What is the difference, if any, between a machine gun and an assault rifle?

Question

Are these two terms interchangable?

It seems as if many people, for some reason, refer to the AK-47 as an 'assault rifle'- but it is also a machine gun (when on fully automatic).

Do assault rifle and machine gun have the same meaning?

Answer 1

The original definition for the term "Assault Rifle" is a fully automatic gun that shoots rifle caliber ammunition and is designed mainly for military use. The gun grabbers have corrupted the meaning of Assault rifle to include semi-auto only versions of these guns.

So, an AK 47 capable of full auto fire would correctly be termed an Assault Rifle, the semi-auto only version would not.

All "Assault Rifles" are machine guns but all machine guns are not "Assault Rifles".

Answer 2

As others have said machine guns are primarily heavy and crew served weapons or weapons that were designed deliver large amounts of fire downrange.

Assault rifles are any and all guns made except for a select few. The term assault was coined after germany's ww2 mp44 which wasn't a machine pistol but a rifle that fired shorter rounds than the full sized rifle and fired it automatic, soviets liked this idea and made the ak-47 which was reliable and accurate.

The problem came from the media labeling a select few they deemed as bad weapons as assault weapons when most all guns were designed to kill people and or assault stuff. A weapon being more deadly then another is not true it the context of classification assault or not, is a springfield m1 socom more deadly then an assault m4, no. It all depends on the shooter and the circumstances used. An m16 with a short stock and a bayonet mount is not more deadly than a regular m16, but is classified as an assault weapon by media and called "cop killer" etc. How many criminals are going to bayonet a cop and how come you can take down full size m16 and make it concealable? An m1 garand has a bayonet mount is it an assault? My .30/06 was an "assault weapon", a wwI enfield sporterized that has 1.5 moa, usually less at 100 yards! It can kill with a person shooting it, it probably did in wwI and I can assault an enemy position with it. Plus the media extends these terms to semi-auto rifles which deviate from the concept of giving a grunt alot of firepower at intermediate ranges. (Which is what the general acceptance in gun circles are of the term assault rifle.)(in my opinion:)
-A rifle that fires intermediate cartridges at intermediate ranges. I think of it as a dumbed down rifle for the grunt. Although semi-autos are just as dangerous and full autos but they want to you to think full autos are real dangerous and semi-auto "assault" rifles are pretty close. This is a media term, don't use it . Refer to short cartridge automatic designed firearms as rifles with full auto capability or the American term carbines. They are just full auto carbines. Trust me semi-auto is all a person needs, when you are trained to shoot what you hit at. Full-auto wastes rounds and you have to carry more. So, don't give into the media fear mongering and call these things assault weapons, they aren't that different than most guns and are like old military designs. The media needed something to do, they didn't look at facts that show assault rifles are hardly used in most crime.

Answer 3

Assault rifle is a term for an automatic weapon that fires a rifle cartridge that is meant to be carried/used by infantry as a main weapon, providing faster firepower than the old semi-auto rifles of WWII. The StG-44 (SturmGewehr model 44) was the first real assault rifle, a median point between a full battle rifle (usually firing a hunting cartridge) and a carbine (firing a pistol round).

A machine gun, on the other hand, amy be man-portable, but has a larger ammunition capacity (belted ammo, usually), a longer barrel for better range, and usually a higher rate of fire. Some are mounted on vehicles/mounts (M-2HB .50) or carried by 1-2 troops (M-240, 7.62 NATO). They are usually bigger and heavier than an assalut rifle, as they are meant for sustained amounts of heavy fire.

Answer 4

Notoldcrow knows what he is talking about, it's the portability that makes the difference, as well as the intent in how it is used.

Machine guns are usually employed as squad level automatic weapons and are crew served, there's more than one person carrying ammo for them and feeding it to the gun.

An assault rifle can be semi or fully automatic (a weapon that can be both is often called selective fire). There's no need for the assault rifle to be based on a smaller cartridge than the WWII and earlier battle rifles, they just mainly are, but that's more about rhetoric and doctorine. The US military has gone to a lot of trouble to justify the choice of a smaller round, which hasn't been performing as well as some front line guys would like.

Answer 5

Notoldcrow is right on. An assault rifle will have both semi and full auto. It is an individual weapon. A machine gun is a crew served (operated) weapon.

Answer 6

The short answer is no.

A machine gun has the capability to fire continuously as long as the trigger is held and there is ammunition. These guns are and have been illegal in the US civilian world for a long time.

An assault rifle is a semi-automatic weapon, meaning that each time you depress the trigger, 1 bullet is fired. They often can be fited with magazines to hold 9 or up to 30 (although not currently sold legally at the higher capacities) shells. They are capable of rapid fire but NOT continuous fire. A non modified AK-47 fits this description. An assault rifle is also a style of gun IMHO that looks "military" rather than sport hunting or competitive target.

Answer 7

THE TERM "ASSAULT RIFLE" HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE BROAD THROUGH THE YEARS. POLITICAL SENTIMENT HAS REALLY GROWN AGAINST THESE GUNS. THE ANTI-GUNNERS WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE THAT ALL THESE GUNS ARE DEMON-SPAWN. THE ACTUAL DEFINITION OF ASSAULT RIFLE VARIES FROM STATE TO STATE. WHEN SOMEONE SAYS MACHINE GUN, I THINK OF A FULL AUTO WEAPON.

Answer 8

An assault rifle can be easily carried and can be changed from semi auto, fully automatic, and three round burst, but a machine gun is normally a bulky mounted gun that only is full auto.

Answer 9

no, these are NOT interchangable. a machine gun is a fully automatic weapon. an assault weapon is ANY weapon used to assault someone or something. for example, if i shoot at you with a single shot rifle, that rifle is an assault rifle because i intended to assault you with it. the term assault rifle is an anti-gun, media created, buzz word to mean anything they want it to mean. look, if i try to hit you with a shovel, then the shovel is an assault weapon. got it? good.

Answer 10

machine is fully auto and assult rifles are single, and burst some have auto