Service rifle

The service rifle (also known as standard-issue rifle) of a given army or armed force is that which it issues as standard to its soldiers. In modern forces, this is typically a highly versatile and rugged assault rifle suitable for use in nearly all theatres and environments. Service rifles are also often selected for their upgradability (e.g. the addition of underslung grenade launchers, sights, flashlights, laser sights, etc).

Although certain weapons issued to special forces units are rarely considered 'service weapons' in the truest sense, certain specialist rifles and submachine guns are categorized as such if issued as per standard operating procedures upon entering special environments or scenarios. These may include urban warfare (FIBUA/MOUT) and jungle warfare environments.

Most armies also have service pistols/side arms.

History

The bolt-action M1903 Springfield was used as the USA's service rifle until 1936, when it was replaced by the gas-operated M1 Garand.

Originally, rifles used in combat were not standard-issue weapons like the service rifles of today. Rifles were for specialist marksmen only, whilst the ordinary infantry were issued less accurate smoothbore muskets which had a higher rate of fire, with bore diameters as high as 19 mm, or 0.75 inch. By the middle of the 19th century, however, rifles were becoming more and more common on the battlefield, with the muskets being phased out. Originally, these combat rifles were single-shot muzzleloading weapons, but as technology advanced through the 18th and 19th centuries, so too did the technique of loading rounds. First, breech-loading firearms, like the Prussian Needle gun of the mid-18th century came to prominence, which then evolved into repeating weapons, such as the bolt-action Mosin-Nagant rifle used by Imperial Russia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the Soviet Union in the Second World War. By this time almost all prominent armies in the world had some sort of standard service rifle. During the Second World War, there was yet another leap forward in rifle design which was to influence service rifles even today. That is, the use of a fired cartridge's gas emissions to automatically rechamber rounds into the breech once a bullet had been fired, as well as expelling the old cartridge. These weapons were known as gas-operated firearms. Some of the earliest examples of these were most prominent in the Second World War, and were usually semi automatic, such as the American-made M1 Garand, first brought into service with the United States in 1936. These "battle rifles", as they were called, usually fired a "full-sized" (as opposed to an intermediate) rifle cartridge, such as the .30-06 Springfield or .303 British. Another type of commonly-issued rifle which was to become well known during this time was the assault rifle, a (usually) fully-automatic rifle firing a lighter "intermediate" cartridge, as opposed to the full-sized cartridges used by battle rifles. The first of these was the Sturmgewehr 44, used by Nazi Germany in the later stages of the Second World War. The StG44 was not issued in large numbers, and was never adopted as Germany's service rifle. However, this weapon was to serve as the precursor to other assault rifles such as the Soviet AK-47, the American M-16, the Belgian FN FAL, the German G3 and the Swiss Sturmgewehr 57, which today supersede battle rifles as the service rifle of choice for militaries the world over.

Service rifles by nation

Belgium

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
FN Mauser M1889	Bolt-action	7.65x 53mm Belgian Mauser	1889-1940
FN Mauser M1936	Bolt-action	7.65x 53mm Belgian Mauser	1936-1949
FN SAFN-49	Semi-automatic	.30-06 Springfield	1949-1956
FN FAL	Selective fire	7.62x51mm NATO	1953-1979
FN FNC	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1979-present

China

Chinese SKS rifle

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
Hanyang Type 88	Bolt-action	7.92x57mm Mauser	1895-1947
Chiang Kai-shek rifle	Bolt-action	7.92x57mm Mauser	1935-1952
Type 53 Carbine	Bolt-action	7.62x54R	1953-1976
SKS	Semi-automatic	7.62x39mm	1956-1989
Type 56	Selective fire	7.62x39mm	1956-1986
Type 81	Selective fire	7.62x39mm	1981-Present
QBZ-95	Selective fire	5.8x42mm	1995-Present

