When was the first machine made? Who invented the automatic transmission. Machine guns of the Russian Empire. Prerequisites for their creation
Interestingly, the original American term "slot machine" was used to refer to both vending and slot machines (a slot is a slot for accepting coins). Both gaming and vending machines (vending) had identical slots. But later, the term “slot machine” was assigned to those machines that, in exchange for a coin, did not provide goods, but made it possible to play any game. But progress does not stand still. Now you don’t need any coins, and slot machines - which you can play for free all day long, are available to all of us on the Internet.
The history of slot machines dates back to 1884-88. (according to various sources) when the German-American Charles Fay (1862-1944) created his first slot machine in his auto repair shop, which worked from 5-cent coins. The maximum win of the first slot machine was 10 coins of 5 cents - only half a dollar.
August Charles Fey (1862-1944) was the sixteenth and last child in the family of a village teacher from Bavaria.
A passion for mechanics was discovered in a boy at the age of 14, when he joined a factory for the production of farm equipment. Bavarian youths often fell into the German army and, in order to avoid this fate, the fifteen-year-old August decided to go to New Jersey.
At the age of 15, he left his parents' house, taking with him only a small bundle of provisions and a woolen blanket. Surviving by odd jobs, he walked all over France and reached the shores of foggy Albion. In five years working as a mechanic in shipyards in London, Fey saved up enough money to go to America. Then he did not even suspect that he would become famous as the inventor of slot machines. In France, he stayed to earn money and cross the English Channel, and lived in London for another 5 years before he came to America, to New York. However, the cold northeastern winters drove the young traveler to California.
In America at that time, various vending machines with slots for nickels were common: here the idea of Fey was born. In 1885, Charles Fey arrived in San Francisco. Various gaming devices that flooded the saloons and cigar shops of San Francisco could not help but attract the attention of a talented mechanic. In San Francisco, August worked briefly as a mechanic. Soon, the young man was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and the doctors predicted an early death, but the disease was extinguished. On August 25 he went back to work. Marrying a Californian, August took on a new American name (Charles) and completely adopted the American way of life.
In the late 1890s, games began to appear that are very similar to modern slot machines. These were machines with drums that had cards on them, or a machine with a huge wheel on which many colors were applied. The meaning of all games was to guess the card or color that will fall out after spinning the reels or the wheel.
In the 1890s, C. Fey worked with Theodor Holtz and Gustav Schultz, one of the most famous manufacturers of slot machines at that time. In 1893, Schulz created the HORSESHOES, the first 1-reel machine with a cash win counter and cash payout. In 1894 C. Fei built a similar apparatus, and in 1895 he created his own "4-11-44".
The success of this machine allowed the inventor to open his own factory in 1896 and devote himself entirely to the development of new devices. Here the first poker machines with "falling cards" and cards located on 5 reels were created.
The first machine, created in 1894, had 3 wheels and was very similar to the machine of Gustav Schulz, a well-known manufacturer and operator of slots, that appeared a year earlier. Leaving his previous job, Charles founded his own company, which at first was engaged in the production of parts and spare parts for Schultz slots.
A year later, the second version of the slot performed by Fey appeared - a machine called "4-11-44" resembled the popular "Policy" lottery. 4-11-44 - a popular combination of this lottery - became the highest winning ($5.00) combination of the Fairy slot with three concentric digital buzzers.
The success of this device was so significant that already in 1896 Fey allowed him to open his own factory for the production of such devices. When in 1898 the decree on the legalization of machines with the payment of winnings in cash was issued, C. Fey tried to build a poker machine with a counter and the payment of cash winnings. The main difficulty was recognizing the cards on the reels and making it possible to accept and pay out winnings both in coins and in special “trade checks” tokens that were exchanged for cigars and drinks. In 1898, C. Fei managed to solve this problem, although poker turned out to be somewhat “truncated” - on 3 reels. The machine was called CARD BELL - the name "bell machine" for many decades has become a household name for all machines with three reels.
In 1899, Charles Fey changed his brainchild somewhat. Now the latter was dominated by the very popular at that time patriotic symbol of Liberty Bell - the “bell of freedom”, which adorned the top panel of the machine.
Liberty Bell is a slot that consists of three reels, which are marked with: a horseshoe, a star, spades, diamonds, worms and a bell. Only one line of characters was visible on the display. To place a bet, you need to insert a token or coin into a special slot. To start the game, you need to pull the lever. The reels will start spinning. After the reels stop, a combination of symbols drops out. According to the table of winnings, the amount of winnings will be determined if a paid combination has fallen out.
At the bottom there is a table of winnings, according to which the maximum "production" - 20 dimes (or tokens) - was paid out when a combination of three bells fell out.
