by Werewolf10 on 09 Jun 2004 13:37
Russians have semi-automatic rifles, "assault rifles" in use on the combat in the First World War, "6.5mm Avtomaticheskaya vintovka V. Federova obr. 1916g" or Federov Avtomat, a design from 1913-type rifle. The 1916-rifle was the last of a family of automatic rifles in Russia of Vladimir Federov as had proposed a recoil-operated Mosin-Nagant in 1905 and come up with the first design in 1907. Federov work with the automatic rifle-prototypes in years to 1912 then the "1912-pattern Federov" be the superior in on field trials for the automatic rifles. ( a few- Tokarev, Browning and Sjøgren ). Only 150 7.62mm "1912-type" Federov Avtomat was produced. But the 1913-type Federov Avtomat on 6.5mm was more superior and one of the best rifles in the day of this sort- the war in 1914 and the mass-production scheme stopped the production.
Avtomat in 1916 was successful with a magasin on 25 rounds and was short with only length on 97.5cm and was perhaps the First World War`s best automatic rifle, the pioneer of the russian/soviet automatic rifles for the next world war. But the work was slow, the russian administration not so good and the production was in many troubles- only a few companies had Avtomat something the 189th Ismailsky infantry regiment`s one company in october 1916. Only 200 guns was made by February 1920. Had the russians good administration for rearmament and a industry with few troubles for war economy will the Avtomat be in great numbers.
Germans had the Bergman MP18,1 submachinegun "M1918", is known of us in the days- but the MP18 was not only ONE submachinegun, that is other designs too. The storm troopers use not only MP18, but too a version of the Lange Pistol 08 something a pistol with butt on and a drum magazine with 38 rounds. LP08 was not so popular as MP18. Over 80.000 drum magazines for LP08 was made in 1916-1918. The Mauser pistol was too in the use with "big" magazines on 20 rounds- as the version 7.92mm Mauser-Selbstlade-Pistole C96 with butt and frame. MP18, LP08 and Mauser C96 was "submachineguns" for the storm troopers.
Germans as russians too wanted semi-automatic rifles and come up with a few designs in the time before and under the First World War, the first was from 1898, these was for complicated to use for the military. In the war use the germans 7.9mm Mauser Selbstlade-Gewehr Modell 15, a gun from the C06/09 prototype with 10 or 20 rounds magazines. But the rifle was no success and be replaced of Mondragon FSK15 "Flieger-Selbstladekarabiner", a gas-operated auto-lader. 3.000 was made in the Switzerland and sold to Germany after Mexico ( as ordred the design ) come in a civil war from 1911. Mauser M15 and FSK15 was not good for use on the Western Front and be only send to the German Navy. Mondragon FSK15 use 30 rounds drum magazine. A last try was the 7.9mm Mauser-Gewehr 18 as only a version of Mauser Gewehr 98, but short and with magazines on 25 rounds as a "trench carbine". MP18 submachinegun stopped all work on semi-automatic rifles.
The semi-automatic rifles was only in prototype basis in the First World War but the Avtomat was perhaps the best. MP18 was not single classic submachinegun, italians have a crazy weapon, 9mm Villar-Perosa "ultra-light machine-gun" with two barrels and two magazines, is the first of the Beretta submachineguns in the history. USA had the known .30 Browning Automatic Rifle/machine-gun, "BAR", 102.155 was made in 1919. France has too semi-automatic designs, 7mm Fusil Automatique A6 "Meunier", 8mm Mle1917 RSC rifle, Mle1918 RSC rifle- the magazine only on 5 rounds.
The war was a place of test of many innovations before the time for the new weapons and a few come to great use.
