This book covers the most popular and common high powered services rifles (battle rifles) of the post-war period and studies the current problems in Afghanistan that have led to the returning use of these rifles after several generations of absence due to the development of the assault rifle. There is also a chronological historical summary of the development of the modern service rifle.

The urbanization of warfare has necessitated the kind of precision targeting that only small arms can deliver. Weapons not often seen on the battlefield can prove quite useful, and often indispensible, in an urban setting. This valuable reference guide examines in detail the most successful small arms in use and how changes in warfare have affected how those weapons are employed. Professional soldiers, law enforcement officers and students of small arms study will gain a working knowledge of the most common and successful urban combat weapons, including handguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, combat shotguns and grenade launchers as well as some in development that have potential as service weapons. More than just a summary of small arms systems, this guide also explains how warfare has changed and how these changes have transformed the small arms industry.