Which of the five permanent members of the new generation of standard rifles is the strongest?

As the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China, the United States, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom are among the most powerful military countries in the world, and their military equipment is also the focus of attention of all countries. Rifles are the most basic and important type of individual weapon, and their performance, design, and technology reflect the military philosophy and strategic needs of various countries. In recent years, all five countries have successively launched a new generation of standard rifles to adapt to the changes and challenges of modern warfare. So, what are the characteristics and advantages of these new-generation standard rifles? What are the differences and contrasts between them? Today, we will take stock of the new-generation standard rifles of these five countries and see which one is the strongest.

UK L85A3

The new generation of standard rifles in the United Kingdom is the L85A3, which is an upgraded stockless assault rifle based on the earlier L85A2 by the British subsidiary of Heklekoch in Germany. On the basis of maintaining the original stockless layout, the gun has added a new grip attachment and Picatinny rails that are more ergonomic, as well as a quadruple optical sight and other components to improve handling and reliability. The gun uses a short pneumatic piston and a short bolt shot, fires 5.56 by 45 mm standard ammunition, is equipped with a 30-round detachable plastic magazine, can achieve semi-automatic and full-speed two modes of shooting, muzzle velocity of 900 meters per second, maximum rate of fire per minute 650 rounds, effective range of about 500 meters. The gun is the latest member of the British SA80 gun family and is currently gradually replacing the L85A2 as the new workhorse assault rifle of the British Army.

The advantages of L85A3 are:

• The stockless design makes the gun shorter, making it easy to carry and shoot, especially in urban and close-quarters combat.
• The use of advanced technology and materials from Heklerkoch in Germany has increased the durability and reliability of the firearm, reducing the possibility of breakdowns and jamming.
• Equipped with a variety of attachments and sights, it improves the adaptability and accuracy of the firearm, and can cope with different battlefield environments and targets.

The disadvantages of the L85A3 are:

• The stockless design allows the center of gravity of the gun body to be forward, which increases the fatigue and recoil of the shooter, and reduces the stability and comfort of shooting.
• The use of NATO standard 5.56 mm ammunition, although conducive to the unification and supply of ammunition, but also sacrificed a certain power and penetration, not suitable for long-distance and heavily armored targets.
• At the moment the gun is used only by part of the troops and special forces, and has not completely replaced the old model L85A2.

Russian AK12

Russia's new standard rifle is the AK12, a modern assault rifle developed by Russia's Tarlashnikov Group around 2010. The gun is the standard weapon of Russia's modern individual combat system, it is developed from the AK74 prototype, the appearance still maintains the traditional AK layout, and a large number of new technologies and ergonomics, such as the addition of Picatinny rails, retractable butt and muzzle flame suppression aircraft, etc., whether it is operating comfort, shooting accuracy or reliability and other aspects have been further improved. The gun uses 5.45 by 39 mm steel core ammunition, standard 30 rounds of detachable double-row magazines or four rows of 60 rounds, 95 rounds of magazines, can achieve three rounds, two rounds of burst fire and fully automatic three modes of shooting, muzzle velocity of 880 ~ 900 meters per second, maximum rate of fire per minute 780, effective range of 600 meters. The gun entered service in 2014 and in total was armed with at least 80 thousand units.

The advantages of AK12 are:

• It maintains the classic design of the AK series, inherits its excellent reliability and durability, and can work normally in a variety of harsh environments and conditions, not afraid of water, mud, sand, snow, etc.
• The use of 5.45 mm steel core ammunition, with high muzzle velocity and penetration, can effectively hit the enemy's body armor and light armor, and also has good ballistic performance and lethality, can cause serious trauma and blood loss to the enemy.
• Equipped with a variety of magazines and attachments, it improves the firepower and adaptability of the firearm, which can be adjusted and combined according to different tasks and needs to meet different tactical and technical requirements.

The disadvantages of AK12 are:

• The traditional structure of the AK series was maintained, which led to its heavier weight and larger volume, which increased the burden and inconvenience for the shooter, especially in urban and close-quarters combat.
• Although the use of 5.45 mm ammunition of Soviet caliber is conducive to the unification and supply of ammunition, it also limits its compatibility and interchangeability with international markets and standards, and is not conducive to its export and promotion.
• Due to the economic and political problems of Russia, the number and speed of the armament of the gun are not ideal, and at the moment it is used only by part of the troops and special forces, and has not completely replaced the old model AK74.

