Best Assault Rifle

The assault rifle concept currently dominates the military market. It’s not isolated to a specific part of the world, either. Assault rifles are a worldwide concept that has become the main rifle of choice for modern military forces. Today, we are going to travel around the world and take a peek into the armories of dozens of different military forces to come up with the best assault rifles currently issued. 

What’s an Assault Rifle?

I don’t think the gun community has a term more loaded than assault rifles or assault weapons. It’s often a term used to try and justify the banning of semi-auto weapons. In reality, the number of assault rifles in civilian hands is extremely small, thanks to the NFA and Hughes Amendment. 

Assault rifles have a very limited definition. Assault rifles are intermediate caliber, select fire, shoulder-fired weapons that are fed from a detachable magazine. The AR-15 you can buy at Academy is not an assault rifle, which is a shame. It’s just a semi-automatic rifle. 

For today’s article, we’ll cover the best real assault rifles, their history, conflicts fought in, and the military forces that wield them, and we will point out civilian equivalents where they exist. 

Why Are Assault Rifles So Popular?

Why have assault rifles taken over the armory of nearly every military armory? The main answer is versatility. Prior to assault rifles, the normal infantry squad fielded rifles, submachine guns, automatic rifles, and carbines. This was a logistical mess. After trying for years to produce a gun that could do it all, the world landed on assault rifles.

Assault rifles are capable weapons out to 500 yards in most cases. They are still light enough to be easily used in close-quarters battle. The typical assault rifle can also provide automatic fire to suppress an opponent as well. Assault rifles are very versatile weapons. 

Additionally, they are lightweight and fire a lightweight caliber. Lightweight weapons with lightweight ammo allow the soldier to carry more ammunition on the battlefield. As someone with a machine gunner’s mindset, I believe that more ammo is always better than less ammo. 

From a soldier training perspective, the weapons have light and little muzzle rise. They are easy to handle for troops of every size, gender, and background. You can take a recruit who has never fired a gun in their life and, in two weeks, have them hitting targets at 500 yards.

The Best Assault Rifles on the Battlefield (And Their Civilian Counterparts) 

• The M16 Family
• CZ Bren 2 
• AKM Series 
• IWI Tavor X95 
• FN SCAR 16 
• IMI Galil 
• SIG MCX

The M16 Family

The M16 Family can trace their lineage back to a man known as Eugene Stoner and a company called Armalite. The AR in AR-15 doesn’t stand for assault rifle, but Armalite Rifle. The AR-15 has a tumultuous history as America’s rifle, but it’s the longest-serving service rifle, with 60 years and a dozen conflicts to its name. 

The M16 series has evolved into a modular, lightweight rifle platform family. The M16 is the full-sized rifle variant, the M4 is the carbine variant, and guns like the MK 18 and MK 12 fill specific roles. The M16 family is used in nearly any configuration you can imagine and serves all four branches of the United States military. 

It’s also served countless other military forces. Even in countries like the UK, where the main service rifle is a bullpup, Special Ops troops choose the M16 family of firearms. The M16 has served in nearly every environment imaginable and done so quite well, from the jungles of Vietnam to the dusty streets of Iraq. 

It is a brilliant rifle design that encapsulates everything great about the assault rifle concept. The M16 family of rifles is lightweight, accurate, easy to shoot, modular, and ergonomic. Modularity has helped keep the weapon relevant over the years, with improvements to the design ushering it into new eras with grace and style. 

Your modern M4 comes optically equipped with lights, lasers, bipods, vertical grips, and whatever else you can stick to a Picatinny rail. There aren’t many downsides to the rifle. 

The biggest could be the back pressure and gas to the face that occurs with suppressors. Getting the design to work well with short barrels has been tough, but it’s possible and can be reliable when done properly. 

The M16 Family

Daniel Defense MK18		Check Pricing
PSA M4 Carbine		Check Pricing
Daniel Defense MK12		Check Pricing

The Civilian Counterpart – FN-15 Military Collector M4

There are probably 100 different models of the AR-15 I could stick here, but the FN-15 Military Collector M4 takes the cake. It’s a carbine-style rifle with a 16-inch barrel, quad rail, collapsible stock, flat top upper receiver, and a high level of quality control. FN produces the M4 and M16 for the government, and these specific models are produced to replicate the service rifles they make without the select fire capability. 