Several Fey-designed slot machines have been installed in drinking establishments in San Francisco. Along with the first "one-armed bandits", the first gamblers immediately appeared.
"... One of these avid players was a young Indian businessman who came to Tokyo on business. Having breakfast in a small cafe, he noticed four slot machines in the corner, powered by one lever. The inquisitive Indian could not resist the temptation to try his luck: he lowered into each of coin machine and pulled the lever. The winnings amounted to eight coins. Thus began an unparalleled gambling marathon that lasted six days with four three-hour breaks for food and sleep. During this time, he pulled the lever 70,000 times, won a total of $ 1,500, which again spent on the game, adding another hundred dollars from his own money to them.Although at times the machines paid him considerable sums, there was no case (except for the first attempt) when the winnings exceeded the bet by more than one and a half times.For example, by lowering twenty dollars, he received back less than ten.
At the end of the six-day madness, the Indian returned to his homeland and convinced the management of his company to invest money from the export of spices, fruits and medicines into the import of American slot machines. An unusual commercial operation brought the company huge profits and resounding success ... "
The success of the inventor and his apparatus did not give rest to envious people, so in 1905 a rather strange robbery took place in one of the salons on Powell Street in San Francisco. Only two things were stolen - a bartender's apron and a Liberty Bell slot machine. As it turned out later, he was kidnapped by competitors - the Novelty company, which sent the "bandit" straight to its Chicago factory. Using the stolen machine as a model, the company in 1906 released its own model - Mills Liberty Bell. And soon, thanks to the fact that the factory of Charles Fey was almost completely destroyed during a strong earthquake in San Francisco in 1906, the hijacking company managed to gain a leading position in the market of gambling mechanical means. And it happened in just a few years.
From the early days of its existence, gaming machines have had to constantly defend their “right to live.” Numerous local and federal decrees and laws to ban slot machines were issued in the United States every year. As a result, machine owners had to resort to all sorts of tricks. For example, “Liberty Bell” , thanks to the addition of a special device, turned into a chewing gum vending machine.
But, in addition, the buyer, by pulling a special handle, could win a prize if a winning combination formed during the rotation of the reels. New symbols - plums, oranges, lemons, mint, cherries - corresponding to the most popular flavors of chewing gum, as well as images of packaging labels (BAR) were applied to the vending machine discs. Now the maximum win was paid out when a combination of three labels was received, and the traditional bell (bell) moved to the second line in the payout table. Such machines began to be called fruit-machines. The fruit trick increased sales (automatic machines were placed in shops, public places, etc. - where cards were not allowed).
Since then, these pictures have been present on the reels of modern slot machines almost unchanged. Only the bright label turned into a simple rectangle with the inscription BAR. Over the decades, these symbols have become a kind of international language - players all over the world know that a lemon means losing, three oranges - winning 10 coins, and three BARs - "Jackpot".
Despite the fact that slot machines were banned in California, Fai continued to produce them illegally, for which he was arrested and fined.
And Slot Machines were gaining more and more momentum - even the Great Depression did not affect their popularity!
The first electric slot machine "Jackpot Bell", in which the wheel mechanism was driven by an electric motor, was developed by Jennings in 1930. In 1966, the Bally company introduced a machine equipped with an automatic payout system - coins were poured into a special tray. Until 1966, the owners of the establishments in which the machines were located paid the winnings.
Charlie August's mechanical slot machine has been in use for over 60 years.
In the next topic, they talked about the Kalashnikov assault rifle, but not everyone knows that in Russia they created not only the best assault rifle in the world, but also the very first assault rifle in the world. We are talking about the Fedorov assault rifle.V.G. Fedorov was born in 1874 in St. Petersburg, in the family of a superintendent of the School of Law. He graduated from the gymnasium, the Mikhailovsky Artillery School, after graduation, from which in 1895 he served as a platoon commander in the First Guards Artillery Brigade. In 1897 he entered the Mikhailovskaya Artillery Academy, from which he graduated in 1900. Since that time, Fedorov began working in the weapons department of the Artillery Committee of the Main Artillery Directorate, which he combined with scientific and design activities.
In 1905, he proposed a project to remake the Mosin system rifle of the 1891 model into an automatic one. In 1906 he began to develop a new automatic rifle.
Fedorov's successful activity in the design of automatic rifles was marked in 1912 by the large Mikhailovsky Prize, which was awarded every five years for the most outstanding inventions in the field of artillery.
He designed automatic rifles of 7.62 mm caliber (1912), 6.5 mm caliber chambered for his own design (1913).
In 1913, Fedorov designed a 6.5 mm automatic rifle chambered for his own improved ballistics cartridge. This rifle was used in 1916 to be converted into an assault rifle.