FR HK416F

France's new generation of standard rifle is the HK416F, which is a modern assault rifle customized by the German company Hekle for the French Army, mainly used to replace the Famas Wuto assault rifle installed since 1979. The gun is a French-French version of the HK416 of the German company Hecklekoch, and at the moment there are two compact versions specifically for special forces, in addition to the standard version for use in conventional forces. The standard HK416FS has a total length of 830~930 mm and an empty weight of 3.7 kg, while the compact HK416FC has a total length of 740~840 mm and a weight of 3.45 kg. The two can not only fire all 5.56 mm NATO standard ammunition, but also equipped with a red dot sight and a French FAMAS machine gun, a 2000 bayonet and a 30-round detachable magazine, with a muzzle velocity of 880 meters per second, a maximum rate of fire of 700~900 rounds per minute, and an effective range of more than 500 meters. The French Army's full rearmament of individual weapons began in June 2017 and will end in 2028, with a total order of 17,000 units, and by 2022, nearly 60,000 units have been delivered.

The advantages of HK416F are:

• The advanced technology and materials of the German Heklekoch are adopted, which improves the reliability and accuracy of the firearm, reduces the possibility of failure and jamming, and can work normally in a variety of harsh environments and conditions, not afraid of water, mud, sand, snow, etc.
• It adopts NATO standard 5.56 mm ammunition, which has high muzzle velocity and penetration, can effectively hit the enemy's body armor and light armor, and also has good ballistic performance and lethality, which can cause serious trauma and blood loss to the enemy.
• Equipped with a variety of accessories and sights, it improves the adaptability and accuracy of the firearm, can cope with different battlefield environments and targets, and meets different tactical and technical requirements.

The disadvantages of HK416F are:

• The use of the traditional pallet structure led to its heavier weight and larger volume, which increased the burden and inconvenience for the shooter, especially in urban and close-quarters combat.
• The use of ammunition and magazines different from those of the Famas, which led to its incompatibility and interchangeability with other weapons in service in France, was not conducive to the unification and replenishment of ammunition, and also increased the pressure and cost of logistics.
• Due to the limited military budget of France, the number and speed of equipment of the gun is not ideal, and at the moment it is used only by part of the troops and special forces, and it has not completely replaced the old model of Famas.

Chinese QBZ191

China's new generation of standard rifle is the QBZ191, which is a modern assault rifle developed by the 208 Research Institute of North China Industry in 2014. The gun has abandoned the supportless layout of the Type 95 gun family, and returned to the traditional supportive structure, which has made great progress in terms of appearance and man-machine function. It adopts the principle of air conduction automatic, the piston short-stroke automatic mode and the gun swing mechanism. The main models are divided into QBU1913 types: the long-barreled assault type QBZ191, the short-barreled carbine type QBV192 and the precision shooter type, with barrel lengths of about 360, 260 and 550 mm, respectively. The assault version is equipped with a full-length piccatini rail and is equipped with a triple optical sight, firing 5.8 by 42 mm penetrating ammunition, equipped with a 30-round detachable magazine, a maximum rate of fire of 750 rounds per minute, and an effective range of more than 400 meters. The gun made its debut in the 2019 National Day parade, and is expected to replace the 95-style gun family in the future and become a new generation of standard rifles for our army.

The advantages of the QBZ191 are:

• The use of a support structure makes the center of gravity of the gun more balanced, reduces the fatigue and recoil of the shooter, and improves the stability and comfort of shooting, especially in long-range and accurate shooting.
• It adopts the 5.8 mm penetrating ammunition independently developed by the mainland, which has high power and penetration, can effectively hit the enemy's heavy armor and bunkers, and also has good ballistic performance and lethality, which can cause fatal injuries and explosion injuries to the enemy.
• Equipped with a variety of attachments and sights, the firepower and adaptability of the firearm are improved, which can be adjusted and combined according to different tasks and needs to meet different tactical and technical requirements.

