When the United States needed to fight on the battlefields in Europe and the Pacific, it needed reliable rifles in the hands of its troops. For this reason, the US developed many options, each with its own different capabilities, to ensure US troops could win any fight, no matter what kind of environment they were fighting in.
Were New Rifles Common?
It depends on the country as to whether they’d field new weapons. Countries like the United States didn’t suffer the same setbacks as England or France in the wake of the First World War. As such, going into the war with newly developed weapons was a matter of cost.
Did Rifles Win Battles?
The rifle seems somewhat piddling compared to artillery, air support, and naval bombardment. However, the men on the ground with rifles held objectives for extended periods.
Were Assault Rifles Used During WW2?
There were prototypes and some concepts like the Sturmgewehr 44. However, these weren’t widespread. The first real war to see the use of assault rifles would come in the form of the proxy wars that came about as a consequence of the Cold War.
Were There Sniper Rifles in WW2?
To an extent, yes. Sniper rifles were essentially modified stock service rifles, usually picked for accuracy and precision. Purpose-built sniper rifles weren’t available just yet.
Were Anti-Tank Rifles Common?
At the beginning of the war, very much so. However, by 1943, there wasn’t an effective means of disabling a tank with a rifle, so the rise of shaped charges and disposable launchers made for more effective anti-tank capabilities for infantry.
What Was the Role of the Rifleman in WW2?
That depends on the country. At its core, the rifleman is the most basic infantry unit. They would be used for holding firing lines and seizing objectives and were present at all levels of ground-based warfare. However, the doctrine behind riflemen would differ based on the operational needs of their country of origin.
63. Model 1889 Schmidt-Rubin
- Year entered service: 1890
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Switzerland
- Action: Manually actuated straight-pull bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 7.5×53.5mm Swiss & 5-,6-, or 12-round detachable box magazine
62. Rifle Model 1890 (Turkish Mauser)
- Year entered service: 1890
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Turkey
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 7.65x53mm Turkish Mauser; 8x57mm & 5-round internal magazine
61. Mosin-Nagant Model 1891
- Year entered service: 1891
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Russia
- Action: Manual bolt-action
- Caliber & feed: 7.62x54mmR; 7.62x53mmR; 7.92x57mm Mauser & 5-round integral magazine
60. Carcano Modello 1891 (M91)
- Year entered service: 1892
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle / infantry carbine
- Country of origin: Italy
- Action: Manually-operated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 6.5x52mm Mannlicher-Carcano; 7.35x51mm Carcano; 7.92x57mm Mauser & 6-round internal magazine
59. Krag-Jorgensen Model 1894
- Year entered service: 1894
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Norway
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 6.5x55mm M94 Norwegian Krag & 5-round integral magazine
58. Marlin Model 1894
- Year entered service: 1894
- Type: Carbine rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated lever-action system
- Caliber & feed: .32-20 Winchester; .32 HR Magnum; .38 Spc & 6-,9-, or 10-round tubular magazine
57. Winchester Model 1894
- Year entered service: 1894
- Type: Lever-action rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated lever-action
- Caliber & feed: .30-30 Winchester & 6- or 8-round tubular magazine
56. Lee-Enfield
- Year entered service: 1895
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Action: Manually-operated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .303 MK VII SAA Ball & 10-round detachable box magazine
55. Mannlicher Model 1895
- Year entered service: 1895
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Austria-Hungary
- Action: Manually-actuated straight-pull bolt; repeating
- Caliber & feed: 8x50R Mannlicher & 5-round integral magazine
54. Mauser Model 1898 (Gew 98)
- Year entered service: 1898
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt mechanism
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x57mm Mauser & 5-round clip with fixed integral magazine
53. Arisaka Type 30
- Year entered service: 1899
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle/infantry carbine
- Country of origin: Japan
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 6.5x50mm Arisaka; .303 British & 5-round internal magazine
52. Mondragon Rifle (Fusil Mondragon)
- Year entered service: 1900
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Mexico
- Action: Gas-operated; rotating bolt; also manual bolt-action
- Caliber & feed: 7x57mm Mauser & 8-,10-, or 20-round box; or 100-round drum magazine
51. Mannlicher-Schonauer Model 1903
- Year entered service: 1903
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Greece
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schonauer & 5-round rotating magazine
50. Springfield Model 1903 (M1903)
- Year entered service: 1903
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle/sniper rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .30-03; .30-06 Springfield & 5-round internal magazine
49. Model 1904 Vergueiro-Mauser
- Year entered service: 1904
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Portugal
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 6.5x58mm Vergueiro; 7x57mm Mauser & 5-round internal magazine
48. Arisaka Type 38
- Year entered service: 1905
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle/infantry carbine
- Country of origin: Japan
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 6.5x50mm Arisaka; .303 British & 5-round internal magazine
