Mao Tse Tung said change must come

[venta]

One question: why is it called an "assault rifle" ? Are there other kinds of rifle used for non-assault purposes ? Friendly-greeting rifles ?

Comments

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

The depths of my memory says that it's called an assault rifle because Hitler was a bit mad, and didn't think the German military needed a new submachine gun. So the military chaps, being enlightened thinkers, made the barrel slightly longer and came back to him saying; "Forget that smelly old sub-machine gun we showed you, that was rubbish, you're right. However, look at this bright shiny, new assault rifle. Assault! How cool and buch and macho is that you mad bastard. Also, the name is probably significant numerogically."

I may now do some google and see if there's any truth in this story. It might of course be something my dad made up.

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

Well, it's a convoluted and fairly boring read, but there seems to be something in the mix: Wikipedia tells us, amongst other things that Hitler was cancelling weapons projects, being kept in the dark about what weapons were being developed, but that it was he who coined the term Sturmgewehr.

In other news, there are two key differences between an assault rifle and a traditional battlefield rifle. Firstly they're shorter, so better for close quarters, and getting through narrow doorways, and secondly, they can fire lots of bullets with one press of the trigger, rather than one bullet.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I liked the first version better :)

I had looked at the Wiki page and concluded that an assault rifle did differ from battle (and presumably hunting) rifles. I couldn't quite fathom the name, though, since I'd assumed it to be descriptive in some way rather than spin. However it seems "it sounded cool" is about the size of it.

[chrisvenus]

Well surely from what secondhand_rick said an assault rifle is better for assaults. You know, you're going into a building and running through corridors and doorways and generally assaulting places and you'd want the shorter rifle to not keep banging it on doors and things I expect... You probably wouldn't care about this distinction so much if you weren't assaulting places.

[stegzy.livejournal.com]

If Cheri Blair had a rifle would that be a Cheri Rifle?

[kneeshooter]

Assault Rifle vs Battle Rifle. Apparently. The original German sounds much more exotic though (as per usual) - Sturmgewehr.

[venta.livejournal.com]

But I imagine one can battle with an assault rifle, and I'm damn sure one can assault someone with a battle rifle :)

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Historical whatnots aside, I suspect it's "assault" in the sense of capturing some target as opposed to fighting from a fixed position. So you won't need as much long ranged shooting accuracy but you will want a lighter, wieldier weapon if possible.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Ah. Yes. That makes sense. More of a "sortie rifle" :)

[wechsler.livejournal.com]

As opposed to sniper & sport, off the top of my head.

[mejoff.livejournal.com]

I always assumed that it was a lightweight automatic weapon for assaulting fortified positions, as opposed to a long-range accurate weapon for sniping or other descriptions for other purposes.

[alien8.livejournal.com]

hunting rifle, sniper rifle spring to mind.

http://www.arrse.co.uk might be a good|bad place to ask :-)

[grahamb.livejournal.com]

Forget the assault rifle, what you really want is a rucksack full of landmines.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

What I really want is not to be in the middle of a war dressed as a soldier...

[venta.livejournal.com]

I think I'm prepared to go further and say that, regardless of fashion choices, what I really want is not to be in the middle of a war.

[grahamb.livejournal.com]

Damn you and your quick reactions, beating me to it.

[grahamb.livejournal.com]

Think I'd chose to not to be in the middle of a war regardless but if you're going to bring fashion into it I think I'd not want to be in the middle of a war in a pair of high heels. But then I'd practical like that.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

I would rather be dressed like a civilian who is less likely to be shot at than a soldier...

[grahamb.livejournal.com]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7828536.stm

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Ok, as long as the war didn't involve an army that shoots at civilians.

[davefish.livejournal.com]

I think we can conclude that war sucks.

[mejoff.livejournal.com]

OK, but you have to get it from Westminster to Moreton In Marsh on the trains!

[grahamb.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, that could be tricky. I hear there are a lot of wolverines around those parts.

[mejoff.livejournal.com]

Which is why you need an assault rifle :)

[wechsler.livejournal.com]

I don't think there are special rifles for friendly fire.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

People have said sensible things already, so can I just irrelevantly mention one of the best album titles ever, A Salt with a Deadly Pepa?

[secretrebel.livejournal.com]

GIP!

[venta.livejournal.com]

:)