In 1916, he adapted his submachine gun for a 6.5 mm cartridge for the Arisaka rifle. The choice of this caliber is explained by the fact that Arisaka rifles and cartridges for them during the First World War were supplied in large quantities to the Russian army from Japan, and the production of these cartridges was established at the St. Petersburg Cartridge Plant and in Great Britain. This submachine gun was subsequently called the Fedorov Avtomat.
Assessing the merits of Fedorov, the tsarist government awarded him the rank of major general of artillery and the degree of professor. For the first time in the world, one of the companies of the 189th Izmail Regiment was armed with machine guns and automatic rifles of the Fedorov system, which, having undergone special training in Oranienbaum at an officer rifle school, was sent to the front in December 1916. It was the first military unit in the world armed with light automatic weapons. It is curious that, in addition to the submachine gunner himself, the cartridge carrier was also included in the calculation of the new weapon. Also, teams of submachine gunners were equipped with binoculars, optical sights, bebut daggers, and portable shields. The Fedorov assault rifle was also used in aviation (first of all, it was used by the crews of the Ilya Muromets heavy bombers), where it was the airborne weapon of the pilots. It was planned to re-equip the shock units of the army with automatic weapons in the first place. At the same time, according to the results of its operation at the front, it received very good reviews: its reliability, accuracy of fire, and high strength of the parts locking the shutter were noted.
After the October Revolution, Fedorov was appointed director of the plant in Kovrov, where he was supposed to start producing his machine gun. Already in 1919, he was able to put the machine gun into mass production, and in 1924, work began on the development of a number of machine guns unified with the Fedorov machine gun - light, tank, aviation, anti-aircraft.
Fedorov assault rifles were safely in service with the Red Army until the end of 1928, until the military made excessive demands on infantry weapons (as it turned out only later). In particular, they demanded that an infantryman be able to hit armored vehicles with armor-piercing bullets from small arms. Since the 6.5 mm bullet penetrated slightly less armor than the 7.62 mm rifle, it was decided to discontinue the machine gun, focusing on the development of a new automatic rifle. Also, the decision of the military was associated with the unification of ammunition that had begun, when it was decided to decommission weapons of calibers that differed from the main one - 7.62x54R. And the stocks of Japanese cartridges purchased during the First World War were not unlimited, and it was considered economically inexpedient to deploy their own production of such cartridges in the USSR.
After 1928, these machine guns were transferred to storage, where they lay until 1940, when, already during the war with Finland, the weapons were hastily returned to the troops, experiencing an urgent need for automatic weapons.
Perhaps the main merit of Vladimir Fedorov was that he was the first to create a working (albeit not ideal) model of an infantryman's individual automatic weapon - an assault rifle.
The Soviet government highly appreciated Fedorov's services to the Motherland, awarding him the title of Hero of Labor, the military rank of Lieutenant General of the Engineering and Technical Service and awarding him two Orders of Lenin, Orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree and the Red Star, as well as medals; he was awarded the degree of doctor of technical sciences and the title of professor. In 1949, on the day of the 75th birthday of Vladimir Grigoryevich Fedorov, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, sparing in praise, said, raising his glass: "We have many generals, but Fedorov is one!"
The idea of \u200b\u200bcreating an automatic transmission appeared almost simultaneously with the advent of a car equipped with. At the same time, automakers, inventors and enthusiasts from different countries began to work on the unit.
As a result, already at the very beginning of the 20th century, prototypes began to appear that had a transmission similar to a modern automatic machine. In this article, we will talk about how the first automatic transmission was created and when it appeared, get acquainted with the history of automatic transmission, and also answer the question of who invented the automatic transmission.
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Who invented the automatic transmission and when did the first automatic transmission appear
As you know, the transmission is the second most important unit after. At the same time, the appearance of an automatic transmission was a real breakthrough, since thanks to such a gearbox, not only comfort, but also safety when driving is significantly increased.
Such a gearbox is a system consisting of a torque converter () and a planetary box. The principles and foundations of the planetary gear were known in the Middle Ages, and the German Hermann Fettinger created the torque converter at the beginning of the 20th century.
The first to combine the box and the gas turbine engine was the American inventor Azatur Sarafyan, better known as Oscar Banker. It was he who patented the automatic transmission in 1935, although to obtain a patent for more than 7 years he defended his right in the fight against large automakers.
Sarafyan was born in 1895. His family ended up in the US as a result of the infamous Armenian Genocide that took place in the Ottoman Empire. After settling in Chicago, Asatur Sarafyan changed his name to become Oscar Banker.
The talented inventor created various useful devices, among which there are several irreplaceable solutions today (for example, a grease gun), but his main achievement is the invention of the first automatic hydromechanical transmission. In turn, General Motors (GM), which previously installed a semi-automatic transmission on its models, was the first to switch to automatic transmission.
