AK-47: Difference between revisions
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{{about|the assault rifle}} |
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BIG GUN THAT SHOOTS WEINERS |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}} |
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{{Infobox Weapon |
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|name=AK-47<ref group=N>Table data are for AK-47 with Type 3 receiver.</ref> |
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|image=[[File:АК-47.jpg|300px]] |
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|caption = AK-47 with 6H3 bayonet |
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|origin=[[Soviet Union]] <!-- Read WP:INFOBOXFLAG before you put a flag here --> |
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|type=[[Assault rifle]] |
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<!-- Type selection --> |
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|is_ranged=Yes |
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<!-- Service history --> |
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|service=1949–present<br />1949–1980s (USSR) |
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|used_by=See ''[[#Users|Users]]'' |
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|wars= |
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<!-- Production history --> |
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|designer=[[Mikhail Kalashnikov]] |
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|design_date=1946–1948{{sfn|Monetchikov|2005|loc=chpts. 6 and 7|ps= (if AK-46 and −47 are to be seen as separate designs).}} |
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|manufacturer=[[Izhmash]] and various others including [[Norinco]] |
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|production_date=1949–1959<ref name=Popenker>{{cite web |author=Maksim Popenker |title=Kalashnikov AK (AK-47) AKS, AKM and AKMS assault rifles (USSR) |work=World Guns. Modern Firearms & Ammunition |date=5 February 2009 |url=http://world.guns.ru/assault/rus/ak-akm-e.html |accessdate=14 March 2011}}</ref> |
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|number=≈ 75 million AK-47s, 100 million [[Kalashnikov rifle|Kalashnikov-family]] weapons.<ref name=k3>{{cite web |author=Phillip Killicoat |title=Weaponomics: The Global Market for Assault Rifles |work=World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 4202 (Post-Conflict Transitions Working Paper No. 10) |publisher=[[University of Oxford|Oxford University]] |date=April 2007 |url=http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2007/04/13/000016406_20070413145045/Rendered/PDF/wps4202.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=3 April 2010 |page=3}}</ref><ref name=foxnews>{{cite web |title=AK-47 Inventor Doesn't Lose Sleep Over Havoc Wrought With His Invention |publisher=[[Fox News]] |date=6 July 2007 |location=USA |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288456,00.html |accessdate=3 April 2010 |oclc=36334372}}</ref> |
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|variants=See ''[[#Variants|Variants]]'' |
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|weight=Without magazine:<br />{{convert|3.47|kg|lb|abbr=on}}<br>Magazine, empty:<br />{{convert|0.43|kg|lb|abbr=on}} (early issue){{sfn|НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АК|1967|pp=161–162}}<br />{{convert|0.33|kg|lb|abbr=on}} (steel){{sfn|НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АКМ (АКМС)|1983|pp=149–150}}<br />{{convert|0.25|kg|lb|abbr=on}} (plastic)<ref name=izhmash>{{cite web|title=AKM (AK-47) Kalashnikov modernized assault rifle, caliber 7.62mm |publisher=[[Izhmash]] |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20141006092719/http://www.izhmash.ru/eng/product/akm.shtml}}</ref><br />{{convert|0.17|kg|lb|abbr=on}} (light alloy){{sfn|НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АКМ (АКМС)|1983|pp=149–150}} |
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|length=Fixed wooden stock:<br />{{convert|880|mm|abbr=on}}<ref name=izhmash/><br />{{convert|875|mm|abbr=on|1}} folding stock extended<br />{{convert|645|mm|abbr=on|1}} stock folded{{sfn|НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АК|1967|pp=161–162}} |
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|part_length=Overall length:<br />{{convert|415|mm|abbr=on|1}}<ref name=izhmash/><br>Rifled bore length:<br>{{convert|369|mm|abbr=on|1}}<ref name=izhmash/> |
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<!-- Ranged weapon specifications --> |
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|cartridge = [[7.62×39mm]] |
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|action=[[Gas-operated reloading|Gas-operated]], [[rotating bolt]] |
