Реклама Google — средство выживания форумов :)
В чём-то (особенно с позиций сегодняшних знаний) можно сказать, что этот результат — фактический провал попытки создать лёгкий, дешёвый и надёжный ручной пулемёт, хотя бы не уступающий по ТТХ ручному пулемёту Дегтярёва — был предопределён ещё в 1890 г. В тот момент, когда император царь Александр III ознакомившись со сметой на перевооружение русской армии винтовкой под новый патрон, собственноручно начертать соизволил: «Сумма ужасающая, но делать нечего, приступать надо». Задержись принятие нового патрона и винтовки под него всего на несколько лет — и уже тогда стала бы достаточно ясна большая перспективность бесфланцевого патрона.
One interesting recent trend is a slow but noticeable comeback of the full-power automatic rifles firing 7.62x51 NATO ammunition. For some time these rifles were issued mostly in semi-automatic, designated marksmen versions, with intent to increase reach of small infantry units armed with 5.56mm weapons in desert or mountainous terrains. However, it appears that one such rifle per squad is often not sufficient to fight enemies who are using distance, natural cover and modern body armor for protection against small arms fire. Therefore, several companies worldwide now offer 7.62mm automatic rifles which are intended for individual, rather than squad-support use. To name a few, there’s FN SCAR-H from Belgium, HK 417 from Germany, SIG 716 and 751 SAPR from international SIGARMS Company. Most of these weapons are intended for Special Forces, but in May, 2014, Turkish army, which by the way is the biggest NATO military force in Europe, announced its adoption of the MKEK MPT-76 rifle, which appears to be a general issue, select-fire weapon based on the German HK 417. Turkish army has plenty of actual combat experience with three most widespread infantry rifle cartridges of today – 5.56x45 NATO (in license-built HK 33 rifles), 7.62x39 (in imported Kalashnikov AKM rifles) and 7.62x51 NATO (in license-built HK G3 rifles). And it seems that Turkish infantry can put up with decreased ammunition capacity in hopes to get more effective and far-reaching weapon. With these weapons, automatic fire is reserved for rare, but still probable situations such as ambushes or CQB, and most shooting is to be made in deliberate, aimed semi-automatic fire.
Back to square one? In a sense – yes, because, as we’ve seen above, in terms of ballistics those most modern weapons are very close to first-generation weapons dating back to WW1. However, rapid evolution of sighting equipment, with low-power telescope sights and red dot (collimating) sights, and especially with emerging class of electronic sights with built-in ballistic computers and other digital sighting aids, helps to stretch the envelope of effective small arms fire beyond practical capabilities of intermediate-power ammunition.