The history of the creation of an automatic transmission
So, the most important element, thanks to which the emergence of a full-fledged automatic transmission became possible, is a torque converter.
Initially, the gas turbine engine appeared in shipbuilding. The reason is that instead of low-speed steam engines, more powerful steam turbines appeared towards the end of the 19th century. Such turbines were connected directly to the propeller, which inevitably led to a number of technical problems.
The solution was the invention of G. Fettinger, who proposed a hydraulic machine, where the impellers of the hydrodynamic transmission, the pump, the turbine and the reactor were combined in one housing.
Such a torque converter was patented in 1902 and had a large number of advantages over other mechanisms and devices that could convert torque from an engine.
GDT Fettinger minimized the loss of useful energy, the efficiency of the device turned out to be high. In practice, the specified hydrodynamic transformer, on average, provided on ships an efficiency of about 90% and even more.
Let's get back to the gearboxes on cars. At the very beginning of the 20th century (1904), the inventors, the Startevent brothers from Boston, USA, introduced an early version of the automatic transmission.
This two-speed gearbox was actually an improved manual transmission, where the shifts could be automatic. In other words, it was a robot box prototype. However, in those years, for a number of reasons, mass production turned out to be impossible, and the project was abandoned.
The next automatic transmission began to be installed at Ford. The legendary Model-T was equipped with a planetary gearbox, which received two speeds for forward movement, as well as a reverse gear. Gearbox control was implemented using pedals.
Next came a box from Reo on General Motors models. Such a transmission may well be considered the first manual transmission, as it was a manual with an automated clutch. A little later, a planetary gear system began to be used, further bringing the moment of the appearance of full-fledged hydromechanical automatic machines.
The planetary mechanism (planetary gear) is best suited for automatic transmissions. In order to control the gear ratio as well as the direction of rotation of the output shaft, individual parts of the planetary gear are braked. In this case, relatively small and constant efforts can be used to solve the problem.
In other words, we are talking about automatic transmission actuators (, band brake). Also in those years, it was not difficult to implement the effective management of these mechanisms. There was also no need to equalize the speeds of individual elements of the automatic transmission, since all the gears of the planetary gear are in constant mesh.
If we compare such a scheme with attempts to automate the work of a mechanical box, at that time it was an extremely difficult task. The main problem was that in those years there were no efficient, fast and reliable servo mechanisms (servo drives).
These mechanisms are necessary in order to move the gears or clutches for engagement. The servos also need to provide a lot of power and travel, especially when compared to compressing a clutch pack or tightening an automatic transmission band brake.
A qualitative solution was found only closer to the middle of the 20th century, and robotic mechanics became mass-produced only in the last 10-15 years (for example, or).
Further development of the automatic transmission: the evolution of the hydromechanical automatic transmission
Before moving on to the automatic transmission, we need to mention the Wilson gearbox. The driver selected the gear using the steering column switch, and the inclusion was made by pressing a separate pedal.
Such a transmission was a prototype of a preselective gearbox, since the driver selected the gear in advance, while it was switched on only after pressing the pedal, which stood in place of the manual transmission clutch pedal.
This decision facilitated the process of driving the vehicle, gear changes required a minimum of time compared to manual transmissions, which did not have in those years. At the same time, the significant role of the Wilson box lies in the fact that this is the first gearbox with a mode switch, which resembles modern analogues ().
Let's get back to the automatic transmission. So, the Hydra-Matic fully automatic hydromechanical transmission was introduced by General Motors in 1940. This gearbox was installed on Cadillac, Pontiac, etc. models.
Such a transmission was a torque converter (fluid coupling) and a planetary gearbox with automatic hydraulic control. The control was implemented taking into account the speed of the car, as well as the position of the throttle.
The Hydra-Matic box was installed both on GM models and on Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lincoln, etc. In the early 50s, Mercedes-Benz specialists took this box as a basis and developed their own analogue, which worked on a similar principle, but had a number of differences in terms of design.
Closer to the mid-60s, automatic hydromechanical transmissions reached the peak of their popularity. Also, the appearance of synthetic lubricants on the fuel and lubricants market made it possible to reduce the cost of their production and maintenance, and increase the reliability of the unit. Already in those years, automatic transmissions did not differ much from modern versions.
In the 1980s, there was a trend towards a constant increase in the number of transmissions. In automatic boxes, fourth gear first appeared, that is, increased. At the same time, the torque converter lock-up function was also used.
Also, four-speed automatic machines began to be controlled using, which made it possible to get rid of many mechanical controls, replacing them.
For example, Toyota was the first to introduce an electronic automatic transmission control system in 1983. Then in 1987, Ford also switched to using electronics to control the overdrive and the GDT lockup clutch.
