View Single Post
Old April 12, 2013, 01:34 PM   #5
44 AMP
Staff
 
Join Date: March 11, 2006
Location: Upper US
Posts: 28,617
The terms are somewhat flexible and not rigidly adhered to by all. I have seen people use the term "battle rifle" for any and every rifle that ever saw infantry service using a "full powered" round. The SMLE is a battle rifle to some. TO others, "battle rifle" only applies to the semi auto or select fire infantry rifles using the "full power" round. Bolt guns are just "rifles"

The "power" level of the round comes from the WWII standard. Full power rounds are ones that approximately match the WWII infantry rifle rounds, .30-06, 8mm Mauser, .303 British, 7.62x54R, etc.

Pistol rounds are the .45ACP, 9mm Luger, 7.62x25mm, etc. Submachineguns fire pistol rounds.

Intermediate power rounds are those between rifle and pistol. 7.92x33mm, 7.62x39mm, etc. The 5.56mm (.223) got put into that category by virtue of its small caliber (.22) and case size. Also, the US .30 carbine round is sometimes classed by itself ("carbine" round), although some will put it in the pistol category (as it is close to the .357 magnum) while others consider it intermediate, because it is more powerful than the "standard" pistol rounds.

The term "battle rifle" came about as an easy way to refer to (primarily) those rifles with "assault rifle features" but using "full power" rounds, like the M14, G3, FAL, SVT, etc. But its not as exculsive in use as assault rifle, which, in correct use, means select fire AND intermediate power round.

Basically, inside these general guidelines, its pretty much up to who is doing the talking to define their use of the term.
__________________
All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.
44 AMP is offline  
 
Page generated in 0.03307 seconds with 8 queries