47. Ross Rifle
- Year entered service: 1905
- Type: Straight-pull bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Canada
- Action: Manual pull, bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .303 British & 5-round magazine
46. Arisaka Type 44 Cavalry Rifle
- Year entered service: 1912
- Type: Carbine service weapon
- Country of origin: Japan
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 6.5x50mm Arisaka; .303 British & 5-round internal magazine
45. Enfield Pattern 1914
- Year entered service: 1914
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle/sniper rifle
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .303 British & 5-round stripper clips
44. Fedorov Avtomat M1916
- Year entered service: 1915
- Type: Automatic rifle
- Country of origin: Russia
- Action: Short-recoil; locked breech; closed bolt; select-fire
- Caliber & feed: 6.5x50mmSR Arisaka & 25-round detachable box magazine
43. Winchester Model 1915
- Year entered service: 1915
- Type: Lever-action rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Lever-action; repeat fire
- Caliber & feed: 7.62x54mmR & 5-round internal magazine
42. Fusil Automatique Modele 1817 (Model 1917 RSC)
- Year entered service: 1917
- Type: Semi-automatic rifle/bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: France
- Action: Gas-operated; rotating belt
- Caliber & feed: 8x50mmR Lebel & 5-round internal magazine
41. M1917 Enfield
- Year entered service: 1917
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 7.62x63mm (.30-06 Springfield) & 6-round magazine
40. Browning M1918 BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle)
- Year entered service: 1918
- Type: Light machine gun
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Gas-operated piston; open-bolt; selective fire
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield & 20-round detachable box magazine
39. Carl-Gustav m/21-m37
- Year entered service: 1921
- Type: Light machine gun
- Country of origin: Sweden
- Action: Gas-operated; tilting breach block
- Caliber & feed: 6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser & 20-round detachable box magazine
38. Springfield Model 1922
- Year entered service: 1922
- Type: Bolt-action training rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .22LR & 5-round internal magazine
37. Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 24
- Year entered service: 1924
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Czechoslovakia
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x57mm Mauser; 7.57mm Mauser; 7.65x53mm Argentine & 5-round integral magazine
36. CZ Model 1924 (Mauser) Short Rifle
- Year entered service: 1924
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Guatemala
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 7x57mm Mauser & 5-round internal magazine
35. ZH-29
- Year entered service: 1929
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Czechoslovakia
- Action: Semi-automatic; gas-operated
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x57mm Mauser & 5-,10-, or 20-round detachable box magazine
34. Fabrique Nationale FN M1930 (BAR)
- Year entered service: 1930
- Type: Light machine gun
- Country of origin: Belgium
- Action: Gas-operated; tilting breach block
- Caliber & feed: 7.65x53mm Belgian Mauser & 20-round detachable box magazine
33. Fabrique Nationale FN Mle D (BAR)
- Year entered service: 1932
- Type: Light machine gun
- Country of origin: Belgium
- Action: Gas-operated; tilting breech block
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x57mm Belgian Mauser; .30-06 Springfield; 7.62x51mm NATO & 20-round detachable box magazine
32. FEG 35M (Mannlicher M1935)
- Year entered service: 1935
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Hungary
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 8x56mmR Hungarian Mannlicher; 7.92x57mm Mauser & 5-round internal magazine
31. Kb wz.35 (Marosczek)
- Year entered service: 1935
- Type: Anti-tank rifle / anti-material rifle
- Country of origin: Poland
- Action: Manually-operated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x107mm DS & 4-round detachable box magazine
30. Mauser Karabiner Kar 98k
- Year entered service: 1935
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Bolt-action
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x57mm Mauser & 5-round internal magazine
29. Type 24 (Chiang Kai-Shek Rifle)
- Year entered service: 1935
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Taiwan
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action; repeat-fire
- Caliber & feed: 8x57mm IS (7.92x57mm Mauser) & 5-round internal magazine
28. M1 Garand
- Year entered service: 1936
- Type: Battle rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Self-loading; gas-action piston
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield & 8-round internal clip
27. MAS 36 (modele 36 / mle 36)
- Year entered service: 1936
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: France
- Action: Manually-operated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 7.5x54mm & 5-round internal magazine
26. Winchester Model 70
- Year entered service: 1936
- Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield & 3-,4-, or 5-round box magazine
25. Arisaka Type 97
- Year entered service: 1937
- Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
- Country of origin: Japan
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 6.5x50mm Arisaka; .303 British & 5-round internal magazine
24. Boys 0.55in
- Year entered service: 1937
- Type: Anti-tank rifle / anti-material rifle
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Action: Manually-operated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 13.9mm (0.55 in) & 5-round detachable box magazine
23. Panzerbuchse 38 (PzB 38)
- Year entered service: 1938
- Type: Anti-tank rifle / anti-material rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Single-shot; manually-actuated bolt-action
