What if you want a self-loading hunting rifle? What if you prefer more than the low-power .22 rifles from part 1 and the pistol-caliber carbines from part 2, but think the full-power hunting rifles from part 3 are quite literally overkill? What if there was something in between, some kind of... intermediate caliber? Here's an overview of semi-automatic rifles and modern sporting rifles to introduce the history and application of these arms.
Early Semi-Automatics
The Remington Model 8 (1905) was the first semi-auto rifle to achieve commercial success in the USA. It fired ammunition comparable to full-power battle rifles and hunting rifles of the time.
Three decades later, the US military began issuing the M1 Garand service semi-automatic service rifle, fielding it as their standard infantry weapon during World War II when most other nations involved were still using bolt-action rifles. Like many of its bolt-action contemporaries, it used en bloc clips instead of detachable box magazines. The Garand also used the same .30-06 cartridge as the prior US bolt-action rifles and many machine guns, simplifying logistics. It was initially planned around a lighter new cartridge in a ten-round clip, but that was nixed by General Douglas MacArthur. Nonetheless, its eight-round clip-fed rapid-fire advantage hinted at what was to come, and could still be considered a viable battle rifle even today.
An M1 Garand and clips. Image credit
Battle Rifles
World War II led to many countries reconsidering their prior doctrinal opposition to semi-automatic and fully-automatic infantry firearms. Detachable box magazines were also finally accepted by military brass for general issue with service rifles. NATO would first standardize on the 7.62x51mm cartridge, and numerous battle rifles were developed for it, including the CETME, its cousin the H&K G3, metric and inch variants of the FN FAL, and the US M14 rifle. These were capable of power and range equivalent to their bolt-action counterparts, but with semi-automatic and fully-automatic fire rates.
Semi-automatic-only models of these battle rifles are available on the civilian market, depending on local laws. Many other designs specifically for hunting and target shooting are available, too, so military surplus is hardly the only choice. Whichever you choose, these may be a good balance between hunting rifle power and combat rifle rate of fire in a survival situation.
The Assault Rifle and Modern Sporting Rifle
World War II showed real-world battles were fought at much closer ranges than doctrine and small arms design had anticipated. Armored vehicles were becoming entirely impervious to infantry rifles. Cartridges were often far more powerful than necessary for combat, and the practical effective range for the average soldier is far less than the theoretical potential of battle rifles. The Soviet Union was developing the SKS rifle during World War II along with the 7.62x39mm M43 round. Like many contemporary battle rifles, it was designed to feed a fixed internal magazine from a stripper clip. Meanwhile, the semi-automatic US M1 carbine and fully-automatic German StG 44 were precursors of a new family of lighter semi-auto, mag-fed intermediate-caliber military and civilian rifles to follow.
During the Cold War era, the Soviet Bloc widely distributed the SKS, and later developed Mikhail Kalashnikov's AK-47 into the AKM pattern which would become the most popular assault rifle in the world. During the 1970s, a new 5.45x39mm round was developed, and the AK-74 soon took over as the primary infantry rifle of the Communist-aligned world thanks to its even lighter ammunition with superior accuracy and power at longer ranges.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, these rifles began to be imported into the US. The SKS and semi-auto-only versions of the AKM and AK-74 are all popular civilian arms today.
An AK-47 Type II. Image credit
In the United States, the .223 Remington/5.56x45mm cartridge was designed during the late 1950s based on a civilian small game hunting round. It would eventually replace the 7.62x51mm as the primary NATO infantry rifle caliber.
The ArmaLite AR-15 was developed in parallel with that round. Along with the later ArmaLite AR-18, it would dominate NATO-aligned small arms design and civilian semi-automatic rifles. Most assault rifles and modern sporting rifles use a gas system derived from one of those Eugene Stoner designs if they don't borrow from the Garand lineage, which arguably includes the AK, and definitely includes the Ruger Mini-14 and Mini-30.
A Ruger Mini-14 with a wood stock. Image credit
The AR-15 design was bought by Colt, and has been available for civilian purchase since the mid-1960s as a semi-auto-only rifle just like any other since the Remington Model 8 first broke through as a successful design. I should note here that "AR" stands for "ArmaLite Rifle," or perhaps just the first two letters of the original company name, since there is also an AR-9 shotgun. In any case, it does not mean "assault rifle," although it is now made by numerous companies and is no longer connected to the one that first made it.
Two different AR15 configurations and a lower receiver. Image credit
Benefits and Concerns
In recent decades, "assault weapon" has been used as a pejorative to disparage these modern ergonomic rifles in the media. Choosing one of these can carry a stigma as a result, but they are effective options for several reasons.
While not military assault rifles per se, modern sporting rifles built to similar specifications are usually built to be more rugged than traditional sporting rifles. Typically, they have durable finishes and chrome-lined barrels to resist corrosion. Synthetic stocks don't swell or warp like wood can.
These rifles are effective in several roles, including self-defense, hunting, and competition shooting. If you could have only one gun in a survival scenario, it should probably be versatile enough to fill as many roles as possible.
The comparatively lower recoil of intermediate cartridges makes them easier to manage, and even in a full-power battle rifle, semi-automatic operation reduces felt recoil.
Detachable magazines simplify ammunition management, and adapters allow the use of stripper clips to rapidly reload magazines. Lighter intermediate caliber cartridges allow either less weight for a given number of rounds, or more ammunition for a given weight limit.
Ergonomics are vastly improved in most of these rifles. Rear pistol grips, adjustable stocks, angled or vertical fore grips, and other modern features make these easier to handle and safer to operate.
The newest such rifles are highly modular and customizable, so you can choose stocks, scopes, and other accessories with ease to make it fit you and your needs.
Is this a viable option for a survival situation, or does it draw more undesired attention than its capability earns in exchange? The AR15 is the most popular rifle in the US, and its modular nature means one lower receiver (the serialized "firearm" per current US law) can be swapped between several upper receivers for a variety of options and no extra paperwork. However, Kyle Rittenhouse was harshly judged in the media because of what he used and where he was more than what he actually did. The SKS, Mini-14, and M1 Garand, are slightly more traditional-looking rifles which may trigger hoplophobes slightly less, but any rifles using current-issue military caliber ammunition may still be outright illegal in some jurisdictions. What do you think? Chime in below!
