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

Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main
Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main

Guns Of The U.S. Tankers In World War II

Since the end of World War II, debates have raged about the effectiveness of American armored fighting vehicles in that conflict. Despite all the Monday morning armored quarterbacking, American AFVs were war-winners, driven to victory by some the finest fighting men our nation has ever produced.

MidwayUSA Foundation Awards Over $14 Million In Cash Grants In 2025

In honor of National Shooting Sports Month—held annually in August—along with the growing popularity of the sport with new participants, MidwayUSA Foundation announced it has distributed more than $14.2 million in cash grants to support youth shooting sports in 2025.

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.