By the way, today automatic transmission continues to evolve. Taking into account stringent environmental standards and rising fuel prices, manufacturers are striving to increase transmission efficiency and achieve fuel efficiency.
To do this, the total number of gears increases, the switching speed has become very high. Today you can find automatic transmissions that have 5, 6 or more “speeds”. The main task is to successfully compete with preselective robotic boxes of the DSG type.
In parallel, there is a constant improvement of automatic transmission control units, as well as software. Initially, these were systems that only determined the moment of gear shifting and were responsible for the quality of the inclusions.
Later, programs began to be “sewn up” into the blocks that are able to adapt to the driving style, dynamically changing gearshift algorithms (for example, adaptive automatic transmissions with economy, sport modes).
Later, the possibility of manual control of automatic transmission (for example, Tiptronic) appeared, when the driver can independently determine the moments of gear shifting like a manual box. Additionally, the automatic transmission received advanced features in terms of transmission fluid temperature control, etc.
Read also
Driving a car with automatic transmission: how to use the box - automatic, automatic transmission modes, rules for using this transmission, tips.
The machine gun or, as it is called in the West, the "assault rifle" has come a long and difficult evolutionary path. Let's see what the first assault rifles were like and how full-fledged samples of these weapons appeared.
Now the machine gun is the main weapon of the infantry. It can be said that it has become a symbol of war. The main advantage of the assault rifle is the high density of fire it creates. Together with a relatively small mass, this makes the assault rifle the optimal choice for the battlefield. But the machine was far from always “perfect”. The very first samples of such weapons suffered from a number of serious shortcomings and could not be used on a par with the usual magazine rifles.
The term "automatic" itself was first applied to an automatic rifle, which was created shortly before the First World War by Russian engineer Vladimir Fedorov. An important difference between his weapons was the use of a cartridge, which some sources call "intermediate". This feature will then be characteristic of all machines.
Wanting to combine the capabilities of a conventional rifle and a machine gun, Fedorov used a 6.5 mm cartridge. By the way, the main weapon of the Russian army at that time was the Mosin rifle, which uses cartridges of 7.62 mm caliber. Such a rifle, like its counterparts, could shoot very accurately and very far: the aiming range was as much as two kilometers! But after each shot, the “three-ruler” (such a nickname was given to the Mosin rifle) had to be manually reloaded. This is acceptable if you need to defend yourself, but it’s already more difficult to storm enemy positions. Therefore, the rifles were equipped with a bayonet-knife, and this solution was very popular (by the way, it is still used today).
“If Fedorov created the world's first automatic rifle, then the first self-loading rifle in history was developed by the Mexican military leader Manuel Mondragon. This weapon was born back in 1884. The Mondragon rifle could fire single shots without having to reload after each shot."
Fedorov's attempt to create a universal weapon suitable for a variety of situations was a partial success. The assault rifle confidently passed the tests and was put into service in the midst of the war - in 1915. True, the backward Russian industry stood in the way of a talented engineer. At first, Fedorov wanted to use a 6.5 mm caliber cartridge of his own design for the machine, but then difficulties forced him to use the Japanese 6.5 × 50 mm Arisaka cartridge.
An early Fedorov cartridge had a muzzle energy of about 3100 Joules. For a regular Russian 7.62 mm cartridge, this figure was 3600-4000 Joules, but after all, the Mosin rifle, as we have already noted, had to be reloaded after each shot. So the performance of the Fedorov cartridge was very good, but the muzzle energy of the "Japanese" was 2615 Joules: this reduced the combat potential of the weapon, but not very much. It is important to note that both cartridges were closer in their ballistics to rifle ones, and not to intermediate ones. Full-fledged intermediate cartridges will appear later.
Characteristics of the Fedorov assault rifle
weight (without cartridges): 4.93 kg
length: 1045 mm
work principles: barrel recoil with short stroke, lever locking
cartridge: 6.5×50mm
rate of fire: 600 rounds per minute
target range: 400 m
ammunition type: magazine for 25 rounds
Characteristics of the Mondragon rifle
weight (without cartridges): 4.18 kg
length: 1105 mm
work principles:
cartridge: 7×57 mm
rate of fire: 600 rounds per minute
target range: 550 m
ammunition type: magazine for 8-100 rounds
During World War I, Fedorov's machine gun was rarely used. In 1916, a small batch was sent to the Romanian front, where he made his combat debut. Then the weapon was used during the civil war in Russia, and some of the machine guns even took part in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1940. In general, the Fedorov assault rifle was never listed as the main weapon of the infantry. For this, he was too complicated and unreliable.
