[jester]

It is so simple!

I am thinking SIMPLE technology!

For rifles I am going to go with at least in the US these two:

AR-180 or AR-18, a weapon made as a cheap replacement for the M16, it is a stamped reciever, with internals similiar to the AK. Easily made, the hardest part the Barrel, but then again with a plethora of M16 barrels available it would be a great problem.

Miini 14 by Ruger. This is a simple robust weapon that is common in the US, and it is did I say, SIMPLE!! It has a gas design similiar to the M1 Garand or the M-14 or the FN, it is of carbine length, light, fires the 5.56 cartridge and really pretty simple. I love mine! It is not a precision piece that the 16 is, but it will do the job out to 300m. And it is alot more forgiving to dirt, dust, carbon buildup and lack of cleaning. Oh yeah it also uses military ammo and it also can be had in the AK 7.62 round too. And it has a bunch of military type accessories which make it freaky cool too!

SMGs

MAC 10/11 series!

They are small, they are blowback, they are SMALL <meaning less parts and metal> a barrel, a reciever, a trigger group and a magazine and you have a weapon! The reciever is stamped metal, the trigger is the major portion really. These in my T2K world are one of the most common weapons a favored of the New Americans.

M3 Grease Guns; a simple SMG not as simple as the MAC types but almost. These are liberaly issued to MilGov and some CivGov domestic forces. A simple weapon firing a common .45 cartridge. And it was the cool weapon in all of the old movies like "The Dirty Dozen" so there would be a familiarity.

A bolt action rifle, akin to the Mauser or 03 but much cruder of course is going to be common having been made in alot of smaller shops.

Pistols, eh, I don't give them alot of thought. They for what they give verses the cost to make in terms of manpower and materials aren't worth it.

And for machineguns! I would think a simple recoil operated machinegun, and something magazine fed as well, or maybe clip fed or even hopper fed. This will save on links. But, something like the Bren would be a good design, or a LEWIS or a old Maxin/1919 Browing design with a feed system using a hopper or magazine, since they are recoil operated and strong designs. Or, if you could come up with the old style fabric belts that you could reload then that would work too.

I can also see the following weapons also being made:

Single and double barrel shotguns being made, these are perfect for untrained militia. The aiming is forgiving. And a simple breachloading design is easy and simple to reload. Amo is simple to reload.

A single shot rifle either break action like a shotgun, or a rolling block action like a remington rolling block or the Martini Henry would be simple and make a decent easily made weapon for a low tech society.