CZ Bren 2

This isn’t the first gun to wear the Bren title, but it has nothing to do with the original automatic rifle wielded by the Brits in World War 2. The modern Bren is a lightweight, select-fire, 5.56 or 7.623x39mm assault rifle. In 5.56, it uses STANAG magazines; in 7.62, it uses a proprietary CZ magazine. 

The CZ Bren 2 series builds on the successful Bren 805 with many modern improvements. It’s currently in service with the Czech military but also serves in Ukraine, Vietnam, Mexico, France, Hungary, Poland, and several other countries’ military and police forces. 

The Bren series of rifles use a short-stroke gas piston system that’s become the number one choice for modern assault rifles. The gas piston design has a three-position gas system to use a suppressor, run the rifle in adverse conditions, and even fire the classic rifle grenade. It’s a smooth-shooting, accurate rifle with tough-to-beat reliability.

The Bren 2 design uses a polymer lower receiver with mostly ambidextrous controls. The upper receiver has a monolithic handguard and top rail for aiming systems, including optics and laser aiming devices. The handguard features Picatinny handguards for accessory attachment, and the stock can fold and collapse. It’s an extremely modern rifle made for modularity. 

Military users can pick between barrel lengths. The short-stroke gas piston system helps keep short barrel designs reliable. The Bren 2 comes in 14, 11, and 8-inch configurations. It’s also available in the classic Eastern European 7.62x39mm, oddly enough, the choice of elite French GIGN. The rifle can also be outfitted with a 40mm grenade launcher. 

The Bren 2 series might be considered young for a rifle, but it’s exceptionally well-made and designed with the future in mind. While new, the Bren 2 has quickly proven to be a capable rifle system for various environments. 

There are some ergonomic complaints. Namely, the charging handle is so close to the optics rail that it’s easy to bust a knuckle with certain optics mounts. They also use a proprietary magazine for the 7.62x39mm models. 

The CZ Bren 2 Series

CZ Bren 2 Carbine		Check Pricing
CZ Bren 2 MS		Check Pricing

Civilian Counterpart – CZ Bren 2 MS 

The CZ Bren 2 MS offers the everyday Joe a semi-auto Bren 2 rifle or pistol. The rifle variant features a 16-inch barrel, and the pistol variant uses the more traditional 14-inch option. The BREN 2 MS has an M-LOK handguard for modular attachments and keeps the collapsing and folding stock. The Bren 2 MS series has proven to be reliable, accurate, and modern guns that are tons of fun to shoot. 

AKM Series

AKM is the proper term for the most popular AK series of rifles. While it’s commonly called the AK-47, AKM is the proper term for AK rifles produced after 1959. The AK series of rifles famously served the Russian military and do so to this day in various configurations, including the AK-12, AK-74, and many more varied configurations. The AK series serves around the world. 

I could fill this entire article with countries that wield or have wielded the AK series of rifles and their variants. They spread across Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South America, and Africa. It’s impressive their reach. American police forces in Alaska have even used the AK series due to their reliability in extremely cold conditions. 

The AK series of rifles uses a long-stroke gas piston system with a rotating bolt. This design allows for an extremely reliable overall performance. In frigid conditions, like the plains of Russia, the long-stroke gas piston system doesn’t seize up or freeze when fielded. 

Russian experience in World War 2 showed that most troops were fighting within 300 meters. They designed the 7.62x39mm round to excel at 300 meters and closer. Anything further requires a good bit of elevation, as the projectile drops quickly. The 5.45 cartridge improves the range and makes the weapon capable of reaching 500 meters. 

The AK series has been proven to be a very reliable rifle as long as it is made correctly. While the weapons are simple, their design does not allow for cut corners. The AK series rifles aren’t as modular as most, but improvements have been made to improve the design over the years. Modern AKs can mount optics, grenade launchers, lights, lasers, and more. 

There are many downsides. First, these guns have the ergonomics of a 1940s submachine gun. The safety is awkward. The dust cover design doesn’t allow for simple optics attachment. The handguard is short, and the sight radius is even shorter. While modern AKs feature plenty of accessories, they are still much more difficult to accessorize than other rifles. 

The AKM Series

Polish AKM		Check Pricing
Lee Armory AKM		Check Pricing

Civilian Counterpart – WASR 10 

There are many AKs out there, but if you want a true Eastern European example, the WASR 10 is the way to go. These Romanian-produced rifles have been imported for decades. They are the authentic AK design with its side optics mount, a slant muzzle device, and the option for classic wood furniture. 