“Do not confuse machine guns and submachine guns. The latter are also automatic weapons, but they do not use a rifle or intermediate, but a pistol cartridge. Accordingly, submachine guns have a firing range that is not as large as that of machine guns. The power of a pistol cartridge is much less.
In the fire of World War II
Created at the end of the 19th century, magazine rifles, such as the already mentioned “three-ruler” or the German Mauser 98, turned out to be surprisingly “tenacious”. They were cheap, simple and allowed to shoot very accurately. Throughout the Second World War, such rifles remained the main weapon of the infantry. Popular culture has created a myth that almost all German soldiers on the Eastern Front were armed with automatic MP-40s, but this is not true. The Germans for all the time produced 1.2 million of these submachine guns. The figure seems incredible, but it does not go to any comparison with the number of Mauser 98 produced - 15 million units.
Characteristics of the repeating rifle Mauser 98
weight (without cartridges): 4.1 kg
length: 1250 mm
work principles: sliding gate, striker-type trigger
cartridge: 7.92×57mm
rate of fire: 15 shots per minute
target range: 2000 m
ammunition type: magazine for 5 rounds
The Germans, however, faced with a strong enemy on the battlefield, tried their best to create a revolutionary weapon for the infantry. They succeeded, to some extent. Already in 1942, the Germans adopted the famous StG 44, which, with some reservations, can be considered the first full-fledged machine gun. Some consider it a prototype of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, but more on that later.
StG 44 used a powerful intermediate cartridge 7.92x33mm, and its effective range was 600 m. It would seem that this is the ideal battlefield weapon. Powerful and long range. Creates a high density of fire and terrifies enemies. However, as the operation progressed, shortcomings also emerged. The machine weighed a lot: if the mass of the Mauser 98k rifle without cartridges was 3.9 kg, then the StG 44 weighed 4.6. With an equipped magazine, the weight of the machine increased to 5.5 kg. Add to this the fact that the StG 44 was much more complex than the magazine rifles, from a technical point of view, and required more thorough maintenance. And the harsh conditions of that war did not always allow it to be carried out.
In total, the Germans produced 446 thousand StG 44 assault rifles, and they were actively used on all fronts of World War II. And this weapon outlived its developers for many decades. It is known, for example, that the StG 44 was used by Iraqis against US troops in the 2000s. Specifically, these machines, however, were produced mainly in Turkey and the former Yugoslavia, and not in Germany.
Characteristics of the machine STG 44
weight (without cartridges): 5.2 kg
length: 940 mm
work principles: removal of powder gases, locking by skewed shutter
cartridge: 7.92×33 mm
rate of fire: 500-600 rounds per minute
target range: 600 m
ammunition type: magazine for 30 rounds
Kalashnikov and M-16
If any military expert is asked to name the greatest weapon of the 20th century, he will answer without hesitation - Kalashnikov assault rifle. AK was developed back in 1947, but still remains the main weapon of the infantry in many countries, including Russia. Over the decades, dozens of modifications have been created, and more than 70 million units of these weapons have been produced in total! This machine has changed the world: it is not for nothing that its image is found on the emblems of many African countries.
There is an opinion that the Kalashnikov assault rifle is a copy of the StG 44. This is not so. They look alike, but that's where the similarities end. These samples differ in the most important feature for automatic weapons - the method of locking the bore. In Kalashnikov, the barrel is locked by turning the bolt around the longitudinal axis, while in the German machine gun - by tilting the bolt in a vertical plane.
It should be said that the Kalashnikov assault rifle has never been considered the most accurate or most convenient weapon - its advantages lie in simplicity and cheapness. And the Soviet military ideologists were among the first who appreciated the very concept of the machine gun. AK quickly became the main weapon of the Red Army, while the Americans and Europeans continued to rely on self-loading and repeating rifles. The conservative British, for example, believed for many years after the war that "a soldier should save every cartridge." But, in the end, even they recognized the advantage of automatic weapons as the main "argument" of the infantry.
Characteristics of the Kalashnikov assault rifle
weight (without cartridges): 3.8 kg
length: 870 mm
work principles: removal of powder gases, butterfly valve
cartridge: 7.62×39 mm
rate of fire: 600 rounds per minute
target range: 800 m
ammunition type: magazine for 30 rounds
The next revolution in the world of automatic machines was already made by the Americans. It's about the famous M-16- the main competitor of AK. In the 60s, the machine gun seemed like an ideal weapon, but there was a drawback - a lot of weight. Indeed, the 7.62 mm cartridge used by the already mentioned Kalash was too heavy, and its power was excessive. Therefore, the Americans decided to use a new 5.56 × 45 mm cartridge for their assault rifle. This decision, although it reduced the power of the bullet, predetermined the development of small arms for many decades to come. Even the Soviet military was inspired by the experience of the United States, so that in the 70s, a new version of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, the AK74, was adopted by the Red Army. He used a low-impulse 5.45 × 39 mm cartridge - an analogue of the American 5.56 mm. Low-pulse cartridges are still very, very popular.
