Assault Rifles
Assault rifles are a term for any rifle that is designed specifically for combat with the selective fire option. Selective fire, or the choice between fully automatic and semi-automatic, is considered a requirement for front line rifles in the military. The primary use of assault rifles is for infantry, although other units stock these weapons for use by combatants. The most common types of assault rifles include the AK 47 rifle, the M16 rifle and the Steyr AUG.
For those who play Airsoft, assault rifles are a common weapon of choice due to their use at close range. As many Airsoft competitions are done within set boundaries, replica assault rifles have the functionality that is good for Airsoft, as well as the range needed to remain competitive. As assault rifles existed during World War II, which has a great many of the preferred Airsoft scenarios, these rifles make up a large percentage of those chosen.
In order for weapons to be classed as assault rifles, it must meet four criteria. It must be a buttstock, or shoulder fired weapon, it must have selective fire, it must have a mid range cartridge, and the ammunition must come from a detachable box magazine. Replica assault rifles typically lack the power required to meet the mid range cartridge, although the fully working models do. This is done to ensure the safety of all players on the field.
When you are selecting assault rifles for use with Airsoft, there are several things that you will want to keep in mind. First, you will want to attempt to keep your assault rifles as close to era specific as you can. By having several different types of assault rifles available, you can join any type of field game, with the exception of civil war and revolutionary war games. The assault rifles are unsuitable for any combat fields designed for wars and battles taking place before the 1915, when the first assault rifles were developed.
As the evolution of the assault rifles has included aspects like accuracy and power, having a rifle from each era of assault rifles will ensure that you can fit in. These eras include 1900s to 1930s rifles, the 1930s rifles, the 1940s to early 1950s rifles, the mid 1950s to 1960s rifles, the 1970s to 1990s rifles and modern rifles. Each of these different rifles have variants on bullet sizes and general design and functionality of the assault rifles.
If you want to know more about the use of assault rifles in Airsoft, you can contact any retailer for assistance.