Squad Automatic Weapon - Overview

Overview

Many SAWs (such as the RPK and L86) are modified assault rifles or battle rifles that may have increased ammunition capacity and heavier barrels to withstand continued fire and will almost always have a bipod. In the case of some assault rifles, such as the H&K G36 or Steyr AUG, the SAW is simply the standard rifle with a few parts replaced. However, the Austrian Army, though issuing the Steyr AUG rifle, does not issue the HBAR (heavy barrel) variant. Instead the 7.62mm caliber MG74, a derivative of WW2-era German MG 42, is issued. The most common SAWs in use today are derived from two basic patterns: the Kalashnikov-based RPK or the purpose-designed FN Minimi.

One of the first weapons designed for this role was the Madsen machine gun, which, though having a limited magazine capacity, was still more than that of the typical infantry rifle, and it gave the infantry a base of fire weapon that was more suited to maneuver warfare than the bulkier machine guns of the period, such as the MG 08.