Cei-Rigotti | |
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Type | Selective-fire automatic rifle |
Place of origin | ![]() |
Production history | |
Designer | Amerigo Cei-Rigotti |
Designed | c. 1890 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 4.3 kg (9.5 lb) |
Length | 1,000 mm (39 in) |
Barrel length | 482.6 mm (19.00 in) |
Cartridge | 6.5×52mm Carcano 7.65×53mm Mauser |
Action | Gas piston, self-loading |
Rate of fire | 300-600 rpm |
Muzzle velocity | 730 m/s (2,400 ft/s) |
Maximum firing range | 1,400 m (1,500 yd) |
Feed system | 6-, 10-, 20-, 25-, 30-round fixed box magazine |
Sights | Iron sight |
The Cei-Rigotti (also known as the Cei gas rifle [1] ) is an early automatic rifle created in the final years of the 19th century by Amerigo Cei-Rigotti, an officer in the Royal Italian Army. Although the rifle was never officially adopted by any military, it was tested extensively by the Italian Army during the lead-up to the First World War. [2]
The rifle was gas operated and had selective fire capabilities (single shots or fully automatic). Available information on this gun is sparse and often contradictory.
According to several publications, the prototype rifle was chambered for the 6.5×52mm Mannlicher–Carcano. [3] The gun was supposedly presented by Cei-Rigotti to his superiors in a private demonstration in 1895. An Italian newspaper reported on this event in 1900. [4] According to another source, a demonstration was actually held publicly in Rome on June 13, 1900, when 300 rounds were fired on full automatic before the gun got so hot it seized up. [5] Yet another source mentions a demonstration in the same year at the Brescia Arsenal. [6]
The British also ordered and tested the gun after this event, but they found it unsuitable. [4] The rifle found at the UK National Firearms Centre in Leeds is chambered in 7.65x53mm Mauser, as is another example found in a U.S. private collection. [2]
One unusual feature of the Cei-Rigotti was its trigger, which extended through a slot across the entirety of the trigger guard. It has been theorized that it was intended to make the weapon easier to operate in heavy gloves, [2] but in reality it is used to release the bolt without accidentally firing the weapon. [7] The trigger guard assembly was also connected to the magazine, and needed to be removed in order for the magazine to be replaced. [2] This magazine is also a major point of contention among military historians, as, since the weapon was reloaded via stripper clips rather than detachable magazine, many argue that it disqualifies the Cei-Rigotti from being classified as an assault rifle. [8] Reportedly, prototypes with magazines up to a capacity of 50 rounds existed, [3] but there is no actual known evidence of this yet, and the most high-capacity magazine that can be seen on the drawings from the period is a two-column one for 30 rounds. [9]
A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries.
A semi-automatic rifle is an autoloading rifle that fires a single cartridge with each pull of the trigger and uses part of the fired cartridge's energy to eject the case and load another cartridge into the chamber. In contrast, a bolt-action rifle requires the user to cycle the bolt manually before they can fire a second time, and a fully automatic rifle fires continuously until the trigger is released.
The Colt AR-15 is a lightweight, magazine-fed, gas-operated semi-automatic rifle. It is a semi-automatic version of the M16 rifle sold for the civilian and law enforcement markets in the United States. The AR in AR-15 stands for "ArmaLite Rifle", after the company that developed it in the 1950s. Colt's Manufacturing Company currently owns the AR-15 trademark for its line of semi-automatic AR-15 rifles.
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A semi-automatic firearm, also called a self-loading or autoloading firearm, is a repeating firearm whose action mechanism automatically loads a following round of cartridge into the chamber and prepares it for subsequent firing, but requires the shooter to manually actuate the trigger in order to discharge each shot. Typically, this involves the weapon's action utilizing the excess energy released during the preceding shot to unlock and move the bolt, extracting and ejecting the spent cartridge case from the chamber, re-cocking the firing mechanism, and loading a new cartridge into the firing chamber, all without input from the user. To fire again, however, the user must actively release the trigger, and allow it to "reset", before pulling the trigger again to fire off the next round. As a result, each trigger pull only discharges a single round from a semi-automatic weapon, as opposed to a fully automatic weapon, which will shoot continuously as long as the ammunition is replete and the trigger is kept depressed.
An automatic rifle is a type of autoloading rifle that is capable of fully automatic fire. Automatic rifles are generally select-fire weapons capable of firing in semi-automatic and automatic firing modes. Automatic rifles are distinguished from semi-automatic rifles in their ability to fire more than one shot in succession once the trigger is pulled. Most automatic rifles are further subcategorized as battle rifles or assault rifles.
An automatic firearm or fully automatic firearm is a self-loading firearm that continuously chambers and fires rounds when the trigger mechanism is actuated. The action of an automatic firearm is capable of harvesting the excess energy released from a previous discharge to feed a new ammunition round into the chamber, and then igniting the propellant and discharging the projectile by delivering a hammer or striker impact on the primer.
Selective fire, or select fire, is the capability of a weapon to be adjusted to fire in semi-automatic, fully automatic, and/or burst mode. The modes are chosen by means of a selector switch, which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some selective-fire weapons have burst fire mechanisms to limit the maximum number of shots fired automatically in this mode. The most common limits are two or three rounds per trigger pull. Fully automatic fire refers to the ability for a weapon to fire continuously until either the feeding mechanism is emptied or the trigger is released. Semi-automatic refers to the ability to fire one round per trigger pull.
A magazine, often simply called a mag, is an ammunition storage and feeding device for a repeating firearm, either integral within the gun or externally attached. The magazine functions by holding several cartridges within itself and sequentially pushing each one into a position where it may be readily loaded into the barrel chamber by the firearm's moving action. The detachable magazine is sometimes colloquially referred to as a "clip", although this is technically inaccurate since a clip is actually an accessory device used to help load ammunition into a magazine or cylinder.
Pump action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by moving a sliding handguard on the gun's forestock. When shooting, the sliding forend is pulled rearward to eject any expended cartridge and typically to cock the hammer or striker, and then pushed forward to load a new cartridge into the chamber. Most pump-action firearms use an integral tubular magazine, although some do use detachable box magazines. Pump-action firearms are typically associated with shotguns, although it has also been used in rifles, grenade launchers, and other types of firearms. A firearm using this operating mechanism is colloquially referred to as a pumpgun.
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An assault rifle is a select fire rifle that uses an intermediate-rifle cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles were first put into mass production and accepted into widespread service during World War II. The first assault rifle to see major usage was the German StG 44, a development of the earlier Mkb 42. While immediately after World War II, NATO countries were equipped with battle rifles, the development of the M16 rifle during the Vietnam War prompted the adoption of assault rifles by the rest of NATO. By the end of the 20th century, assault rifles had become the standard weapon in most of the world's armies, replacing full-powered rifles and submachine guns in most roles. The two most successful modern assault rifles are the AK-47 and the M16 designs and their derivatives.
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