So couple things I learned so far:
Volks vet is much better than Riflemen and it comes sooner.
Riflmen have to vet up to get something they should have anyway (AT snare) and get no combat bonuses until Vet 2 which again is a very slow process.
Riflemen are less effective than Volks at long range, although this isn't really surprising.
You know maybe the solution is just to give them the snare already then add an actual combat bonus at Vet 1?
I've always thought Strumpioneers shouldn't be a starting unit either. Should be a T2 unit like Royal Engineers which aren't nearly as good but for some reason they're a Platoon CP unit.
Volk vet kinda compensates for the lesser upgrades they get, However vet is free, where as 2 bars are 120 munis vs 60 for stgs
At snares being vet isn't that bad, rifles vet3 would probably have the same stats but you would need to pay fuel for it as an alternative, just look at cons.
Rifles are about average at every range most of the game. They are relatively survivable, but they never do a particularly large amount of damage for the associated costs, except at very close range < 10, they outperform other rifle armed units there.
Ex. Compare an lmg rifle to a gren, Grens get better offensive vet and a 60 muni lmg that does the same damage as rifles. At vet 3 grens are doing 23.48 damage vs 21.7 damage. But more hp and RA means rifles can probably win, even though they aren't really outperforming gren models who do 50% more damage than an unupgraded rifleman.r
Rifles should have their stats adjusted so they can be less of an okay at every range and more of a -this is how you use rifles fight at mid range. It could also help to give officers a more defined combat role that isn't the same as rifles just slightly better