IWI Tavor X95

It’s rare that a bullpup assault rifle works and works well. The Steyr AUG was a great gun for the era and was quite successful. From then until now, there have been few remarkable bullpup assault rifles, but the Tavor X95 is the exception. The Israeli-designed rifle began development in 1995 and was first fielded in 2001. 

The Israeli military is highly mechanized and urbanized, both of which happen to be fields where the bullpup excels with its short overall length. Bullpup rifles place the action behind the trigger, effectively shrinking the weapon without shortening the barrel. The Tavor X95 series isn’t isolated to Israel. 

Several countries adopted the rifle, including Georgia, India, Ukraine, Mexico, Thailand, and about a dozen more. In the United States, the Pennsylvania Capitol Police field a variant of the Tavor SAR. The Tavor series is produced in both 5.56 and 5.45×39, with an option to convert the rifle to 9mm. 

The Israeli military learned several lessons from the AK series and the various battles in the desert. The Tavor uses a long-stroke gas piston design, which has been proven reliable in very harsh and adverse conditions. 

Bullpups are typically not very ergonomic, but the designers of the Tavor did a great job of making the weapon easy to handle. The controls are strategically placed to allow the operator to easily use the weapon. Bullpups are also less than friendly to left-handed shooters, but the Tavor has ambidextrous or reversible controls, with left-handed ejection models available. 

The Tavor can be accessorized with all modern accessories, including optics, lasers, lights, and 40mm grenade launchers. It’s a modern bullpup rifle with an excellent history of success. 

The downside is that it’s still stuck with a mushy bullpup trigger. The accuracy isn’t exceptional, and reloads will always be a bit slower than those of a standard-format rifle. 

Civilian Counterpart – Tavor X95

The civilian variant of the X95 is decently accurate to the military variant. It’s semi-auto only, of course. The barrel is 16.5 inches, and the stock is slightly longer due to American restrictions on the overall length of a firearm. The handguard is also slightly longer because we Americans love our accessories. The Tavor is available in 5.56, .300 Blackout, and 9mm in the United States. 

FN SCAR 16

The FN SCAR series of rifles was developed in 2004 at the behest of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM). SOCOM was looking for a new modern series of rifles in 7.62 NATO and 5.56 for special operation forces. The SCAR 16 is the 5.56 variant, also known as the SCAR L for Light. 

SOCOM only fielded the weapon from 2009 to 2013 before canceling the contract. While the rifle might not have been the new hotness in the United States, it saw widespread acceptance worldwide. Police and military forces in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Japan, Norway, Ukraine, and many more. It’s been quite a success for FN. 

The SCAR 16 series started the modern revival of short-stroke gas piston systems. The gas system is adjustable for adverse conditions and suppressor usage. The gun uses a polymer lower receiver and a monolithic upper receiver. Many guns now use this configuration, and it all started with the SCAR series. 

FN went with mostly ambidextrous controls. The lower is ambidextrous, and the charging handle can be swapped from the left to right side and vice versa. The upper rail is very long and easy to mount accessories. The handguard also features swaths of Picatinny rails. The SCAR stock might look like a Ugg boot, but it can fold, collapse and offers a cheek riser for optics use. 

The SCAR 16 delivers a very controllable rifle with a soft recoil impulse. The 14-inch barrel keeps the weapon compact and carbine-sized. A PDW option with a 6.5-inch barrel is also available for very niche uses. The barrels are cold hammer forged, and the rifle is quite accurate. 

The original SCAR rifles had a few downsides. The charging handle reciprocates, but that has been corrected more than a decade later. The charging handle can be difficult to use with optics mounted and can be a real knuckle buster. 

FN SCAR 16 Series

FN SCAR 16S

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Civilian Counterpart Variant – SCAR 16S

FN released a civilian variant of the SCAR as the 16S. It’s semi-auto, features a 16.5-inch barrel, and a very hefty price point. They can be tough to get but are very fun guns. They tend to be imported in limited batches, but do offer a fairly fun experience, and for guys like me that came to age with the GWOT, it’s a throwback to that era. 

