AI overview
An assault rifle is a military-style rifle that can switch between single shots and automatic fire (multiple shots with one trigger pull). The term matters in policy debates because different definitions of "assault rifle" lead to different conclusions about which firearms should be regulated or restricted.
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The first successfully deployed assault rifle, the StG 44 was adopted by the German army in 1944. It fires the 7.92×33mm Kurz round. Currently the most used assault rifle in the world along with its variants, the AKM and the AK-74, the AK-47 was first adopted in 1949 by the Soviet Army. It fires the 7.62×39mm cartridge. The M16 was first introduced into service in 1964 with the U.S. Military, It fires the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge and is the most produced assault rifle in its caliber.
An assault rifle is a select fire rifle that uses an intermediate-rifle cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles were first put into mass production and accepted into widespread service during World War II. The first assault rifle to see major usage was the German StG 44, a development of the earlier Mkb 42. While immediately after World War II, NATO countries were equipped with battle rifles, the development of the M16 rifle during the Vietnam War prompted the adoption of assault rifles by the rest of NATO. By the end of the 20th century, assault rifles had become the standard weapon in most of the world's armies, replacing full-powered rifles and submachine guns in most roles. The two most successful modern assault rifles are the AK-47 and the M16 designs and their derivatives.