THE INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON SMALL ARMS IN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY 1847 Vernon Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009 Telephone (202) 234-0683 ASSAULT RIFLE FACT SHEET #1 DEFINITIONS AND BACKGROUND Recent discussions of so-called "assault rifles" in both the media and legislative arenas have seen imprecise usage of the terms used to describe such firearms. This fact sheet is designed to improve the technical accuracy of future discussions. ASSAULT RIFLE: This term was coined during World War II. It is a translation of the German "Sturmgewehr." Two key characteristics that identify "assault rifles" are full automatic fire and detachable magazines with a capacity of 20 or more cartridges. These weapons were designed to produce roughly aimed bursts of full automatic fire. While some assault rifles offer an option of semiautomatic fire (i.e., single-shot), all true assault rifles fire at least fully automatic. SELF-LOADING: Weapons generally called semiautomatic today were originally called self-loading. This more precise term indicates that the fired cartridge provides energy to reload the weapon for the next shot. Such self-powered arms may be semiautomatic, full automatic, or have a means of selecting one or the other. SEMIAUTOMATIC: In such weapons, the operating mechanism is designed to permit only a single shot, with each pull of the trigger. AUTOMATIC: In such weapons, the operating mechanism is designed to permit the discharge of multiple shots with each pull of the trigger. Firing ceases when the shooter releases the trigger. BURST FIRE: Multiple shots during automatic fire are called bursts. These can either be controlled by the shooter's manipulation of the trigger or by a mechanical device built into the weapon that interrupts the automatic cycle after a preset number of shots have been discharged; e.g., 3- shots or 5-shots. Ownership of automatic or burst fire weapons has been regulated by Federal laws since the 1930s through revenue taxes enforced by the Treasury Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. RATE OF FIRE: All automatic weapons have a theoretical cyclic rate of fire that is expressed in shots per minute (s.p.m.) or rounds per minute (r.p.m.). This is the rate of fire that would be attained if the weapon could be fired continuously without need for reloading. In actual practice the number of shots that can be delivered from any self-loading weapon is limited by shooter skill, especially the need to reload. PRACTICAL RATE OF FIRE: With weapons such as the military 5.56mm m16A1 rifle and the 7.62mm AKM rifle the maximum rates of fire for a well trained shooter are as follows: M16A1 AKM semiautomatic: 45/65 s.p.m. 40 s.p.m. automatic: 100/150 s.p.m. 100 s.p.m. An average or less experienced shooter can deliver about half as many shots per minute. The shooter's probability of hitting a target with a self-loading rifle when pulling the trigger as rapidly as possible is about 1 hit in 5 shots fired. CATEGORIZING SELF-LOADING RIFLES BY CALIBER Modern military-type rifles (automatics and semiautomatics) are generally categorized by the class of cartridge they use. -- Full power rifle ammunition: This includes rifles such as the M14, FAL and G3 that shoot the 7.62 x 51mm NATO cartridge. -- Intermediate rifle ammunition: This includes rifles such as the Kalashnikov-type ("AK-47") imported from China, Egypt, Hungary, Finland, and Yugoslavia that shoot the 7.62 x 39mm cartridge. -- Small caliber, high velocity rifle ammunition: This includes rifles such as the M16 series, the Mini-14, AUG and others that fire the 5.56 x 45mm cartridge. -- Weapons firing the US .30 Carbine cartridge: The US M2 carbine is an example of a firearm that shoots the relatively low power 7.62 x 33mm cartridge. Semiautomatic variants of many of the world's automatic ("assault") rifles have been sold in the United States since the end of World War II. A majority of these sales occurred since the passage of the Federal "Gun Control Act of 1968." That law banned further importation of surplus military rifles, most of which were of the manually operated bolt-action-type. It is estimated that approximately four million semiautomatic variants of "assault rifles" are held by private individuals