South Korea

K2 Assault rifle

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
M16	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	197?-Present
Daewoo K1	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1981-Present
Daewoo K2	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1984-Present

France

FAMAS bullpup assault rifle

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
Chassepot M1866	Bolt-action	11mm	1866-1874
Gras M1874	Bolt-action	11mm	1874-1886
Lebel M1886	Bolt-action	8 mm Lebel	1886-1940
MAS-36	Bolt-action	7.5x54 French	1936-1978
MAS-49	Semi-automatic	7.5x54 French	1949-1979
FAMAS	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1978-Present

Germany

G36 rifle

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
Needle gun	Breech loading	15.4mm	1848-1871
M1871 Mauser	Bolt-action	11x60mm R	1871-1888
Model 1888 Commission Rifle	Bolt-action	7.92x57mm Mauser	1888-1915
Gewehr 98	Bolt-action	7.92x57mm Mauser	1898-1935
Mauser Kar 98k	Bolt-action	7.92x57mm Mauser	1935-1955
Sturmgewehr 44	Selective fire	7.92 x 33 mm	1944-1955
FN FAL	Selective fire	7.62x51mm NATO	1955-1965 (West Germany)
MPi-K	Selective fire	7.62x39mm	1955-1990 (East Germany)
Heckler & Koch G3	Selective fire	7.62x51mm NATO	1958-~2006
Heckler & Koch G36	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1995-Present

Israel

IMI Galil assault rifle

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
Lee-Enfield No 4	Bolt-action	.303 British	1948-1958
Mauser Kar98k	Bolt-action	7.92x57mm Mauser	1948-1958
FN FAL	Selective fire	7.62x51mm NATO	1955-1974
Galil AR	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1974-present
M16	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1974-present
Tavor TAR-21	Selective Fire	5.56x45mm NATO	2002-present

Italy

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
Carcano	Bolt-action	6.5 x 52 Mannlicher-Carcano	1892-1950
M1 Garand	Semi-automatic	.30-06 Springfield	1945-1959
Beretta BM-59	Selective fire	7.62x51mm NATO	1959-1990
Beretta AR70/90	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1972-present

Japan

Arisaka Type 38 rifle

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
Murata rifle	Bolt-action	10x60R	1880-1898
Arisaka Type 38	Bolt-action	6.5mm Arisaka	1898-1945
Arisaka Type 99	Bolt-action	7.7mm Arisaka	1939-1945
M1 Garand	Semi-automatic	.30-06 Springfield	1945-1964
Howa Type 64	Selective fire	7.62x51mm NATO	1964-Present
Howa Type 89	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1989-Present

Mexico

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
Heckler & Koch G3	Selective fire	7.62 x 51 mm NATO	1965-Present(Slowly Replaced by FX-05 Xiuhcoatl)
M-16	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1971-Present
Heckler & Koch G36	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1999-Present
FX-05 Xiuhcoatl	Selective fire	5.56 x 45 mm NATO	2006-Present

Norway

A collection of Norwegian rifles from the Fram museum. Showing from the top:Krag-Jørgensen (civilian M1894 with carved stock), Krag-Petersson, Jarmann M1884, Remington M1867

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
Kammerlader	Breech-loading	Minié ball	1842-1870
Remington M1867	Rolling block	12.17x44mm	1867-1908
Jarmann M1884	Bolt-action	10.15x61mm	1884-1900
Krag-Jørgensen M1894	Bolt-action	6.5x55mm	1894-1940
Lee-Enfield No 4	Bolt-action	.303 British	1940-1952
Mauser M98	Bolt-action	7.92x57mm Mauser	1945-1950
Selvladegevær M1	Semi-Automatic	.30-06 Springfield	1950-Present (limited use for drill/display)
AG-3	Selective fire	7.62x51mm NATO	1966-Present
Heckler & Koch HK416	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	Being issued from 2008

