Feasibility and effects of semi-automatic rifles in WWI?

I have to admit I was more than a little surprised when I found out that the first semi-automatic rifle was designed in 1887.; I would have thought that everyone would jump on the opportunity for a rifle like that. However, historically this was not the case for various reasons.

So what effects would it have for a major European army to have a semi-automatic rifle (not necessarely the Mondragon) in the early months of WWI, before the trench warfare had "set in" and the dirt rendered such rifles largely inoperable? More importantly, how do we get a major European power to use a semi-automatic rifle as their main frontline weapon?
 
They would lose the war.

The issue is not the value of the rifle but the equipping costs of million strong armies with a new weapon and stockpiling ammunition would be prohibitive and specifically just before WW1 would affect artillery procurement - the QF type guns are just coming in and have priority.

Just about the only armies where it would be feasible would be the British and US because they are much smaller. For the UK that was ruled out by the stockpiles from the Boer war.

Once the war has started a supplementary rifle would be nice, but lewis guns or equivalent much more useful. A semi auto is mayb e not that much better then an SMLE or 98k to make it worth while
 
More importantly, how do we get a major European power to use a semi-automatic rifle as their main frontline weapon?
You can start by having it invented in their country.

But yeah costs and production capabilities is a huge problem.
 
Most of the ammo was being used by the machine guns anyway. The issue of a semi auto wouldn't change much. Soviet troops with Tokarev semi autos didn't do better than those with moisin nagants and the same applies for German nits with the G43. You'd need to get to the assault rifle stage to have major differences.
 

Deleted member 1487

Part of the problem with early semi-autos was jamming and feeding problems. They weren't reliable, so weren't adopted. There is an advantage to having semi-autos against bolt action rifles, but its a negative when your rifle jams when taken outdoors or cannot feed bullets properly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondragón_rifle
Use in World War I

With World War I, Germany bought the remainder of SIG's stock that had not been sent to Mexico (which was about 3,000 of the 5,000 rifles), issuing them to the infantry, where they proved highly susceptible to mud and dirt in the trenches (a problem familiar even to less complex bolt action rifles such as the Ross). Instead, realizing their potential as portable yet powerful automatic weapons, they were withdrawn by the German high command and reissued to aircraft crews as the Flieger-Selbstlade-Karabiner Mondragon, Modell 1915 (Pilot's Selfloading Carbine Model 1915), until enough numbers of machine guns were available. Many of the Mondragon rifles were used with a 30-round helical magazine, known as Trommelmagazin für F.-S.-K.. This helical magazine was patented by Friedrich Blum; the units were tougher than expected. The 32-round drum magazine used by the Artillerie-Modell Pistole 08 (and later by the MP18) was a direct descendant. Few of the German versions with the helical magazine survive. Other Mondragon rifles appear to have been used by the navy.[3]

There is this, but it wasn't in service until 1916 and then only in very small numbers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fedorov_Avtomat

The ejection systems were not really worked out until the 1920s-40s for most major nations.
 
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