in the United States. The vast majority of semiautomatic military style rifles sold in the United States are military rifles that have been specifically modified to permit only semiautomatic fire and to thwart easy conversion to automatic fire. These modifications must be made in compliance with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms guidelines, and they must be approved by BATF prior to importation and/or sale of the firearm in the United States. ADDITIONAL READING ABOUT ASSAULT RIFLES Edward C. Ezell, "Small Arms Today: Latest Reports on the World's Small Arms" (Stackpole Books, 1988). A country-by-country review of infantry weapons (25mm or smaller in caliber) usage. The types of weapons are described, and data is presented on the origin of such weapons. Many supplier-client relationships are explained. This book grows out of continuing interest in the transfer of small arms by the nations manufacturing such weapons. R. Blake Stevens and Edward C. Ezell, "The Black Rifle: M16 Rifle Retrospective" (Collector Grade Publications, Inc.: Toronto, 1987). A history of the development and production of the M16 rifle. Edward C. Ezell, "The AK-47 Story: Evolution of the Kalashnikov Weapons" (Stackpole Books, 1986). Narrative history of military rifles in Russia and the Soviet Union, 1800 to present. Describes world wide production of Kalashnikov assault rifles. Edward C. Ezell, "The Great Rifle Controversy: Search for the Ultimate Infantry Rifle from World War II to Vietnam and Beyond" (Stackpole Books, 1984). Narrative history examining issues related to US and NATO small arms research, development and acquisition from 1945 to 1984, concentrating on the history of the M14 rifle and M16 rifle development programs. "Small Arms of the World: A Basic Manual of Small Arms," 12th edition (Stackpole Books, 1983). The first five chapters of this encyclopedia summarize the development of small arms from 1945 to 1983. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ASSAULT RIFLE FACT SHEET #2 QUANTITIES OF SEMI-AUTOMATIC "ASSAULT RIFLES" OWNED IN THE UNITED STATES RIFLES OF AMERICAN MANUFACTURE Colt AR-15 caliber .223 to date 279,600 Springfield Armory Inc. M14A caliber .308 to date 60,000 Springfield Armory Inc. R3 (Copy of HK91) cal. .308 to date 1,000 Springfield Armory Inc. FAL caliber .308 to date 6,000 Springfield Armory Inc. BM59 caliber .308 to date 500 Ruger Mini-14 caliber .30 to date 500,000+ Commercial and surplus US M1 .caliber .30 to date 700,000+ US Government sales and GI souvenirs US M1 cal. .30 to date 1,500,000+ est. RIFLES OF FOREIGN MANUFACTURE (imports) China AK-type rifles caliber .223 and 7.62mm to date 90,000 China SKS w/detachable magazine 7.62mm to date 25,000 Finland (Valmet) AK-type rifles caliber 7.62mm to date 16,000 Hungary AK-type rifles caliber 7.62mm to date 7,000 Yugoslavia AK-type rifles caliber 7.62mm to date 4,000 Israel Galil .223 and .308 to date 9,000 Israel M14 (built from surplus parts) .308 to date 16,000 Israel FAL (built from surplus parts--Armscorp) .308 to date 3,000 Argentina FAL (Armscorp) .308 to date 4,000 FN FAL and FNC .308/.223 to date 25,000 West Germany (HK91) caliber.308 to date 38,000 West Germany (HK93) caliber .223 to date 8,510 Beretta BM-59 caliber .308 to date 2,000 Switzerland SIG 510 and SIG 550 caliber .308 and .223 to date 1,000 Austria Steyr AUG caliber .223 to date 5,000 Korea K1 and K2 (similar to AR-15) caliber .223 to date 25,000 Miscellaneous to date 25,000 QUANTITIES OF SEMI-AUTOMATIC SUB-CARBINES (firing pistol ammunition) OWNED IN THE UNITED STATES Sub-Carbines of American Manufacture Marlin Camp Carbine caliber 9mm and .45 to date 3,000 Volunteer and other makers "Commando" carbine caliber 9mm and .45 to date 40,000 Cobray, MAC and other makers MAC10-type semiautos caliber 9mm and .45 to date 50,000 Intratec and Intertec TEC9 caliber 9mm to date 110,000 Numrich 1927A1 Thompson Semiautos caliber .45 to date 16,000 Miscellaneous: AP9 etc. to date 40,000 Sub-Carbines of Foreign Manufacture (imports) Israel Uzi (carbines and pistols) caliber 9mm and .45 to date 90,000 West Germany HK 94 caliber 9mm (30% sold to law enforcement) to date 16,200 United Kingdom Sterling MK6 caliber 9mm to date 1,000 Miscellaneous to date 5,000 ----------------- ESTIMATED TOTAL 371,200 -= END OF FILE =-