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|rate=Cyclic rate of fire:<br />600 rds/min<ref name=izhmash/><br>Practical rate of fire:<br />Semi-auto 40 rds/min<ref name=izhmash/><br />Full-auto 100 rds/min<ref name=izhmash/> |
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|velocity={{convert|715|m/s|abbr=on}}<ref name=izhmash/> |
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|range={{convert|350|m|yd|abbr=on}}<ref name=izhmash/> |
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|feed=30-round detachable box magazine<ref name=izhmash/><br />There are also 5- 10-, 20- and 40-round box and 75- and 100-round [[drum magazine|drum]] [[magazine (firearm)|magazine]]s available |
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|sights =100–800 m adjustable [[iron sights]]<br />Sight radius:<br />{{convert|378|mm|abbr=on|1}}<ref name=izhmash/> |
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}} |
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The '''AK-47''' is a [[selective fire|selective-fire]], [[gas operated|gas-operated]] [[7.62×39mm]] [[assault rifle]], first developed in the [[Soviet Union]] by [[Mikhail Kalashnikov]]. It is officially known in the Soviet documentation as ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' ({{lang-ru|'''А'''втомат '''К'''алашникова}}). It is also known as '''Kalashnikov''', '''AK''', or in Russian slang, '''Kalash'''. |
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Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year of World War II (1945). After the war in 1946, the AK-47 was presented for official military trials. In 1948, the fixed-stock version was introduced into active service with selected units of the [[Soviet Army]]. An early development of the design was the '''AKS''' (S—''Skladnoy'' or "folding"), which was equipped with an underfolding metal [[stock (firearms)|shoulder stock]]. In 1949, the AK-47 was officially accepted by the [[Soviet Armed Forces]]{{sfnm|Monetchikov|2005|1p=67|Bolotin|1995|2p=129}} and used by the majority of the member states of the [[Warsaw Pact]]. |
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Even after six decades the model and its variants remain the most popular and widely used assault rifles in the world because of their substantial reliability under harsh conditions, low production costs compared to contemporary Western weapons, availability in virtually every geographic region and ease of use. The AK-47 has been manufactured in many countries and has seen service with armed forces as well as [[irregular military|irregular forces]] worldwide, and was the basis for developing many other types of individual and crew-served firearms. As of 2004, out of the estimated 500 million firearms worldwide, approximately 100 million belong to the Kalashnikov family, three-quarters of which are AK-47s.<ref name=k3/> |
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==History== |
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===Origins=== |
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Throughout World War II, Soviet soldiers found themselves consistently outgunned by heavily armed German troops, especially those armed with the [[StG 44|Sturmgewehr StG 44]] assault rifles, which the Germans fielded in large numbers.{{sfn|Rottman|2011|p=9}}<ref name=foxnews>{{cite web |title=AK-47 Inventor Doesn't Lose Sleep Over Havoc Wrought With His Invention. "It was before he started designing the gun that he slept badly, worried about the superior weapons that Nazi soldiers were using with grisly effectiveness against the Red Army in World War II. He saw them at close range himself, while fighting on the front lines. While hospitalized with wounds after a Nazi shell hit his tank in the 1941 battle of Bryansk, Kalashnikov decided to design an automatic rifle combining the best features of the American M1 and the German StG44. "Blame the Nazi Germans for making me become a gun designer," said Kalashnikov, frail but sharp at age 87. "I always wanted to construct agriculture machinery." |publisher=[[Fox News|FoxNews.com]] |date=6 July 2007|location=USA |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288456,00.html |accessdate=3 April 2010 |oclc=36334372}}</ref><ref name="Machine Carbine Promoted">[http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/ttt07/stg44-assault-rifle.html "Machine Carbine Promoted"] Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 57, April 1945.</ref><ref>http://www.worldpress.org/cover5.htm "Born in November 1919—one of 18 children, of whom only six survived—Mikhail Kalashnikov was a Soviet T-38 tank commander in 1941, wounded in the shoulder and back when a German shell smashed part of the tank’s armor into his body. "I was in the hospital, and a soldier in the bed beside me asked: ‘Why do our soldiers have only one rifle for two or three of our men, when the Germans have automatics?’ So I designed one. I was a soldier, and I created a machine gun for a soldier. It was called an Avtomat Kalashnikova, the automatic weapon of Kalashnikov—AK—and it carried the date of its first manufacture, 1947." An interview with Mikhail Kalashnikov, Robert Fisk, The Independent (centrist), London, England. April 22, 2001.</ref><ref name="armedforcesmuseum.com">http://armedforcesmuseum.com/ak-47-assault-rifle/ | Armed Forces History Museum, AK-47 assault rifle</ref><ref>[http://www.oneworld-publications.com/pdfs/Small%20Arms%20Trade_ch1_22%20Nov.pdf Chapter 1. Symbol of violence, war and culture]. oneworld-publications.com</ref><ref name="washingtonpost2006">[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/24/AR2006112400788.html Weapon Of Mass Destruction]. Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-19.</ref><ref>http://pogoarchives.org/labyrinth/09/02.pdf M16 Rifle Case Study. Prepared for the Presidents Blue Ribbon Defense Panel. March 16, 1970. By Richard R. Hallock, Colonel U.S. Army (Retired) "Used in quantity against the Soviets at Stalingrad, the German Sturmgewehr made a deep impression on the Russians. They copied the ballistics of the cartridge while improving the configuration and improving the weapon. They standardized the weapon in 1947 as the AK-47 rifle."</ref> The select-fire StG 44 was chambered for a new [[intermediate cartridge]], the [[7.92×33mm Kurz]], and combined the firepower of a submachine gun with the range and accuracy of a rifle.<ref name="Machine Carbine Promoted"/> |
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On July 15, 1943, a Sturmgewehr was demonstrated before the [[People's Commissariat of Arms of the USSR]].<ref name="english.pravda.ru">http://english.pravda.ru/history/02-08-2003/3461-kalashnikov-0/ "The history of the world-known gun started on July 15th, 1943, when a captured complex—an MP-43 gun and a cartridge—were demonstrated at a meeting of the arms committee. Chief designer Nikolay Elizarov and chief engineer Pavel Ryazanov created the Soviet "interim cartridge " within a very short period of time. The technological support was provided by Boris Syomin. After that, scientists started working on a new fire arms system for that cartridge." The History of Kalashnikov Gun. Pravda. |
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02.08.2003</ref> The Soviets were so impressed with the Sturmgewehr, that they immediately set about developing an intermediate caliber automatic rifle of their own, to replace the badly outdated [[Mosin–Nagant]] bolt-action rifles and [[PPSh-41]] submachine guns that armed most of the Soviet Army.<ref name="armedforcesmuseum.com"/><ref name="english.pravda.ru"/><ref>http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/guns/2006/02/father-100-million-rifles "Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. Kalashnikov, by then a sergeant, was injured within months when a shell stopped his T-34 tank and sent shrapnel through his shoulder. As Soviet history tells it, while Sgt. Kalashnikov recuperated, he began tinkering with infantry weapons, eventually setting his mind on designing a lightweight automatic assault rifle that would expel the better-armed Nazis from Russian soil. Soviet infantry fought World War II with two basic small arms: one was the badly outdated Mosin–Nagant Model 1891 bolt-action rifle. The other was the PPSh series of submachine guns, reliable arms that were effective but only at short range. Something better was needed, and that something was in the hands of the Nazi Wehrmacht. It was called the MP44 Sturmgewehr (assault rifle), and it could fire in full or semiautomatic mode. Chambered for a revolutionary new cartridge, a short 7.92mm round that was less powerful than a full-size rifle cartridge, yet far more powerful than the pistol cartridges for which submachine guns were chambered, the Sturmgewehr made a deep impression on the Soviets who faced it." The Father of 100 Million Rifles Mikhail Kalashnikov was a poor russian farm boy who happened to be a mechanical genius, and for better or for worse, the rifle he designed has changed history. Article by C.J. Chivers. Uploaded on February 28, 2006</ref><ref>[http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/weapons/ak-47-questions-about-most-important-gun-ever History of AK-47 Gun – The Gun Book Review]. Popular Mechanics (2010-10-12). Retrieved on 2012-02-09.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scribd.com/jdeere2012/d/77028741-American-Rifle-a-biography |title=Scribd |publisher=Scribd |accessdate=2012-08-23}}</ref><ref>http://pogoarchives.org/labyrinth/09/02.pdf M16 Rifle Case Study. Prepared for the Presidents Blue Ribbon Defense Panel. March 16, 1970. By Richard R. Hallock, Colonel U.S. Army (Retired) "Used in quantity against the Soviets at Stalingrad, the German Sturmgewehr made a deep impression on the Russians. They copied the ballistics of the cartridge while improving the configuration and improving the weapon. They standardized the weapon in 1947 as the AK-47 rifle."</ref> |