The disadvantages of the QBZ191 are:

• The use of ammunition and magazines different from those of the Type 95 has led to its incompatibility and interchangeability with other weapons in service on the mainland, which is not conducive to the unification and supply of ammunition, and also increases the pressure and cost of logistics.
• Although the use of 5.8 mm ammunition unique to the mainland is conducive to the mainland's military independence and autonomy, it also restricts its compatibility and interchangeability with international markets and standards, and is not conducive to its export and promotion.
• At the moment it is used only by part of the troops and special forces, and there is no complete replacement for the old Model 95.

American XM7

The new generation of standard rifles in the United States is the XM7, which is a modern assault rifle specially developed by the famous firearms manufacturer Hig Sauer to participate in the U.S. Army's next-generation squad weapons program. The gun was developed on the basis of the MCXB and was intended to replace the M4 series assault guns in service with the US military. The gun features a short-stroke gas-guided piston and is equipped with a silencer and a free-floating reinforced M Luc handguard with a retractable folding stock, as well as an XM157 individual fire control targeting system that allows the soldier to shoot at every shot, improving accuracy while also providing greater strike energy to the target.

The gun was 914 mm long, the barrel was 330 mm long, and the empty gun weighed 3.8 kilograms, plus the silencer and 20 rounds magazine, for a total weight of 5.1 kilograms. Using 6.8 by 51 mm new intermediate ammunition, equipped with 20~25 rounds of detachable plastic magazine, it can realize single shots, continuous two modes of shooting, muzzle speed of 1200 meters per second, rate of fire per minute of 800 rounds, effective range of more than 600 meters. After 27 months of evaluation and testing, the gun was selected by the U.S. military in 2022 as a new generation of standard weapons, and the first batch of 107,000 units was purchased, which will be prioritized for front-line combat units.

The advantages of the XM7 are:

• The use of Higsauer's advanced technology and materials improves the reliability and accuracy of firearms, reduces the possibility of failure and jamming, and can work normally in a variety of harsh environments and conditions, not afraid of water, mud, sand, snow, etc.
• The new 6.8 mm intermediate ammunition is adopted, which has high power and penetration, can effectively hit the enemy's heavy armor and bunkers, and also has good ballistic performance and lethality, which can cause fatal injuries and explosive injuries to the enemy.
• Equipped with XM157 individual fire control and aiming system, the accuracy and efficiency of the firearm are improved, and the shooting parameters can be automatically adjusted according to the distance and movement state of the target, so as to achieve the effect of 100 shots and 100 hits, and greatly improve the survival and combat ability of soldiers.

The disadvantages of the XM7 are:

• The use of ammunition and magazines different from those of the M4 has led to its incompatibility and interchangeability with other weapons in service with the US military, which is not conducive to the unification and replenishment of ammunition, and also increases the pressure and cost of logistics.
• The use of 6.8 mm ammunition, although it is beneficial to improve the striking ability, also increases the weight and recoil of the firearm, and reduces the comfort and stability of the shooter, especially in burst mode.
• Due to the military budget and political problems of the United States, the number and speed of equipment of the gun are not ideal, and at the moment it is used only by part of the troops and special forces, and it has not completely replaced the old model M4.

To sum up, the new generation of standard rifles of these five countries has its own characteristics and advantages, as well as shortcomings and defects, and the comparison and contrast between them is not a simple difference between victory and defeat, but a comprehensive evaluation and selection according to their respective military strategies and battlefield needs. From the point of view of technology and performance, the American XM7 may be the most advanced and powerful one, but it also faces the greatest challenges and difficulties, from the actual combat and equipment point of view, the Russian AK12 may be the most practical and reliable one, but it also lacks innovation and breakthroughs, in order to truly become the core of Russia's modern individual combat system, there are still many improvements and optimizations to do. In terms of development and potential, China's QBZ191 may be the most progressive and promising one, but it also has the problem of incompatibility and non-universality, and there are still many tests and verifications to be done in order to truly become a new generation of standard rifles in China.

In short, the new-generation standard rifles of these five countries are the embodiment of the military strength and technological level of each country, and their emergence and development are also a reflection of the changes and evolution of the world's military pattern and war pattern, and their future and destiny will also affect the direction and prospects of world peace and security. As ordinary observers and commentators, we can understand and learn from Xi military culture and technological characteristics of various countries, and we can also feel and think about the cruelty of war and the preciousness of peace, but we should not stimulate and satisfy the desires and fantasies of war from it, but should seek and advocate the ideas and ways of peace. #军事#