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x94mm Patronen & Single shot
22. Solothurn S18-100
- Year entered service: 1938
- Type: Bullpup anti-tank rifle / anti-material rifle
- Country of origin: Switzerland
- Action: Semi-automatic
- Caliber & feed: 20x105mmB; 20x138mmB Long & 5- or 10-round detachable box magazine
21. Tokarev SVT-38
- Year entered service: 1938
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Soviet Union
- Action: Self-loading; semi-automatic
- Caliber & feed: 7.62x54mmR Russian & 10-round detachable box magazine
20. Arisaka Type 99
- Year entered service: 1939
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle/infantry carbine
- Country of origin: Japan
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 7.7x58mm Arisaka & 5-round internal magazine
19. Panzerbuchse 39 (PzB 39)
- Year entered service: 1939
- Type: Anti-tank rifle / anti-material rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Single-shot; manually-actuated bolt-action
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x94mm Patronen & Single shot
18. Tokarev SVT-40
- Year entered service: 1940
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Soviet Union
- Action: Gas-operated, semi-automatic
- Caliber & feed: 7.62x54mmR & 10-round detachable box magazine
17. Degtyarev PTRD 1941
- Year entered service: 1941
- Type: Anti-tank rifle / anti-material rifle
- Country of origin: Soviet Union
- Action: Manually-operated bolt; semi-automatic breach
- Caliber & feed: 14.5x114mm & Single shot
16. Johnson Model 1941
- Year entered service: 1941
- Type: Semi-automatic rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Semi-automatic; short-recoil; rotating bolt
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield; 7x57mm Mauser & 10-round cylindrical magazine
15. Remington Model 1903 (Springfield)
- Year entered service: 1941
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Manually-actuated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: .30-06 Springfield & 5-round stripper clips
14. Walther Gewehr 41 (G41 / Gew 41)
- Year entered service: 1941
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Gas-operated; semi-automatic
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x57mm Mauser & 10-round integral box magazine
13. Carl-Gustav m/42
- Year entered service: 1942
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Sweden
- Action: Gas-operated; direct impingement
- Caliber & feed: 6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser; 7.92x57mm; 7.62x39mm Soviet’ & 10-round detachable box magazine; 5-round stripper clips
12. Charlton Automatic Rifle
- Year entered service: 1942
- Type: Semi-automatic rifle / light machine gun
- Country of origin: New Zealand
- Action: Gas-operated; semi/full-automatic fire
- Caliber & feed: .303 British & 10- or 30-round detachable box magazine
11. Fallschirmjagergewehr 42 (FG42 / FjG42)
- Year entered service: 1942
- Type: Automatic rifle / light machine gun
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Gas-operated; select fire
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x57mm Mauser & 10- or 20-round detachable box
10. M1 Carbine
- Year entered service: 1942
- Type: Semi-automatic / full-automatic carbine
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Gas-operated, short-stroke piston; semi-automatic
- Caliber & feed: 30 M1 Carbine & 15- or 30-round detachable box magazine
9. Sturmgewehr 44 (StG44) / Maschinenpistole 44 (MP44)
- Year entered service: 1942
- Type: Assault rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Gas-operated; locked-breech; tilting bolt; select-fire
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x33mm Kurz & 30-round detachable box magazine
8. Walther Gewehr 43 (G43 / Gew 43)
- Year entered service: 1943
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Gas-operated; semi-automatic
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x57mm Mauser & 10-round integral box magazine
7. Arisaka Type 4 / Type 5
- Year entered service: 1944
- Type: Semi-automatic service rifle
- Country of origin: Japan
- Action: Self-loading; gas-operated; rotating belt
- Caliber & feed: 7.7x58mm Arisaka & 10-round integral magazine
6. M2 Carbine
- Year entered service: 1944
- Type: Select-fire automatic carbine
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Selective-fire (semi/full-automatic) capability; gas-operated, short-stroke piston
- Caliber & feed: 30 M1 Carbine & 15- or 30-round detachable box magazine
5. M3 Carbine
- Year entered service: 1944
- Type: Sniper carbine rifle
- Country of origin: United States
- Action: Selective-fire (semi/full-automatic) capability; gas-operated, short-stroke piston
- Caliber & feed: 30 M1 Carbine & 15- or 30-round detachable box magazine
4. Gustloff Volkssturmgewehr
- Year entered service: 1945
- Type: Semi-automatic rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Semi-automatic; gas-delayed blowback
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x33mm Kurz & 30-round detachable box magazine
3. Simonov SKS
- Year entered service: 1945
- Type: Semi-automatic carbine
- Country of origin: Soviet Union
- Action: Self-loading short-stroke gas piston
- Caliber & feed: 7.62x39mm M1943 & 10-round internal box magazine
2. Sturmgewehr 45 (StG45) / Maschinenpistole 45 (MP45)
- Year entered service: 1945
- Type: Assault rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Gas-operated; locked-breech; tilting bolt; select-fire
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x33mm Kurz & 10- or 30-round detachable box magazine
1. Volkssturmgewehr VG
- Year entered service: 1945
- Type: Bolt-action service rifle
- Country of origin: Germany
- Action: Manually-operated bolt-action system
- Caliber & feed: 7.92x57mm Kurz & 10-round detachable box magazine
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