AUTOMATIC RIFLES The term "automatic" when applied to a weapon implies the continuance of fire without cessation, on the trigger being pressed. "Semi-automatic" implies the firing of not more than one round for each pull of the trigger. Accordingly, the former may be described as a self-firer, and the latter a self-loader. In both cases the operations of extracting and ejecting the fired round and reloading the next one are derived from the power of the explosion. For military purposes, the self-loader is the more suitable, as with the self-firer a great deal more ammunition will often be expended than the circumstances require and there will be difficulty in keeping the Arer supplied with ammunition. An automatic or semi-automatic rifle, to be carried by the soldier and handled like an ordinary military rifle, should not exceed about IQ lb. in weight.
The vibration and recoil of such a light weapon, during a "burst" of continuous fire, is such that it is impossible to hold the rifle so that the aim is maintained throughout. Thus, in practice, the first shot of the burst is the only one fired while the rifle is aimed on the mark, the rest being uselessly expended. In these circumstances the self-firer has no advantage over the self-loader and is more wasteful in ammunition. From the fore, going reasons it can be seen that though the terrn automatic rifle is used, the semi-automatic or self-loading rifle is the one usually intended. For such a rifle to rank as a complete offensive and
defensive weapon, as does the military rifle, it must take the same ammunition and give the same ballistic results. Also it should lend itself to effective use in close combat when fitted with a bayonet.
Though a great deal of work has been devoted over a number of years and in various countries to endeavouring to produce a really reliable weapon, no army has yet adopted this form of fire-arm, although Germany in the World War, made and used a certain number of the Mondragon rifle, which originated in Mexico. With all the experience now available, and the contin uance of experimental work and development, a really satisfactory weapon may perhaps become an accompusnea fact. Inc promern, however, is one of great difficulty because, while such a rifle has necessarily to be almost of the same weight as the military rifle, it has to comprise, in addition to the parts present in that rifle, the extra parts required for the automatic operations, and these, to be durable, must add appreciably to the weight. In the past, gas and recoil operating systems have been tried, and also special ammunition, but although inventions have been numerous no rifle of this nature has been found sufficiently free from defect to warrant its adoption.