[davecampperry]

The Military Channel replayed the Top Ten Combat Rifles. Our beloved girl was !0, Garand was 6, Mauser was 4, AK was 1. I know this has been all hashed out before, but where do they get their stupidity. They judged each rifle on length of service (why?), 'combat' effectiveness, ease of handling, and two other criteria I disremember. As my daughter Rebecca would say, "Whateverrrrr."

 

[fortymikemike]

I've seen that show several times.I just watch it for the footage on the M14 and the M1.

 

[charlie98]

I depends on how you weight each category... you could take the top 15 rifles and they would just swap places with each other based on the emphasis of the question.

You can always tell a poorly designed weapon... they don't stick around very long, and vice versa.

 

[GCBurner]

M14s were general issue for only a few years before the M16 came along, and were mostly used only in the US military, and a very few allies.
The AK47 family has been in production and general issue with military forces world wide for 60 years, and is the most prolifically produced military weapon in history.

 

[Blademaker]

The AK is a great design, it's cheap and easy to produce, ultra reliable, any stoned moron or literate peasant can operate one, and in the hands of someone that knows how to use it it's surprisingly accurate and effective.

That said it doesn't have the punch of the M1 or M14 and I'd rather have the M14. Also there is no one size fits all, different weapons are better at different areas. Also personal preference comes into play as well. And as far as length of service goes the M14 never got a real chance.

 

[bd111]

These kind of ratings have a value as far as the designs and assemblies that have stood the tests of time and combat, as if to say get proficient with as many as possible. There will be ammo no matter what else happens.