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The Soviets soon developed the [[7.62x39mm|7.62×39mm M43 cartridge]], the semi-automatic [[SKS|SKS carbine]] and the [[RPD machine gun|RPD light machine gun]].<ref name="virginia1774.org">http://www.virginia1774.org/DIA-ST-HB-07-03-74.pdf Small Arms Identifiction and Operations Guide-Eurasain Communist Countries. by Harold E. Johnson. September 1973. U.S. Army Foreign Science and Technology Center of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.</ref> Shortly after World War II, the Soviets developed the AK-47 assault rifle, which would quickly replace the SKS in Soviet service.<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/oct/10/russia.nickpatonwalsh Interview with AK-47 rifle inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov. 'I sleep soundly' Shamed by his parents' exile, he was determined to do his bit for the Soviet cause. And so Mikhail Kalashnikov invented what was to become the world's most prolific killing machine. Nick Paton Walsh tracks down the 83-year-old at his tranquil lakeside. by Nick Paton Walsh. ''The Guardian'', Thursday 9 October 2003</ref><ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/rbth/6453703/Russia-celebrates-Mikhail-Kalashnikovs-90th-birthday-the-designer-who-armed-the-world.html Interview with AK-47 rifle inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov. Russia celebrates Mikhail Kalashnikov's 90th birthday - the designer who armed the world. This online supplement is produced and published by ''Rossiyskaya Gazeta'' (Russia), which takes sole responsibility for the content.</ref> In the 1960s, the Soviets introduced the [[RPK|RPK light machine gun]], itself an AK-47 type weapon with a stronger receiver, a longer heavy barrel, and a bipod, that would eventually replace the RPD light machine gun.<ref name="virginia1774.org"/> |
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===Development and competition=== |
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[[Mikhail Kalashnikov]] began his career as a weapon designer while in a hospital after he was shot in the shoulder during the [[Battle of Bryansk]].<ref name=foxnews/>{{sfn|Bolotin|1995|pp=123–124}} After tinkering with a submachine gun design in 1942{{sfn|Bolotin|1995|p=123}} and with a light machine gun in 1943,{{sfn|Monetchikov|2005|p=38}}<ref>{{cite book|author=David Naumovich Bolotin; [translation: Igor F. Naftul'eff ; edited by John Walter, Heikki Pohjolainen]|title=Soviet Small-arms and Ammunition|year=1995|publisher=Finnish Arms Museum Foundation (Suomen asemuseosäätiö)|location=Hyvinkää|isbn=9519718419|page=150}}</ref> in 1944 he entered a competition for a new weapon that would chamber the 7.62×41mm cartridge developed by Yelizarov and Syomin in 1943 (the 7.62×41mm cartridge predated the current [[7.62×39mm|7.62×39mm M1943]]).{{citation needed|date=July 2013}} In the 1944 competition for intermediate cartridge weapons, Kalashnikov submitted a semi-automatic, gas-operated carbine, strongly influenced by the American [[M1 Garand]], but that lost out to a Simonov design, which was adopted as the [[SKS-45]].<ref>{{cite book|author=David Naumovich Bolotin; [translation: Igor F. Naftul'eff ; edited by John Walter, Heikki Pohjolainen]|title=Soviet Small-arms and Ammunition|year=1995|publisher=Finnish Arms Museum Foundation (Suomen asemuseosäätiö)|location=Hyvinkää|isbn=9519718419|page=115}}</ref> |
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In the fully automatic weapon category, the specifications (тактико-технические требования – TTT) number 2456-43<ref name="K2010_3">Руслан Чумак, [http://www.kalashnikov.ru/upload/medialibrary/4dd/014_020.pdf Казалось бы мелочи] ''КАЛАШНИКОВ. ОРУЖИЕ, БОЕПРИПАСЫ, СНАРЯЖЕНИЕ'' 2010/3, p. 15</ref> passed down by the [[GRAU|GAU]] in November 1943 were rather ambitious: the weapon was to have a 500–520 mm long barrel and had to weigh no more than 5 kg, including a folding [[bipod]]. Despite this, many Soviet designers participated in this category, Tokarev, Korovin, Degtyarev, Shpagin, Simonov, and Prilutsky are some of the more prominent names who submitted designs;{{sfn|Monetchikov|2005|p=26}} Kalashnikov did not submit an entry for this contest.<ref name="K2010_3"/> A gun presented by [[Alexey Sudayev|Sudayev]], the AS-44 (weight: 5.6 kg, barrel length 505 mm), came up ahead in the mid-1944 trials. |
