Final

During the American Revolution and Civil War muskets were the most advanced weapons at the time. To the soldiers who fought with muskets, they were great weapons that the soldiers took pride in. The musket was eventually replaced with the bolt-action rifle during the First World War. The bolt-action rifle was the first rifle to fire multiple shots down range without reloading and the long range accuracy was unbelievable. Bolt-action rifles are still being used today as sniper rifles for military and recreational use. During the WWII though, a new weapon system called the assault rifle was invented therefore changing the face of gun forever. They first assault rifle was the Sturmgewehr 44 or the STG44. The STG44 was called the granddaddy of all assault rifles and for good reason to. It was the first of its kind and made a huge impact on the battle field. Branching off from the STG44 came the Kalashnikov Assault Rifle, more commonly know as the AK-47. The first AK-47 was made in 1947 and is still used today. It is known for its reliability and toughness and it rarely miss fires. The AK-47 holds the record for longest in-service weapon and will probably be used for years to come.

Guns today have come a long way from what they used to be. We started out with a single shot musket in which the bayonet was more feared than the bullet itself. But now a days it is hard to get close enough to stab anybody due to the range and effectiveness of today assault rifles. Assault rifles changed the face of war forever and gun manufactures keep finding ways to improve guns just about everyday.

Anniston Museum of Natural History

For my live-interaction I chose to go to the Anniston Museum of Natural History. Yes you are probably wondering why I chose a natural history museum. I chose it because it has a great museum set aside for wars that the United States was in and you cannot have a war without guns. The museum had all kinds of guns. It had everything from the first attempt at a gun which consisted of a barrel with a wick attached to it, to the guns used in WWII. Unfortunately since it was a history museum the tour did not get anymore current then WWII. But none the less I enjoyed getting to see first hand all the different kinds of weapons that were invented.

I really enjoyed going through the museum and seeing how guns came to be what they are today. I think that the museum helped put into perspective how far technology wise we have come when it comes to guns. To think we started with a single shot weapon that would barley hit its target a couple hundred feet away; to having guns now that can fire hundreds of bullets per minute accurately at a great distance.

Todays Assault Rifles

Today’s assault rifles are much more advanced now then when the STG44 was popular. The single most influential assault rifles are the AK-47. The AK47 has the well-deserved reputation as one of the most reliable battle rifles ever produced. There are currently over 30 million of these rifles in service around the world, making it the most widely distributed battle rifle. This firearm was designed by Russian inventor and soldier Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov.

The AK-47 is a great weapon used by just about every army or freedom fighter group. Ever since the AK was invented it has been a very effective killing weapon. The AK is the longest in-service weapon ever made. It is the “perfect gun” Mikhail Kalashnikov said.

Kander, Justin. "History of the AK-47." Articlesbase. ArticlesBase SC, 5/29/07. Web. 16 May 2010. .

Strumgrewehr 44 Assault Rifle

As stated in the video the STG44 was the “granddaddy of the modern assault rifle.” When it was first made Hitler wanted nothing to do with the weapon because he did not think that it was a necessity for his troops. The weapon was vetoed by Hitler but the men behind the weapon kept the weapons project going in secrecy. It was not until Hitler tested the gun for himself that he saw how outstanding the weapon was. It was then Hitler named the gun the Sturmgewehr or “Assault Rifle”.

I chose this video just to give you a little bit more information on the STG44. The STG44 made a huge difference on the battle field. It had perfect balance between the firepower power of a rifle and the fire rate of a submachine gun. The STG44 was truly the first great assault rifle.

"Sturmgewehr 44 Assault Rifle." YouTube. Web. 16 May 2010. .

First Assault Rifles

Many historians believe that the first assault rifle was the Sturmgewehr 44, otherwise known as the STG44. The Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifles were the outcome of the German need to provide infantrymen with heavier firepower from their rifles. Which before the STG44 were not effective in close range combat. Prior to this design, heavy fire power from infantry units were typically in the form of machine gun crews. The STG44 assault rifles were designed to resolve this issue as well, providing individual soldiers with greater fire power without needing to wait for machine gun crews to arrive and set up. “The STG44 assault rifle design was considered revolutionary.” (WWII Database) Even though the design did not particularly evolve to any significant advances, the concept of assault rifles certainly lived on and became the standard weapons of modern infantrymen. The AK-47 and the M16 assault rifles, for example, hailed no heritage from STG44 design directly, but the STG44 assault rifles undoubtedly changed the thinking of the standard issue infantry rifles.

I think the STG44 had the greatest impact, out of all the weapons that I have talked about, on the outcome of what guns are today. The weapon was loved by those who used it and feared by those who stood in its sights. Although the STG44 was such an advanced weapon it came too late during WWII to make a difference in the war. But none the less the ones that did make it to the battle field reeked havoc on its enemies.

"Sturmgewehr 44." WWII Database. FlumeCreekCompanyLLC , 2/7/10. Web. 16 May 2010. .

X-Bolt bolt-action rifle

This video is about the new Browning X-Bolt bolt action rifle. The Browning Rifle has always been a very popular gun. The Browning along with the Springfield rifle has been the mainstay for not only soldiers but hunters as well ever since they were invented. The most popular Browning rifle is the .50 caliber rifle. It is a very heavy duty gun that has the ability to tear through light armored vehicles.

I chose this video to show you how far the bolt-action rifle has come since its invention. The bolt-action rifle is more advanced in every aspect of the gun. It has a much better aiming system called a scope that allows great accuracy over a much longer range. Even the bullet is more advanced for greater killing ability when needed.

"Browning X-Bolt bolt action rifle." YouTube. Web. 15 May 2010. .

Bolt-Action Rifles

Nearly all infantrymen in the First World War used bolt action rifles. This type of rifle had been invented by a Scottish immigrant to the United States, James Paris Lee. The bolt is the device that closes the breech of the barrel. The bolt-action rifle had a metal box, into which cartridges were placed on top of a spring. As the bolt was opened, the spring forced the cartridges up against a stop; the bolt pushed the top cartridge into the chamber as it closed. “After firing, the opening of the bolt extracted the empty cartridge case, and the return stroke loaded a fresh round. Cartridges were injected into the magazine by means of a clip.” ("Socyberty") They consisted of open-ended slides or cases within which a number of cartridges, three, five or six were gripped by the spring metal of the case or a spring incorporated in the base.
During the First World War, the bolt action rifle was an infantryman’s best friend. They would eat with it, sleep with it, use the restroom with it, and often die with it. The bolt action rifle was loved by the soldiers because it was an accurate and reliable weapon. There were many types of bolt action rifles but the one that Americans trusted was the Springfield Rife. The bolt action rifle was loved by infantrymen for its ability to put a lot of rounds down over a long distance accurately but it was soon replaced by a more rapid fire gun called the assault rifle.
"Understanding the Bolt-Action Rifle." Socyberty. Socyberty Inc., 3/18/07. Web. 15 May 2010. .