Portugal

G3 rifle

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
Enfield m/1859	Percussion cap	14mm Minié	1859-1872
Snider-Enfield m/1872	Breech-loading	14mm Snider	1872-1910 (after 1886 limited use with colonial troops)
Kropatchek m/1886	Bolt-action	8x60mm Guedes	1886-1961 (after 1904 limited use with colonial troops)
Mauser-Vergueiro m/1904	Bolt-action	6.5x58mm Vergueiro	1904-1937
Mauser m/937	Bolt-action	7.92x57mm Mauser	1937-Present (limited use for drill/display in the GNR)
G3 m/961	Selective fire	7.62x51mm NATO	1961-Present

Russia/Soviet Union

AK-47 assault rifle

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
Berdan rifle	Bolt-action	10.75x58mm	1869-1891
Mosin-Nagant	Bolt-action	7.62x54R	1891-1963
SKS	Semi-automatic	7.62x39mm	1945-1989
AK-47	Selective fire	7.62x39mm	1949-Present
AK-74	Selective fire	5.45x39mm	1974-Present

Spain

G36 rifle

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
M1893 Mauser	Bolt-action	7x57 Mauser	1893-1945
Coruña 42	Bolt-action	7.92x57mm Mauser	1942-1958
CETME	Selective fire	7.62x51mm NATO	1958-1997
Heckler & Koch G36	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	2000-Present

Switzerland

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
Vetterli rifle	Bolt-action	10.4x38Rmm Rimfire	1869-1890
Schmidt-Rubin	Bolt-action	7.5x55mm Schmidt Rubin	1889-1957
Sturmgewehr 57	Selective fire	7.5x55mm Schmidt Rubin	1957-1990
Sturmgewehr 90	Selective fire	Gewehr Patrone 90	1990-Present

United Kingdom/British Empire & Commonwealth of Nations

Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III rifle

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
Ferguson rifle	Breech-loading	.650 Ball	1776
Baker rifle	Flintlock	.615 Ball	1801-1837
Brunswick rifle	Percussion cap	.704 Ball	1837-1851
Pattern 1853 Enfield	Percussion cap	.577 Ball	1853-1867
Snider-Enfield	Breech-loading	.577 Snider	1866-1901
Martini-Henry	Falling block	.577/450 Martini-Henry	1871-1918
Lee-Metford	Bolt-action	.303 British	1888-1926
Lee-Enfield	Bolt-action	.303 British	1895-Present (limited use)
L1A1 SLR	Semi-automatic	7.62x51mm NATO	1956-Present
SA-80	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1985-Present
Austeyr (Australian version of the Steyr AUG)	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1987-Present

United States of America

M-16A1 rifle

Firearm	Type	Calibre	Service
Kentucky Rifle	Flintlock	.69 Ball	1776-1795
Springfield Model 1795	Flintlock	.69 Ball	1795-1816
Springfield Model 1816	Flintlock	.69 Ball	1816-1835
M1819 Hall rifle	Falling block	.69 Ball	1820
Springfield Model 1835	Flintlock	.67 Ball	1835-1842
Springfield Model 1842	Percussion cap	.58 Minié	1842-1855
Springfield Model 1855	Percussion cap	.58 Minié	1855-1861
Sharps rifle	Falling block	.50-70 Government	1850-1881
Springfield Model 1861	Percussion cap	.58 Minié	1861-1873
Springfield Model 1873	Breech-loading	.45-70 Government	1873-1886
Krag-Jørgensen	Bolt-action	.30-40 Krag	1894-1903
Springfield M1903	Bolt-action	.30-06 Springfield	1903-1957
M1917 Enfield	Bolt-action	.30-06 Springfield	1917-1943
M1 Garand	Semi-automatic	.30-06 Springfield	1936-1963
M14	Selective fire	7.62x51mm NATO	1957-Present
M16	Selective fire	5.56x45mm NATO	1961-Present

See also

• Rifle
• Battle rifle
• List of assault rifles
• List of service rifles of national armies