No matter how revolutionary the new caliber was, the military debut of the M-16 was overshadowed by a number of unpleasant aspects. Especially sharply the shortcomings of the rifle were revealed in Vietnam. In the harsh conditions of the jungle, in the hands of inexperienced recruits, complex and not fully brought to mind weapons often “refused” to fire. This prompted the designers to make a number of improvements that made the M-16 a really good rifle. And in 1994, the US military received a new shortened modification of the M-16 - a carbine M4, which gained incredible popularity all over the world. He almost completely lost the shortcomings of his progenitor and became a favorite of the soldiers. Of Americans serving in Iraq and Afghanistan surveyed in 2006, 88% said they were satisfied with the M4 carbine.
Characteristics of the M16 assault rifle
weight (without cartridges): 2.88 kg
length: 990 mm
work principles: removal of powder gases, butterfly valve
cartridge: 5.56×45mm
rate of fire: 650-950 rounds per minute
target range: 600-800 m
ammunition type: magazine for 20-30 rounds
Characteristics of the machine M4
weight (without cartridges): 3.4 kg
length: 840 mm
work principles: removal of powder gases, butterfly valve
cartridge: 5.56×45mm
rate of fire: 600 rounds per minute
target range: 800 m
ammunition type: magazine for 30 rounds
The future of the machine
In conclusion, I would like to say that the machine gun, as the main weapon of the infantry, has practically reached an evolutionary dead end, and every year it becomes more and more difficult to create a weapon that would seriously surpass the previously developed designs. In part, this is why Russia does not intend to abandon the proven AK, and the Americans are in no hurry to throw the M-16 modifications into the landfill.
This, however, does not mean that we will not see new machines. Now work is underway to create improved cartridges for small arms, which will be able to push the "classic" cartridges. So, in the course of the Lightweight Small Arms Technologies program, the Americans developed new telescopic and caseless cartridges, as well as weapons for them. But the real revolution in the field of small arms will happen only when the infantry can use weapons on "new physical principles." It can be, for example, laser rifles. Decades may pass before the start of mass use of something like this, and we will talk about the prospects for such weapons in one of the future materials.
In a movie about the Great Patriotic War, ours are sure to shoot from PPSh assault rifles (Shpagin submachine gun - with a butt and a round disk). And the Germans go on the attack with the Schmeisser, pouring bursts of water on the partisans from the hip. Was it really so?
What machine guns were actually used by the Soviet troops and the Nazis? Who invented the first submachine gun? What are the most powerful machine guns in the world, what are the soldiers of modern armies armed with?
The world's first machine
Vladimir Fedorov, a citizen of the Russian Empire, is considered the inventor of the world's first automatic rifle and the first machine gun. On the eve of the First World War, he began work on the automation of the main small arms of the Russian army - the Mosin rifle.In 1913, the inventor made two prototypes of the new weapon. In terms of combat characteristics, it took an intermediate position between a light machine gun and an automatic rifle. That's why it's called automatic. This first machine gun in the world could fire both bursts and single shots.
However, due to the sluggishness of the Russian bureaucracy, the serial production of Fedorov assault rifles was launched only before the revolution itself. The special command of the Izmail Infantry Regiment on the Romanian front was the first to test the machine guns at the front. Already after the first battles, it became clear that in many cases an automatic machine gun could successfully replace a light machine gun.
The most powerful machines
How is the situation with weapons now and which types of small arms are considered the most powerful?American automatic rifle M16
Western military experts consider the M16 automatic rifle the undisputed leader among assault rifles of the 20th century. Its creator was the well-known arms company Colt. Its last serial modification, the M16 A2, began to be delivered to the US Army in 1984. Firing range - 800 meters, caliber 5.56.The combat qualities of the rifle were highly appreciated by American soldiers during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq. However, the war also exposed a number of its shortcomings. Among them - the unreliability of the return spring, sensitivity to contamination.
In the USSR, comparative tests of the M16 A2 and AK-74 were carried out. It was noted that the American rifle is better than the Soviet counterpart in single shooting, and the latter is superior to the American in burst shooting. The recoil of the M16 A2 is a third stronger than that of the Russian machine gun. In addition, Soviet weapons are far superior to American ones in terms of readiness for immediate use in a variety of conditions.
But the Yankees continue to improve their favorite weapons. The rifle is still in service with the armies of the United States and many other countries of the world.