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However subsequent field trials conducted in 1945 found it to be too heavy for the average soldier and Sudayev was asked to lighten his gun; his lightened variant (5.35 kg, 485 mm barrel) turned out to be less reliable and less accurate. In October 1945, the GAU was convinced to dispense with the built-in bipod requirement; Sudayev's gun in this variant, called OAS (облегченный автомат Судаева – ОАС), weighed only 4.8 kg. Sudayev however fell ill and died in 1946, preventing further development.<ref>Sergei Monetchikov (October 2002). [http://www.bratishka.ru/archiv/2002/9/2002_9_8.php РУССКИЕ ОРУЖЕЙНИКИ: Жизнь, оборвавшаяся на взлете]. bratishka.ru</ref>{{sfn|Bolotin|1995|pp=127}}{{sfn|Monetchikov|2005|p=35}} |
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The experience gained from the reliability issues of the lightened Sudayev design convinced the GAU that a brand new competition had to be held, and for this round the requirements were explicitly stated: a wholesale replacement of the PPSh-41 and [[PPS-43]] sub-machine guns was what they were after. The new competition was initiated in 1946 under GAU TTT number 3131-45. Ten designs had been submitted by August 1946.{{sfn|Monetchikov|2005|p=36}} |
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Kalashnikov and his design team from factory number two in [[Kovrov]] submitted an entry. It was a gas-operated rifle which had a breech-block mechanism similar to his 1944 carbine, and a curved 30-round magazine. Kalashnikov's rifles (codenamed AK-1 and −2, the former with a milled [[receiver (firearms)|receiver]] and the latter with a stamped one) proved to be reliable and the weapon was accepted to second round of competition along with designs by A. A. Dementyev (KB-P-520) and A. A. Bulkin (TKB-415). In late 1946, as the rifles were being tested, one of Kalashnikov's assistants, Aleksandr Zaitsev, suggested a major redesign of AK-1, particularly to improve reliability. At first, Kalashnikov was reluctant, given that their rifle had already fared better than its competitors. Eventually, however, Zaitsev managed to persuade Kalashnikov. The new rifle (factory name KB-P-580) proved to be simple and reliable under a wide range of conditions with convenient handling characteristics; prototypes with serial numbers one to three were completed in November 1947. Production of the first army trial series began in early 1948 at the [[Izhevsk]] factory number 524,{{sfn|Monetchikov|2005|p=64}} and in 1949 it was adopted by the Soviet Army as "7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK)".{{sfnm|Monetchikov|2005|1p=67|Bolotin|1995|2p=129}} |
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===Design=== |
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[[File:AK-47 type II Part DM-ST-89-01131.jpg|thumb|350px|right|A Type 2 AK-47, the first machined receiver variation]] |
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The AK-47 is best described as a hybrid of previous rifle technology innovations:<ref name=Wasserman>{{cite web |author=Anatoly Wasserman |authorlink=Anatoly Wasserman |script-title=ru:Великий компилятор |trans_title=The Great Compilator |language=Russian |work=Компьютерра-Онлайн |date=23 February 2010 |url=http://awas1952.ru/videoblog/kto-na-samom-dele-sozdal-avtomat-kalashnikova.html |accessdate=15 September 2011 }}</ref> the trigger mechanism,<ref>{{cite journal |author=Peter Kokalis |title=Israel's Deadly Desert Fighter |journal=[[Soldier of Fortune (magazine)|Soldier of Fortune]] |date=July 1983 |publisher=Omega Group |location=USA |url=http://www.ak-47.net/ak47/galil.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19991004151710/http://www.ak-47.net/ak47/galil.html |archivedate=4 October 1999 |issn=0145-6784<!-- |oclc=2778757-->}}</ref> double locking lugs and unlocking raceway{{Citation needed|date=March 2013}} of the [[M1 Garand rifle|M1 Garand]]/[[M1 carbine]], the safety mechanism of the [[John Browning]] designed [[Remington Model 8]] rifle,{{Citation needed|date=March 2013}} and the gas system of the [[Sturmgewehr 44]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2013}} |
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Kalashnikov borrowed the long stroke piston design from the [[M1 Garand]], with the op rod and piston mounted on the top instead of the bottom of the rifle.<ref name="The AR-15 2010">Patrick Sweeney (2010) ''The Gun Digest Book of The AR-15'', Vol. 3. Gun Digest Books. p. 20. ISBN 1440213763.</ref> |
