troops since Vietnam and now has lead to more advanced variants such as M-4s n so on

FN Series: FN has made some decent rifles over the years with the FAL as thier lead rifle, It was popular round African/South American countries in the 1960s and
still is today, Was licenced built in Britain/Commonwealth countries but only in semi auto.

H&K Series: Derived from the Spanish CETME rifles, The H&K series uses a Roller Locking Delayed Blowback not like the three mentioned above. The H&K series have been popular with SWAT and SF Units around the world. The only problem with them is that they are quite expensive.

The AK was not based on the Stgw.44. It is manufactured differently, it works differently and only shares a superficial commonality. Also, the 7.62x39mm intermediate cartridge was designed in 1943 (hence the name "M43") and AK47 development started in that year, at a time when the Stgw.44 still was in development, too. Undoubtly the Soviets analyzed the german rifle and some german engineers that were part of the MP43/44 projects were also put to work in Izhevsk, but the AK47 is a largely independent development.

Neither "FN" nor "Hk" are series of weaponry. Both companies largely departed from their concepts of 50 years ago by now.

[edit on 26/4/2006 by Lonestar24]

Props to Lonestar on that catch. While HK does use a lot fo the same action types on its weapons (Starting at the G3 onwards), I would hardly call it a series. Same with FN- quite possibly the finest manufacturer of arms today- they have departed from the crowd on quite the number of projects. None of the so-called 'series' of weapons you have listed have stayed the same over the years. The M16 has risen from its humble beginnings as a horrible POS to become the very picture of mediocrity.

Same, the AK series has warbled and bent so many ways that you would have to pick a branch of that tree to judge it.

The FAL - which I assume you mean by the FN series, because FN produces the M16, SCAR and FN2000 as a seperate series of assault rifle- was quite a popular rifle back in the heyday for good reason. Unfortunately, with the advent of 5.56 rifles, it soon went into decline.

DE

FNs 5.56mm FAL version, is called FNC and it has been quite a success around the world... so technically they do have a "serie"

My personal feeling of the FNC was "flimsy", compared to RK95, but i've never fired it so no futher comments (the gun i handled was actually swedish version AK5, but they are all the same)

i like the AK... very reliable... except when ur shoting at nite and u get hit by friendly fire

Here's a question to consider? Which one can take the most abuse, mud, sand, dropping, etc, and still fire without jamming? Only one model that I know of...

I read a interview with mister kalashnikov and he said that the ak was based on the STG and the garand.

Originally posted by StarLord
Here's a question to consider? Which one can take the most abuse, mud, sand, dropping, etc, and still fire without jamming? Only one model that I know of...

i would think either an FN or teh AK

All of HK's weaponry(G3 & onwards) is based off of the spanish CETME assault rifle designed in the 50s. The West Germans firm licensed the design.

Since the bottoms on top were broken my entire post got wiped out and CTRL-Z didn't even help...

Anyway...I agree that the AK is not based on the STG-44 at all and Tomcat, I think he probably said that he was inspired by those rifles since it would be unlikely he based it on them.

I am shocked no one mentioned the Steyr AUG and the Sig Sauer assault rifles, they are some of the world's best rifles! the Sig-550 for example is more reliable and more accurate than the AR-15 based weaponry but with a bigger price tag, actually Impactguns.com are selling civilian versions now! you can have your AR-15's and Steyr USR's, i'll have a Sig-550

Originally posted by MDE762
All of HK's weaponry(G3 & onwards) is based off of the spanish CETME assault rifle designed in the 50s.

Nope.

The West Germans firm licensed the design.

To be exact, the W.German government licensed it.

When I was a serving member I had the distinct misfortune of utilising a M-16 and found the weapon to be better utilised as a club than anything else,although one swing and it would fall apart....such a weak weapon.
My choice was a L1A1 SLR and it was accurate, reliable and rugged. IMO the 7.62mm round was so much deadlier than the 5.56mm giving a much better impact as well as a greater effective range.

Originally posted by fpsdoug
i like the AK... very reliable... except when ur shoting at nite and u get hit by friendly fire

WHAT? WHY? PLEASE EXPLAIN.

Originally posted by StarLord
Here's a question to consider? Which one can take the most abuse, mud, sand, dropping, etc, and still fire without jamming? Only one model that I know of...

Yup, I can.

Obviously you refer to the AK 47, but I'd also like to add the Israeli Gallil and the Valmet.

The AK keeps getting upgraded. Today's AK-74 has a plastic stock, new optics, lasers and underbarrel grenade launchers. I like the AK-74, but the new AN-94 Abakan has made all AKs obsolete. But I'm sure the AKs can still compete with western arms.

Originally posted by Russian soldier
The AK keeps getting upgraded. Today's AK-74 has a plastic stock, new optics, lasers and underbarrel grenade launchers. I like the AK-74, but the new AN-94 Abakan has made all AKs obsolete. But I'm sure the AKs can still compete with western arms.

The AK while keep up with all guns, she durablie and you can easy repair and it chambers a 7.62mm round. The Ak-74 is a little less powerful but same durblity and mantinces it chambers a 5.76mm round. I really dont care for the abakan.

Originally posted by Sopwith
When I was a serving member I had the distinct misfortune of utilising a M-16 and found the weapon to be better utilised as a club than anything else,although one swing and it would fall apart....such a weak weapon.
My choice was a L1A1 SLR and it was accurate, reliable and rugged. IMO the 7.62mm round was so much deadlier than the 5.56mm giving a much better impact as well as a greater effective range.

Absolutely! Shoot man in leg he loses head. Man hides behind wall, shoot wall, wall kills man.

As you'll appreciate it does require an Army that teaches musketry rather than 'Yea Hah' spray and pray.

Only thing wrong with it was the lack of full auto - easily sorted with a bit of tinfoil - and the mag size - but that's what Bren mags were for!

Heavy awkward bugger though, but squaddies were tougher then!

Failing that the AK - pref the Finnish version.

Originally posted by Lonestar24
The AK was not based on the Stgw.44. It is manufactured differently, it works differently and only shares a superficial commonality. Also, the 7.62x39mm intermediate cartridge was designed in 1943 (hence the name "M43") and AK47 development started in that year, at a time when the Stgw.44 still was in development, too. Undoubtly the Soviets analyzed the german rifle and some german engineers that were part of the MP43/44 projects were also put to work in Izhevsk, but the AK47 is a largely independent development.

I have to agree with Lonestar the similarities between the AK and STGW 44 are really only skin deep. When you look at the inner workings of each rifle you see the huge difference in even basic design concepts.

While Germany and pretty much every other gun devloper was packing their parts closer and closer together inside their rifles Kalashnikov went a different route spreading the inner workings apart giving them extra room. This lead to the legendary AK reliablity. You can take a handful of sand put it into a AK and cock the gun and it will fire. I wouldnt advise that with a STGW 44 or really any german rifle even present day ones.

Does H&K make a 308 Assault Rifle?

Yes
Hk makes the G3 and they do have a newer .308 made for SCAR competition...