SAR-40: Difference between revisions

The beginning of the [[Second Great War]] exposed a significant lack of firepower in the [[Royal and Imperial Army (Urcea)|Royal and Imperial Army]], as Urcean and allied soldiers primarily using [[SR-9C]] bolt action rifles were commonly outgunned by [[Caphiria|Caphirian]] supplied soldiers of the [[Deric Republic]] using semi-automatic rifles. While the Royal and Imperial Army managed to win victories due to its often superior numbers, its soldiers were clearly not equipped for the inevitable battles in [[Urlazio]] and [[Sarpedon]]. Field testimonies and studies conducted by the Army also indicated that its rifles - commonly sighted out to 2000 meters - were designed for engagements at ranges that were not actually taking place. Most engagements were at relatively close range, where heavier, longer bolt action rifles and carbines performed especially poorly. In late 1936, the Royal and Imperial Army began theorizing and development of a number of {{wp|intermediate cartridge}}s, lighter cartridges with enough stopping power to be practical for the type of combat seen during the War. In addition to a new infantry rifle, the Army sought to streamline its logistics by replacing the submachine guns currently in use with a similar weapon using the intermediate cartridges. In [[1937]], the Army adopted the [[List_of_Urcean_service_weapons#SR-10|SR-10]] "Jenkins rifle" as a semi-automatic rifle capable of being made from SR-9 parts. The rifle was adopted as a stopgap measure as a new rifle using intermediate cartridges was designed procured. A series of contests began in 1938 and 1939, but few viable options emerged.