G-3 will probably remain in service, Its a very good rifle, Cost effective and above all has the right calibre round. What i see is pakistani army equiping these with more attachements and scopes, Increasing the weapons effectivnes.
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the G-3 is an outdated design with an overpowered cartridge. Granted it was a good rifle for its time.
I think the best option for the Pakistan Army standard service rifle is the Ak-74m. Modern armies have shifted towards high velocity, low impulse and recoil, and lightweight military service cartridges.
The latest 5.45 variants have decent penetration capabilities, increased range(625m), high accuracy, and light weight (which allows more ammunition to be carried). Its low bolt thrust and recoil allows for better automatic fire accuracy. It is comparable to the 5.56 ammunition of NATO. In fact it was engineered as a response to it.
the Ak74m assault rifle is in almost identical in maintenance and training to the type 56 AKM variant currently used. It can be fitted with a host of modern russian optics, or even western optics with a weaver rail attatchment. It can be attatched with a gp25/30 underbarrel grenade launcher.
the Ak74m is currently the service rifle of the Russian army, arguably one of the most or possibly the most powerful land armies in the world. All ak-100 variants are based off the ak-74m with the only difference being cartridge caliber and/or barrel length. the Ak-105 is the carbine version of the ak74m in 5.45 caliber and is being introduced alongside for rear echelon, paratrooper, and for some special operations units in the Russian army.
Compared to the 5.56 nato, it's better. It's cheaper, more reliable, has a lighter weight, and better for automatic fire because of less recoil. "Tests indicate the free recoil energy delivered by the 5.45×39 mm AK-74 assault rifle is 3.39 J (2.50 ft·lb), compared to 6.44 J (4.75 ft·lb) delivered by the 5.56×45mm NATO in the M16 assault rifle and 7.19 J (5.30 ft·lb) delivered by the 7.62×39mm in the AKM assault rifle." type 56 is the chinese copy of the AKM.
After all, it was built to improve on the 5.56. However the cartridges are very similar. Most 5.56 assault rifles are expensive, difficult to maintain and train with, and unreliable and not durable, especially the m16/m4 series of rifles.
The 7.62x51 nato (current cartridge of the G-3) is unnecessarily overpowered and uncontrollable in rapid fire. Its also heavier which means less ammunition to be carried. This cartridge should only be used in a designated marksman or sniper role, like the similar 7.62x54R in the SVD dragunov.
The 7.62x39 of the type56/AKM/Ak103 is not very accurate, heavy in weight, heavy in recoil, not very controllable in automatic fire, and its range is relatively short. The only advantage is somewhat increased penetration of hard targets. However with modern variants of 5.45 and 5.56 such as the 7n10, 7n22 5.45 and m855, m855a1 5.56, the distinction is nearly gone. They are almost equal in penetrating hard targets and cover.
Besides most body armor plates can block 7.62 caliber rounds. to penetrate heavy armor you would need multiple hits(easier with accurate automatic fire) or a higher caliber (338 lapua magnum sniper or 12.7mm sniper or heavy machine gun). An increase in the amount of designated marksmen (7.62 possibly SVD, PSG1 or modified G-3) as well as snipers (.338 and 12.7mm) per unit is preferred to extend squad and platoon range and penetration against important targets.
