US ARMY WEAPONS

Run away the ray-gun is coming : We test US army's new secret weapon


Raytheon

Modern face of warfare: The Silent Guardian

"Where do I put my finger? There ... OK? Nothing's happening ... is it on?"

"Yes, it's on. Move your finger a bit closer."

"Er ... ow! OW!" Not good. I try again. "OWWW!" I pull my hand away sharpish. My finger is throbbing, but seems undamaged.

I was told people can take it for a second, maximum. No way, not for a wimp like me.

I try it again. It is a bit like touching a red-hot wire, but there is no heat, only the sensation of heat. There is no burn mark or blister.

Its makers claim this infernal machine is the modern face of warfare. It has a nice, friendly sounding name, Silent Guardian.

I am told not to call it a ray-gun, though that is precisely what it is (the term "pain gun" is maybe better, but I suppose they would like that even less).

And, to be fair, the machine is not designed to vaporise, shred, atomise, dismember or otherwise cause permanent harm.


U1106275| Standard RM| © Bettmann/CORBIS
Illustration of the Soviet Burp Gun

Original caption: New Soviet Burp Gun. New York: Past masters at devising light, easily constructed small arms, the Russians revised their famous 7.63-mm 1943 burp gun into this version (above), as reported in the June, 1956, issue of True magazine. Light, rugged, and simple in mechanical design, the gas-operated weapon can be set for slow or full automatic fire that would loose a 30-round burst almost instantaneously. It is said to give accurate, aimed fire up to 300 yards. The submachine gun is only one of many new weapons with which the Soviet Union has equipped it's huge army, US Army sources have disclosed.
Image: © Bettmann/CORBIS
Collection: Bettmann
Standard RM
SRT members qualified on the U.S. Marine Corps Designated Marksman Rifle - the standard weapon for marksman observers; they fired the U.S. Army's M-24 Sniper Weapon System

Top 10 Best Rifles


10. M14

Type: Semi or Fully Automatic Rifle
Caliber: 7.62 x 51 mm (.30 inch)
Muzzle Velocity: Approximately 2,799 feet per second
Rate of Fire: 700–750 rounds per minute

By the end of World War II, with an American infantry platoon carrying as many as four different weapons — and four types of ammo — the U.S. Army decided to develop a single weapon that could fulfill multiple roles. The result was the M14. First fielded in 1957, the rugged, accurate new rifle had plenty of stopping power with the standard NATO 7.62 mm round. It first saw major action in Vietnam, where soldiers liked its performance but struggled with the weight of both gun and ammunition. Before long it was phased out in favor of the lighter M16, but a few frontline units still use the classic weapon, primarily as a sniper rifle.

9. STURMGEWEHR 44

Type: Semi or Fully Automatic Assault Rifle
Country of Origin: Germany
Caliber: 7.92 x 33 mm (.30 inch0,br> Cartridge Capacity: 30 rounds
Muzzle Velocity: Approximately 2,133 feet per second
Rate of Fire: 500 rounds per minute

The Wehrmacht hadn’t been at war with the Soviet Union for long when it became clear that German infantry with their bolt-action Mausers were often at a disadvantage in firefights with Russian automatic weapons. In response, German armament developers came up with a revolutionary new weapon: the first “assault rifle” (the literal translation of the German Sturmgewehr). The key to its success was a shorter 7.92 mm round that allowed for effective automatic fire and permitted soldiers to carry sufficient ammunition. The Sturmgewehr came too late to play a significant role in World War II, but it wins high marks for innovation.

8. 1903 SPRINGFIELD

Type: Bolt-Action Rifle
Country of Origin: United States
Caliber: 7.62 x 63 mm (.30-06 inch)
Cartridge Capacity: 5 rounds
Muzzle Velocity: Approximately 2,700 feet per second
Rate of Fire: 10 rounds per minute

The relatively poor performance of the Norwegian Krag-Jorgensen rifle used by U.S. troops in the Spanish-American War led American planners to look elsewhere for a standard infantry weapon. They “borrowed” the more effective action found on the German 7mm Mauser, added a few modifications, and produced a magazine-fed rifle that boasted phenomenal accuracy. The 1903 quickly gained a reputation as an outstandingly accurate and powerful firearm — at the Battle of Belleau Woods in 1918, U.S. Marines armed with Springfields cut down enemy counterattacks from 700 to 800 yards away. The rifle continued in service through World War II and Korea and even saw combat as a sniper rifle in Vietnam.

7. STEYR AUG

Austrian troops on the firing line during a combat exercise.