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Kalashnikov's team had access to all of these weapons and had no need to "reinvent the wheel",<ref name=Wasserman/> though he denied that his design was based on the German [[Sturmgewehr 44]] assault rifle.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20120426032441/http://www.powercustom.com/AKPages/MikhailKalashnikov.htm |title=Mikhail Kalashnikov |author=Val Shilin |author2=Charlie Cutshaw |publisher=Power Custom |accessdate=19 October 2008}}</ref> Kalashnikov himself observed: "A lot of Russian Army soldiers ask me how one can become a constructor, and how new weaponry is designed. These are very difficult questions. Each designer seems to have his own paths, his own successes and failures. But one thing is clear: before attempting to create something new, it is vital to have a good appreciation of everything that already exists in this field. I myself have had many experiences confirming this to be so."{{sfn|Bolotin|1995|pp=123–124}} |
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There are claims about Kalashnikov copying other designs, like Bulkin's TKB-415<ref name=Popenker/> or Simonov's AVS-31.<ref>{{cite book |author=Andrei Kuptsov |script-title=ru:Странная история оружия: С. Г. Симонов, неизвестный гений России, или кто и как разоружил русского солдата |trans_title=Odd History of Weapons: S. G. Simonov, an Unknown Genius of Russia, or How and Who Disarmed the Russian Soldier |language=Russian |page=262 |year=2001 |publisher=Kraft+ |location=Moscow |isbn=978-5-93675-025-0}}</ref> |
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===Receiver development=== |
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[[File:AKMS and AK-47 DD-ST-85-01270.jpg|thumb|AKMS with a Type 4B receiver (top), and an AK-47 with a Type 2A]] |
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There were many difficulties during the initial phase of production. The first production models had stamped sheet metal [[receiver (firearms)|receivers]]. Difficulties were encountered in welding the guide and ejector rails, causing high rejection rates.{{sfn|Poyer|2006|pp=8–11}} Instead of halting production, a heavy machined receiver was substituted for the sheet metal receiver. This was a more costly process, but the use of machined receivers accelerated production as tooling and labor for the earlier [[Mosin–Nagant]] rifle's machined receiver were easily adapted. Partly because of these problems, the Soviets were not able to distribute large numbers of the new rifle to soldiers until 1956. During this time, production of the interim [[SKS]] rifle continued.{{sfn|Poyer|2006|pp=8–11}} |
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Once manufacturing difficulties had been overcome, a redesigned version designated the [[AKM]] (M for "modernized" or "upgraded"; in Russian: ''Автомат Калашникова Модернизированный [Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovanniy])'' was introduced in 1959.<ref name=e36/> This new model used a stamped sheet metal receiver and featured a slanted [[muzzle brake]] on the end of the [[gun barrel|barrel]] to compensate for [[muzzle rise]] under recoil. In addition, a hammer retarder was added to prevent the weapon from firing out of battery (without the bolt being fully closed), during rapid or automatic fire.{{sfn|Poyer|2006|pp=8–11}} This is also sometimes referred to as a "cyclic rate reducer", or simply "rate reducer", as it also has the effect of reducing the number of rounds fired per minute during automatic fire. It was also roughly one-third lighter than the previous model.<ref name=e36>{{cite book |author=Edward Ezell |authorlink=Edward Ezell |title=The AK47 story: evolution of the Kalashnikov weapons |date=1 March 1986 |publisher=[[Stackpole Books]] |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=LsYqAQAAMAAJ |isbn=978-0-8117-0916-3 |page=36}}</ref> |
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Both licensed and unlicensed production of the Kalashnikov weapons abroad were almost exclusively of the AKM variant, partially due to the much easier production of the stamped receiver. This model is the most commonly encountered, having been produced in much greater quantities. All rifles based on the Kalashnikov design are frequently referred to as AK-47s in the West, although this is only correct when applied to rifles based on the original three receiver types.{{sfn|Poyer|2006|p=2}} In most former Eastern Bloc countries, the weapon is known simply as the "Kalashnikov" or "AK". The photo above at right illustrates the differences between the Type 2 milled receiver and the Type 4 stamped, including the use of rivets rather than welds on the stamped receiver, as well as the placement of a small dimple above the magazine well for stabilization of the magazine. |
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; margin:auto;" |
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|- |
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! Receiver type |
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! Description |
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|- |
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! Type 1A/B |