IMI Galil

The Israelis get another rifle on the list. The IMI Galil is what happens when the Israeli military dealt with a rifle’s greatest enemy, sand. The Israeli military fielded FN FAL rifles, but the guns were prone to failure when faced with sand. They also tended to be bulky and heavy. The Israeli forces wanted an intermediate-caliber assault rifle. During the Six-Day War, they captured thousands of Egyptian AKs and were impressed by their performance. 

They weren’t impressed with the yesteryear ergonomics and design. They used the AK as their base and began producing the Galil. The Galil would chamber the 5.56 cartridge and use the Kalashnikov-pattern long-stroke gas piston design with a rotary bolt. The rifle featured the AK safety, but it also had a more modern, easier-to-use thumb safety. The sight radius was longer, and the sights more modern. 

Israel fielded the Galil from the 1970s to the 1990s, but was very popular around the world. The gun offered AK levels of reliability with modern ergonomics and controls. The rifle in various configurations, was sold to dozens of countries, including countries in Africa, South America, Asia, and Europe. 

Over the years, the platform has evolved, and optics rails, an M-LOK handguard, folding and collapsing stocks, and more have been added to keep the rifle modern. The Galil was built in numerous configurations. 

The originals include the ARM, with bipod and wire cutter; the AR, the standard rifle; and the SAR, the carbine variant. They produced the rifles in 7.62×39 and 5.56, and they also produced a limited number of .30 Carbine. Modern variants include the ACE, which incorporates more modern features and shorter barrel lengths. 

The Galil rifles tend to be fairly heavy and don’t have remarkable accuracy. They are solid guns, but the long-stroke gas piston system and use of hefty metals make them feel a bit out of date. 

The IMI galil

IWI gailil

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Civilian Counterpart – IWI US Galil ACE 

The current production of Galil, the ACE, is also produced for the US civilian market. The ACE comes in both 7.62 and 5.56, with some rare 5.45 variants being produced. The gun comes in both rifle and pistol formats and in various configurations. The gun’s design attempts to keep up with modern rifles, and users can attach all sorts of accessories to the weapon. 

SIG MCX

The SIG MCX series of rifles combines influences from AR-18, FN SCAR, and AR-15 to produce a modern assault rifle series. The gun uses a short-stroke gas piston design with ergonomics similar to the AR series. It has an AR-15-type lower receiver with an ambidextrous safety and magazine release. We also have an AR-type charging handle located at the rear of the gun. 

Internally, the weapon makes use of the reliable, short-sty-stroke gas piston system with an adjustable gas block. SIG produces numerous configurations with varied barrel lengths, which take advantage of the piston design. The standard 16-inch carbines are available, but so are super short variants like the Rattler with its 5.5-inch barrel. SIG has pressed the MCX to be an extremely modern rifle. 

From the ground up, it’s designed to function with suppressors and short barrels. It’s modular, much like the AR-15, so the end user can convert the weapon to various calibers and produce varied configurations. Swapping from carbine to shorty model isn’t difficult. Users can easily swap stocks, handguards, and more. SIG produces the weapon in 5.56, .300 Blackout, and 7.62x39mm. 

The short-stroke gas piston system allows you to swap parts and pieces without having to modify gas systems, swap bolts, buffers, and similar internal parts. The barrels can be swapped with minimal zero shift and no headspace or reliability issues. The SIG MCX series offers us a fairly lightweight rifle system that resists the issues associated with piston-driven guns. 

The SIG MCX is a newer rifle but has become a favorite of special operations communities. SOCOM and Delta Force have adopted super-short models for the PDW role and personal security details. Police and military forces in the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Sween, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, France, and many more have chosen the MCX in various configurations. 

A larger frame variance known as the SPEAR was adopted in a SIG proprietary cartridge for use with the US military in the near future. 

The SIG MCX Series

SIG MCX

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Civilian Counterpart – SIG MCX 

SIG produces many MCX variants for the civilian market, including pistol and rifle models in many calibers. These varied configurations offer users a good mix of military variants and models only produced for civilians. This is a pricey rifle, but it isn’t difficult to find. 

The Assault Rifle World 

Assault rifles will seem to remain the dominant choice for military rifles for decades to come. While the untied States seems to be taking a step backward with the NGSW program, the rest of the world seems content with their intermediate caliber, selective-fire assault rifles. These are the seven I feel are the dominant assault rifles out there. Did I miss any? Let me know below.