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British EM-2: The Best Cold War Battle Rifle that Never Was

British EM-2: The Best Cold War Battle Rifle that Never Was

69
Published on July 12, 2017
Duration: 21:50

This video from Armament Research Services (ARES) delves into the fascinating British EM-2 bullpup rifle, a select-fire rifle designed to replace both infantry rifles and submachine guns. It highlights the EM-2's innovative features for its time, including its intended use with optical sights and its .280 caliber cartridge optimized for common combat ranges. The analysis explains the rifle's mechanical basis, drawing parallels to the German G43, and discusses its advanced handling features like automatic bolt closure. Despite its technical merits, the video emphasizes that political decisions favoring American ordnance compatibility ultimately led to the EM-2's failure to be adopted, making it a prime example of a weapon lost to politics rather than technical shortcomings. Only 55 examples were manufactured, including a paratrooper model and 7.62mm NATO variants.

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