Brian Sheetz's Top 10 Infantry Rifles

by
posted on July 1, 2009
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
200971103847-top10rifle_fs.jpg

1. AK-47: With more than 100 million made, it is likely the most-produced firearm of all time, and its geo-political influence is difficult to overstate—after all, its distinctive outline is featured on the coats of arms of several African countries, the flag of at least one terrorist organization and the official flag of the country of Mozambique. Ugly, reliable to a fault and easy to manufacture, the AK is, more than a half-century after its development, still a force to be reckoned with.

2. Mauser 98: Licensed for manufacture in innumerable countries and produced on a scale rivaled only by the AK-47, the Mauser 98-based bolt-action military and sporting rifles together represent one of the single most important firearm forms ever conceived. Simplicity, safety and reliability are the hallmarks of this truly seminal design that has reached around the world in unprecedented numbers.

3. M16/AR-15: From the brilliance of Eugene Stoner, came this polymer and aluminum outgrowth of aerospace engineering that borrowed design elements from Melvin Johnson’s straight-line rifles and carbines, the MAS 40 and AG-42B Ljungman direct gas impingement rifles and the StG 44’s intermediate cartridge. This longest-serving U.S. infantry rifle is to democracy what the AK is to communism.

4. M1 Garand: The embodiment of American military might in a form that made every World War II infantryman fortunate enough to wield one a force to be reckoned with. Its high-quality construction, reliable operation, self-loading action, relatively large ammunition capacity, and excellent accuracy and range made it the king of the battlefield and redefined the infantry rifle’s capabilities.

5. SMLE: With roughly a century of service, Britain’s Short Magazine Lee-Enfield bolt action exhibited more staying power than the kingdom itself. Rapid operation, extreme reliability and a variety of configurations distinguished this classic battle rifle.

6. StG 44: The first so-called assault rifle, the StG44 was a fully developed German design that proved the virtues of an intermediate cartridge/light rifle combination. It almost certainly informed Russian Mikhail Kalashnikov as he set about to design the AK-47.

7. FN-FAL: Called “Free World’s Right Arm” because of its widespread issuance in military service around the world, the Fabrique Nationale Fusil Automatique Leger, was designed by Browning protégé and FN chief designer Dieudonne Saive. It also narrowly lost out to the M14 during selection for a U.S. service rifle to replace the Garand.

8. Spencer Rifle: The tubular-magazine Spencer rifle found favor with the Union during the Civil War partly because it was reliable under combat conditions, but also because it could sustain a rate of fire in excess of 20 rounds per minute. It was a significant advantage at a time when standard muzzleloaders fired two to three rounds per minute.

9. Dreyse Needle Gun: Another design ahead of its time, the Dreyse pioneered the bolt-action. It also anticipated the value of a primer-actuated, self-contained rifle cartridge, albeit paper-wrapped, fully 20 years before the advent of the .22 short.

10. 1855 Springfield Rifle-Musket: This was the first Springfield Armory-produced musket with rifling, which greatly increased its range and power. In addition, its Maynard tape priming system was a unique and forward-thinking step toward greater rapidity of fire.

Latest

Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1
Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1

Rifleman Review: Taurus Expedition

Taurus entered the bolt-action rifle market with its Expedition, a Remington 700-pattern design that's built to be versatile and affordable.

New For 2025: Charter Arms Pathfinder II

Charter Arms updated one of the oldest models in its lineup with the new Pathfinder II, which features a lightweight 7075 aluminum frame, making it more well-balanced and easier to carry.

Review: Kimber 2K11

The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.

Favorite Firearms: A High-Flying Hi-Standard “A-D”

Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”

Ruger Helps Families In Need Through The Kids & Clays Foundation

In the effort to help tens of thousands of critically ill children and their families across the nation through local Ronald McDonald Houses, Ruger is among some of the industry’s foremost Platinum-level sponsors of The Kids & Clays Foundation.

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.