Battle Rifles
| Factions | Weapon | Icon | Classes | Ammo | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Headshot | |||||
 ANZAC |
 L1A1 |
 |
 Assault |
20+1 / 80 | 44 | 107 |
ANZAC |
 L1A1 SASR |
 |
Assault |
30+1 / 90 | 44 | 107 |
 US |
 M1 Garand |
 |
Assault |
8 / 48 | 55 | 134 |
US |
 M14 |
 |
Assault |
20+1 / 80 | 42 | 100 |
| US |
 M14 SOG |
 |
Assault |
20+1 / 80 | 39 | 93 |
| US |
 M14E2 SOG |
 |
Assault |
33+1 / 99 | 39 | 93 |
US |
 M1918A2 BAR |
 |
Assault |
20 / 80 | 45 | 110 |
 VC |
 MAS-49 |
 |
Assault |
10+1 / 50 | 52 | 127 |
VC |
 AVT-40 |
 |
Assault |
15+1 / 75 | 44 | 105 |
Battle rifles are full-power service rifles built around rifle cartridges such as 7.62×51mm NATO, intended for general-purpose infantry use at longer ranges than most intermediate-cartridge rifles. They commonly use detachable box magazines and are often semi-automatic or selective-fire, though controlling automatic fire is typically more difficult due to recoil and weapon weight. In the Vietnam War era, battle rifles were still widely used by some forces, but many armies began shifting toward lighter rifles and smaller cartridges to reduce soldier load and improve controllability in close-to-mid-range fighting.
DEFINITION & CHARACTERISTICS
“Battle rifle” is a modern, practical label most often used to describe self-loading (semi-automatic or selective-fire) infantry rifles chambered for full-power rifle cartridges, especially the post–World War II generation standardized around 7.62×51mm NATO. The term is commonly used to distinguish these rifles from assault rifles, which are typically associated with intermediate-power cartridges and greater controllability in automatic fire.
- Common traits
- Role: General-purpose infantry rifle emphasizing effective fire at medium-to-long ranges, often with better penetration and retained energy than intermediate-cartridge rifles.
- Typical cartridges: Full-power rifle cartridges such as 7.62×51mm NATO (and comparable “full-power” military rifle cartridges in other eras).
- Typical fire modes: Semi-automatic is common; many designs are selective-fire, but automatic fire is often difficult to control in practical use.
- Typical feeding: Detachable box magazines (often around 20 rounds, varying by design).
- Common engagement ranges: Commonly associated with effective fire out to several hundred meters and beyond, depending on weapon, ammunition, and sights.
- Notable tradeoffs: Increased weight and recoil (weapon and ammunition) versus intermediate-cartridge rifles; often stronger range/energy and barrier performance, but fewer rounds carried and reduced controllability in automatic fire.
HISTORY
Battle rifles (as the term is used today) are strongly associated with the post–World War II period, when many countries sought to equip infantry with self-loading rifles firing full-power cartridges that could serve across varied roles. NATO standardization around 7.62×51mm in the 1950s helped define a major “generation” of these rifles, including weapons like the U.S. M14 and the FN FAL family (and licensed variants such as the British/Commonwealth L1A1). Over time, many militaries moved toward smaller intermediate cartridges and lighter rifles as standard infantry weapons, while full-power rifles increasingly shifted toward specialist roles (marksman rifles, support, and certain environments).
In the Vietnam War era, battle rifles appeared prominently in allied service even as the transition to lighter rifles accelerated. U.S. forces still fielded the 7.62mm M14 in Vietnam alongside the 5.56mm M16 during the mid-to-late 1960s, with Army histories describing infantrymen carrying both rifles during the transition period. Australian forces, meanwhile, used the 7.62mm L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) as their standard infantry weapon during the Vietnam War, reflecting the continued value placed on full-power rifles by some allied contingents operating in theater.
Sources
- https://history.army.mil/portals/143/Images/Publications/catalog/76-4.pdf Taking the Offensive, October 1966–September 1967 | U.S. Army Center of Military History
- https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1207059 A 7.62 mm L1A1 self-loading rifle (SLR) (standard Australian Army infantry weapon used during the Vietnam War) | Australian War Memorial
- https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1061511 U.S. Semiautomatic Rifle Model M14 7.62mm | Smithsonian National Museum of American History
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_rifle Battle rifle (overview and terminology note) | Wikipedia