Type: Semi or Fully Automatic Bull-Pup Assault Rifle
Country of Origin: Austria
Caliber: 5.56 x 45 mm (.22 inch)
Cartridge Capacity: 30 and 42 rounds
Muzzle Velocity: Approximately 3,084 feet per second
Rate of Fire: 650 rounds per minute

Looking more like a weapon from a science-fiction movie, the Steyr’s only serious “flaw” is the advanced design that seemed to scare away potential customers after its introduction in 1977. In this radically new “bull-pup” configuration most of the barrel, receiver and action, instead of being in front of the operator’s firing hand, is all moved back in the stock, resulting in a remarkably compact weapon that is light and easy to handle. The Steyr also features an interchangeable barrel system, a transparent magazine, and optional left or right shell ejection capability.

6. MAUSER K98k CARBINE

German infantrymen advance across a battlefield in Russia, June 1941.


Type: Bolt-Action Rifle
Country of Origin: Germany
Caliber: 7.92 x 57 mm (.30 inch)
Cartridge Capacity: 5 rounds
Muzzle Velocity: approximately 2,822 feet per second
Rate of Fire: 10-15 rounds per minute

First produced at the end of the 19th century, the Mauser 98 was the perfect synthesis of the many innovations that rifles had undergone during the late 19th century: smokeless powder, clips that could be fed into magazines and, most of all, its superb bolt action that is still the basis for most modern hunting rifles. The original model 98 was used during World War I to great effect, but when Germany started rearming in the 1930s the rifle received upgrades that made it lighter and easier to sight and shoot. Inevitably outgunned by automatic weapons, the Mauser nevertheless stands as one of the legendary rifles of the modern age.

5. FN FAL


Troops of B Company of the Royal Australian Regiment wade across a river in Phuoc My province, southeast of Saigon, June 22, 1970.Type: Semi or Fully Automatic Rifle
Country of Origin: Belgium
Caliber: 7.62 x 51 mm (.30 inch)
Cartridge Capacity: 20 rounds
Muzzle Velocity: Approximately 2,700 feet per second
Rate of Fire: 650-700 rounds per minute

Inspired by the Sturmgewehr 44, the Belgian manufacturer Fabrique Nationale (FN) originally developed the FAL around the same intermediate round used by the German gun, but when NATO issued the requirement for the longer 7.62 mm, FN altered the design and created a heavy hitter that packs a punch — and a potent kick. The FAL soon became one of the classic weapons of the Cold War, used by over 50 countries, even if it proved tough to handle in full auto mode. The rifle gave good service to the Australian army in the jungles of Vietnam, to Israeli troops during the Six-Day War and was used by both sides in the fight for the Falkland Islands.

4. M1 GARAND

Type: Semiautomatic
Rifle Country of Origin: United States
Caliber: 7.62 x 63 mm (.30-06 inch)
Cartridge Capacity: 8 rounds
Muzzle Velocity: Approximately 2,838 feet per second

Rate of Fire: 30 rounds per minute
Adopted by the U.S. Army in 1936, the M1 Garand proved to be a tough, heavy battle rifle when it entered combat five years later. General Patton remarked at the end of World War II that the M1 may have been the greatest battle implement ever devised. A bit of a stretch perhaps, but there’s no doubt that the M1 was the first successful semiautomatic rifle issued in any quantity that had the ruggedness and accuracy to dominate the battlefield. Over 6.25 million Garands had been manufactured by the time it was taken out of service in the early 1960s.

3. LEE-ENFIELD SMLE

Type: Bolt-Action Rifle
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Caliber: 7.7 x 56 mm (.30 inch)
Cartridge Capacity: 10 rounds
Muzzle Velocity: approximately 2,438 feet per second
Rate of Fire: 15-20 rounds per minute

The standard infantry weapon of British troops from World War I to the 1956 Suez crisis, the Lee-Enfield SMLE (pronounced “smelly”) built its reputation on reliability, accuracy and a phenomenal rate of fire. Its magazine carried 10 bullets, the largest capacity of any rifle on the battlefield during the first half of the 20th century. Its short bolt action cocked on closing, and its muzzle cap prevented dirt from clogging the weapon. In the hands of a well-trained infantryman, the Lee-Enfield could perform what was called the “mad minute,” i.e., thirty rounds hitting a target 200 meters distant in one minute, a volume of fire that rivals modern semiautomatic weapons.

2. M16

Spc. Kenneth Bull of the 25th Infantry Division fires his rifle from the back of a truck during convoy live-fire training at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, December 2003.

Type: Semi or Fully Automatic Assault Rifle
Country of Origin: United States
Caliber: 5.56 x 45 mm (.223 inch)
Cartridge Capacity: 20-30 rounds

Muzzle Velocity: Approximately 3,281 feet per second
Rate of Fire: 700-950 rounds per minute
Although it took a little time to work out the gun’s jamming problems during its combat trials in the early 1960s, the M16 has proven to be an outstanding performer with superb accuracy, handling, service length and combat effectiveness. The rifle fulfilled the U.S. military’s desire to develop a lightweight modern assault rifle that could replace the semiautomatic M1 and its selective-fire counterpart, the M14. Its innovative features include lighter metal alloy and plastic construction, a simple gas reload system and the use of 5.56 mm ammunition, allowing soldiers to carry twice the amount of ammunition for the same weight of 7.62 mm rounds.