American automatic rifle FN SCAR
The American FN SCAR is one of the best modern automatic rifles. This is the most versatile system that easily converts into a light machine gun, a semi-automatic sniper or an assault carbine. It is suitable both for long distances and for point-blank shooting when storming buildings.Powerful modern rifle FN SCAR
An underbarrel grenade launcher is installed on the FN SCAR rifle, which can also be detached and used separately. All modern high-tech sights (optical, laser, thermal imaging, night vision, collimator, etc.) are mounted on it.
At the moment, the FN SCAR is in service with the American Rangers, is used in Afghanistan and Iraq, and has proven its convenience and effectiveness. It is assumed that its light and heavy versions in the near future will replace not only the M16 rifle in special forces units, but also the more powerful M14, the Mk.25 sniper rifle and the Colt M4 carbine.
Powerful german rifles
Automatic rifle NK G36
Automatic rifle G-36 of the German company Heckler and Koch. gas outlet type. From the barrel bore, gases from the barrel are discharged through the side hole.Top 10 slot machines
The rifle can be equipped with a collimator and optical sights, a bayonet knife, an underbarrel grenade launcher. According to Russian experts, the quality of single firing from it is higher than from the AK-74.
Automatic rifles NK 41 and NK 416
The German automatic rifles NK 41 and NK 416 are made on the basis of the fusion of the best qualities of the G36 and M16 rifles into one product. Considering their merits, we can confidently talk about the notorious German quality. They have high lethal characteristics, are easy to maintain, resistant to moisture and dust. However, more specific conclusions can be drawn when these weapons massively show themselves in real hostilities. Everything seems to be clear with modern types of weapons, but what was the situation during wars, in particular the Great Patriotic War. What rifles and pistols were in service with our army at that time?Submachine gun Degtyarev
The Degtyarev submachine gun was created in the USSR in the thirties. It was used in the Finnish War and at the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War. The model of the machine gun of the 1940 model of the year, more than 80 thousand copies of the new weapon were produced in the same year.Shpagin submachine gun (PPSh)
By the end of 1941, the Degtyarev submachine gun was replaced by a much more reliable and advanced Shpagin submachine gun. The production of PPSh turned out to be also possible to master at almost any enterprise that has press equipment. 
At the front, the PPSh showed high combat qualities, especially its modification with a carob magazine, which at the end of the war replaced the drum magazine that was originally used. However, its shortcomings were also revealed in the battles.
PPSh-41 was quite heavy, bulky and inconvenient. When the shutter was contaminated with dust or soot, it malfunctioned in firing. When driving on dusty roads, it had to be hidden under a raincoat.
The shortcomings of the PPSh forced the leadership of the Red Army to announce a competition for the creation of a new mass machine gun. And it was created in 1942 in besieged Leningrad. Sudayev's new submachine gun was put into service under the name PPS-42. 
Initially, PPS-42 was produced only for the needs of the Leningrad Front. Then they began to take him along with the refugees along the Road of Life for the needs of other fronts.
A PPS bullet has lethal force at a distance of 800 meters. It is most effective when firing in short bursts.
The production technology of PPS was simple and cost-effective. Its parts were made by stamping, fastened with rivets and welding. The consumption of materials for its production compared to PPSh-41 has decreased three times. During the Second World War, about half a million pieces of teaching staff were produced.
Automatic "Schmeiser"
The weapon of the fascist punishers known from many films was actually called not “Schmeiser”, but MP 40. Contrary to scenes from popular films, it would be very inconvenient for the Nazis to shoot from the hip while standing at full height.The machine was released for the command staff of the German army, as well as paratroopers and tankers. It has never been a mass infantry weapon.
Experts note among the advantages of this machine its compactness and ease of use, high striking ability at distances of one hundred to two hundred meters. However, even a small amount of pollution put it out of action.
The most powerful assault rifle - the Kalashnikov assault rifle
The most popular machine gun in the world was invented by Sergeant Mikhail Kalashnikov when he was in the hospital in 1942 after being wounded at the front. However, the AK was adopted after the war, in 1949. In 1959, its modernized version, AKM, went into production.The most powerful Kalashnikov assault rifle against the M-16
The Kalashnikov assault rifle received its baptism of fire in Hungary in 1956. In the future, its various modifications were massively supplied to the allies of the USSR, national liberation and revolutionary movements. Its production was also established in many countries under licenses. According to some estimates, the total number of these machines in the world reaches 90 million pieces.
Its undoubted advantages are the highest reliability, unpretentiousness, insensitivity to moisture, dirt and dust, ease of use, assembly and disassembly. The downside for a long time was the low accuracy of fire. As a single shooting, he was also inferior to foreign counterparts.
At present, the latest version of the legendary assault rifle, the AK-12, has already been adopted by the Russian army. Experts express the hope that this model, after the final revision, will surpass all previous ones in its qualities.
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