No WWI Scenario PC: A Much Better Development of the Federov Avtomat?

[TheRomanSlayer]

Mostly because of the outbreak of WWI, and the Russian Civil War soon after that, the potential development of the Russian Federov Avtomat was limited. Yet, it was seen as the world's first attempt at making what we now call the automatic rifle. However, the usage of the Federov Avtomat was not fully utilized properly, often treating it like a light machine gun instead of an actual battle rifle in the hands of an infantryman. Coupled with Russia's limited manufacturing capability, the weapon in question suffered from a lack of spare parts.

In a world where WWI never broke out, how possible could the development of the Federov Avtomat contribute to future Russian weapons development? For sure thing, its presence would have influenced a different path for certain developments of other kinds of rifles, such as a semiautomoatic rifle on a similar scale to either the M1 Garand, or the SVT-40, or a similar kind of automatic rifle to a BAR rifle. However, the weight of the Federov Avtomat would also be a major issue on the battlefield as well, since that might slow down an advancing infantryman. I could see the issue of the Federov Avtomat's weight eventually being addressed by future weapons developers.

 

[Buba]

IMO the French - who were at the forefront of weapons development* from 1880 to 1940 - would have fielded some sort of SLR first.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rossignol_ENT

Naturally, a drastic diet is needed
Or this:

Meunier rifle - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Already of acceptable weight.
And part of a long list of French almost-were weapons. According to wiki, mass production (of sorts, 60k a year is not that much; but you have to start somewhere ... ) was to begin in the Summer of 1914 ...

This would have had bigger impact than Russia introducing something because, well, France ...

* they often took foreeeeeeeeeeeeeeever to put things into production, though. With the exception of the revolutionary mle 97.

 

[TheRomanSlayer]

I wonder if the earlier adoption of the Rossignol ENT would have given the French an edge over the Germans in the opening stages of WWI. The Germans would still be using Mauser Gewehr 98s at this time.

 

[stephen the barbarian]

assuming that it is still developed, i don't believe it would make it past field trials.
the brass would likely baulk at the per unit cost and nonstandard ammo. however it would serve as a proof of concept, and another slr could be developed because of the FA.

 

[Buba]

I wonder if the earlier adoption of the Rossignol ENT would have given the French an edge over the Germans in the opening stages of WWI.

Some "could had gone either way" engagements might had gone for the French - less of France occupied almost certainly.
Although IMO giving every Rifle Company 2-3 Hotchkiss Portatif would had been better than SLRs.