1. AK-47

Russian designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, the creator of the world’s most famous assault rifle, the AK-47, aims a current version of his weapon design at a shooting range outside the Russian city of Izhevsk in December 2003.
Type: Semi or Fully Automatic Assault Rifle
Country of Origin: Soviet Union
Caliber: 7.62 x 39 mm (.30 inch)
Cartridge Capacity: 30 rounds
Muzzle Velocity: 2,329 feet per second
Rate of Fire: 600 rounds per minute

With over 75 million built worldwide, the AK-47 (a.k.a., “Kalashnikov”) is a firearms legend that has probably inflicted more lethal results than any other single weapon system ever produced. Built on the same basic design as the German Sturmgewehr, it chambered an intermediate round and was built from stamped parts. The AK-47 was not only easy to produce and relatively cheap, is also proved remarkably easy to maintain and virtually immune to conditions that could easily take out other guns. Accuracy is average, but the Kalashnikov compensates for this with its ability to unleash a lethal wall of lead.
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Army's Robotic, Armed Combat Vehicle (Updated)


Blackknight1 We now know that there are robotic cars smart enough to drive themselves around a city. The next step: give those vehicles automatic weapons, of course.

Enter the Black Knight -- a very early prototype of an "Unmanned Combat Vehicle," developed by arms-maker BAE Systems for the U.S. Army. From the outside, the Knight doesn't look all that different from the armored vehicles used by the American military in combat zones around the world. But soldiers can also get out of the nine-and-a-half-ton Knight, and control the vehicle from afar -- including a custom, one-off 30mm gun and coaxial machine gun.

Or the troops can stay just chill out, and let the thing drive itself. The Knight uses "advanced robotic technology for autonomous mobility," according to BAE. "This capability allows the Black Knight to plan routes, maneuver on the planned route, and avoid obstacles - all without operator intervention."

★US ARMY Weapons

M4A1 SOPMOD

Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
Weight: 5.4lb empty, 7.1lb loaded
Length: 29.9in with stock extended, 26.8 with stock collasped
Magazine: 30-round box
Rate of fire: cyclic 800rpm; sustained 12-15rpm; semiautomatic 45rpm;
automatic 700-1000rpm
Muzzle Velocity: 924 meters/sec
Range: 274m maximum range

Military


M3 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System (MAAWS)
84mm Ranger Antitank Weapons System (RAWS)

The Multi-role, anti-armor, anti-personnel weapon system is the primary anti-armor and anti-personnel weapon for US Army Special Operations Command and US Naval Special Warfare Command users within the U.S. Special Operations Command. The MAAWS consists of the M3 recoilless rifle, weighing less than 25 pounds and under 43 inches in length with a family of ammunition consisting of High Explosive Anti-Tank, High Explosive Dual Purpose, High Explosive, Smoke and Illuminating rounds plus a Target Practice round and subcaliber training system. The primary mission is to defeat lightly armored vehicles, soft skinned vehicles, personnel in the open or defilade, and field fortifications. Secondary missions include marking threat targets with smoke for supporting weapons, obscuring threat weapons and illuminating threat targets. It is employed by Army Rangers and Navy SEALS during special operations missions, infiltration, exfiltration, raids, ambushes and defensive operations.
The Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System (MAAWS) consists of the M3 Carl Gustaf Recoilless Rifle and a family of 84mm ammunition. Originally fielded to the US Rangers in 1990, the program has grown to include NAVY Seals. The M3 Rifle weighs approximately 25 pounds and is 42 inches in length. There is a Picatinny Fire Control Device (PFCD) developed at Picatinny for the MAAWS. The PFCD is used as a mount for optical/night sights. It is used to address trajectory differences between HEAT, HE, and HEDP rounds. The PFCD contains a dual function knob that can be used to select round type and range. The original FCD from Bofors was a two-cam design (HEAT & HE). A second knob with a third cam for the HEDP firing. Idea of switching knobs was not favorable by the Rangers, therefore Picatinny was tasked to design a three-cam FCD to replace the Bofors' FCD. The M3 rifle and the supporting family of ammunition are manufactured by Bofors of Sweden.

Description A shoulder-fired, air jumpable, and swimmable system. An 84mm non-developmental item (NDI) recoilless rifle system consisting of:

  • M3 Carl Gustav reusable launcher compatible with current standard optical devices.
  • High explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round.
  • High explosive dual purpose (HEDP) round.
  • High explosive (HE) round for anti-personnel use.
  • Smoke round.
  • Illumination round.
  • Full and subcaliber training systems.

Status

  • System fielded with U.S. Army Special Operations Command since 1990.
  • Test and evaluation ongoing to support Naval Special Warfare Command’s fielding.
  • Joint integrated product team managing all efforts.
  • Joint integrated product team managing all efforts.

Contractor Bofors Weapons Systems; Sweden

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