Selective fire

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Image:Caroline-pontet-p1000527.jpg A selective fire firearm can be fired in either of at least two modes, usually depending on the position of a selector switch. Most often, the term "selective fire" or "select-fire" is used to describe a weapon that is capable of automatic or burst fire modes in order to distinguish them from firearms that are only capable of semi-automatic or single fire (i.e. one pull of the trigger fires one shot).

Selective fire weapons almost always have a semi-automatic mode, where the weapon automatically reloads the chamber after each round is fired, but requires that the trigger be pulled again before firing the next round. This allows for rapid and (in theory) aimed fire. In some cases the selection is between different rates of automatic fire. The selection is often by a small rotating switch, but there have been other ways of choosing the mode of fire.

Some selective fire weapons offer a burst mode as the second option, where each pull of the trigger automatically fires a predetermined number of rounds (generally from 2 to 4), but won't fire any more until the trigger is pulled again. The current U.S. standard assault rifle, the M16A2, fires three rounds with each pull of the trigger when it is in burst mode. A common version of the Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun (widely used by SWAT teams and special operations military personnel) has the capability to fire two to four round bursts, or to be fired fully-automatically. This is also the case of the French FAMAS or the Swiss SIG 550.

The majority of selective fire weapons have a fully-automatic mode as the second option. With each pull of the trigger, the weapon continues to load and fire rounds until the trigger is released or the ammunition is depleted. The British L85A2; the American M16A1 of the Vietnam War; the ubiquitous Soviet-designed AK-47; the Israeli Galil; some variants of the Belgian FN FAL; the Chinese QBZ-95; the German G3 rifle; and the American M4A1 carbine are but a few examples of this type of selective fire weapon.

Selective fire weapons are regulated in the United States under the National Firearms Act of 1934; their manufacture for the civilian market was prohibited by the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986.