Handguns (A-G, H-L, M-Z) | Revolvers | Machine Pistols | Submachine Guns (A-L, M-Z) | Rifles | Assault Rifles (A-H, I-Z) | Battle Rifles | Sniper Rifles | Shotguns | Machine Guns | Autocannons and Rotary Cannons | Flamethrowers | Rockets, Missiles and Grenade Launchers | Others
"Of all the weapons in the vast Soviet arsenal, nothing was more profitable than Avtomat Kalashnikova model of 1947. More commonly known as the AK-47, or Kalashnikov. It's the world's most popular assault rifle. A weapon all fighters love. An elegantly simple 9 pound amalgamation of forged steel and plywood. It doesn't break, jam, or overheat. It'll shoot whether it's covered in mud or filled with sand. It's so easy, even a child can use it - and they do. The Soviets put the gun on a coin. Mozambique put it on their flag. Since the end of the Cold War, the Kalashnikov has become the Russian people's greatest export."
— Yuri Orlov, Lord of War
Assault rifles are most commonly defined as fully-automatic rifles firing intermediate rounds, that is, bullets sized in-between those of a pistol (which in a full-auto long arm would be a submachine gun) and "full-size" rifle cartridges (which would be a battle rifle or larger). Though a relatively new concept compared to other firearm classifications - the first weapon to fit all of the stipulations (and the one for which the name "assault rifle" was coined) came about during World War II, and weapons with similar capabilities only date back about 20 years earlier - they have quickly become the most common weapon among armed forces for their balance of power, range, and utility compared to most other weapon types.
