A differant twist on an old question?

[armoredman]

What is the best combat rifle, usable today? Note, I did not say "assault rifle", as everyone starts touting AK/AR. I did not say battle rifle, as everyone starts chanting FAL/M1A. What I mean, is a rifle that has all of the following qualities.
A) Reliabilty
B) Accuracy at distances acceptable for modern combat infantryman
C) Durability
D) Ease of maintenance
E) A caliber sufficient to do the job out to long range
F) Portability
G) Ease of operation
H) May be from ANY country
I) Effective as a combat rifle on today's battlefield

Thank you, just curious.

 

[DMK]

E) A caliber sufficient to do the job out to long range
F) Portability
H) May be from ANY country
I) Effective as a combat rifle on today's battlefield

On the modern battlefield with modern issue weapons, these conflict. Most countries are going to 5.56 or similar rounds (short range, light weight). A lot of coutries are going to bullpups(portibility to the extreme). Urban combat is becoming more and more prevalient. Long range hits are done by rockets, aircraft/UAVs, mortars, artillery, or DMR/Sniper weapons. DMR/Sniper weapons are specialized, are often a larger/heavier caliber, and not compact or highly portable.

I don't know how successful other countries are, but our military keeps trying and failing at one rifle that can do it all. The M-14 was supposed to replace how many weapons? It ultimately failed at everything but as a service rifle (although later was resurrected as a DMR). They tried it again with the M-16 with only slightly better success, but only because they change the configuration of the rifle for each job. An M-16A4 does not equal the M4A1 for house/bunker clearing. The M4A1 does nor equal the SAM-R as an intermediate range sniper/DMR weapon. The SAM-R does not equal the MK-11/SR-25 for long range stopping power.

There is no one best combat rifle. Every rifle has it's merits and drawbacks depending on the situation.

Define what you want to use it for, then you can narrow it down.

 

[Ditchtiger]

best rifle

Mosin Nagant. you didn't ask for high volume firepower

 

[HorseSoldier]

AR-15, flavored as needed. The modularity of the design means you can pretty much make the AR into whatever you need for a service rifle or carbine, light sniper rifle or DMR, etc.

 

[Onmilo]

German G3/HK-91/PTR-91
I am not touting this brand, it is just the rifle series that meets all the parameters you are asking about.

 

[Eightball]

Sig 550 gets my vote.

 

[Fosbery]

Either a SIG 550 series (I'd go with a 551 myself), a Steyr AUG or an L85A2. Unless of course you're equipping illiterate peasants and kids, in which case it would be the AK everytime.

 

[Vitamin G]

Hmm... Would it be possible to re-barrel an AK styled rifle to .308?
Epsecially some of the higher end ones, might just fit that criteria.

Either that or bring back the Garand

 

[Fosbery]

AK101 is a .308 AK

 

[Deer Hunter]

I'm extremely partial to the FN FAL rifle, so of course I'm biased, but it is my choice. It meets all of your criteria.

 

[Eightball]

Hmm... Would it be possible to re-barrel an AK styled rifle to .308?
Epsecially some of the higher end ones, might just fit that criteria.

My Saiga is .308. Fun Gun, just near impossible to zero out with the 8x PSOP scope sitting on top.