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| Original stamped receiver for AK-47. -1B modified for underfolding stock. A large hole is present on each side to accommodate the hardware for the underfolding stock. |
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(this naming convention continues with all types) |
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|- |
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! Type 2A/B |
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| Milled from steel forging. |
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|- |
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! Type 3A/B |
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| "Final" version of the milled receiver, from steel bar stock. The most ubiquitous example of the milled-receiver AK-47. |
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|- |
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! Type 4A/B |
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| Stamped AKM receiver. Overall, the most-used design in the construction of the AK-series rifles. |
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|} |
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In 1974, the Soviets began replacing their AK-47 and AKM rifles with a newer design, the [[AK-74]], which uses [[5.45×39mm]] ammunition. This new rifle and cartridge had only started to be manufactured in Eastern European nations when the [[Collapse of the Soviet Union|Soviet Union collapsed]], drastically slowing production of the AK-74 and other weapons of the former Soviet bloc. |
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==Features== |
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The AK-47 was designed to be a simple, reliable automatic rifle that could be manufactured quickly and cheaply, using mass production methods that were state of the art in the Soviet Union during the late 1940s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/20030423.asp |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070325171640/http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/20030423.asp |archivedate=25 March 2007 |title=An AK for Every Market by James Dunnigan April 23, 2003 |publisher=strategypage.com |accessdate=26 June 2009}}</ref> The large gas piston, generous clearances between moving parts, and tapered cartridge case design allow the gun to endure large amounts of foreign matter and fouling without failing to cycle. This reliability comes at the expense of accuracy, as the looser tolerances do not allow for precision and consistency. |
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===Operating cycle=== |
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[[File:Viet Cong soldier DD-ST-99-04298.jpg|thumb|left|[[Vietcong]] guerrilla stands beneath a Vietcong flag carrying his AK-47 rifle. Note: fire selector, bolt handle and magazine lever.]] |
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[[File:Chinese type 56 AK47.jpg|thumb|The gas-operated mechanism of a [[Type 56 assault rifle|Chinese AK-47]]]] |
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The AK-47 uses a long stroke gas system, as was found in the [[M1 Garand]].<ref name="The AR-15 2010"/> To fire, the operator inserts a loaded [[Magazine (firearm)|magazine]], pulls back and releases the charging handle, and then pulls the [[Trigger (firearms)|trigger]]. In semi-automatic, the firearm fires only once, requiring the trigger to be released and depressed again for the next shot. In full-automatic, the rifle continues to fire automatically cycling fresh rounds into the chamber, until the magazine is exhausted or pressure is released from the trigger. As each bullet travels through the barrel, a portion of the gases expanding behind it is diverted into the gas tube above the barrel, where it acts on the [[Gas-operated reloading#Long-stroke piston|gas piston]]. The piston, in turn, is driven backward, pushing the [[Bolt (firearm)|bolt]] carrier, which causes the bolt to move backwards, ejecting the spent round, and chambering a new round when the recoil spring pushes it forward.<ref name="army">Department of the Army. [[wikisource:en:AK-47 Operator's Manual]]. 203d Military Intelligence Battalion.</ref> |
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This long-stroke piston design used by the AK-47 (and notably in the designs of the M1 Garand and [[IMI Tavor]])<ref name="Dockery 2007 102"/> is generally associated with greater reliability in adverse conditions.<ref>''The Battle Rifle: Development and Use Since World War II'', By Russell C. Tilstra, (McFarland 2014) page 25-28</ref> |
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===Fire selector=== |
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The prototype of the AK-47, had a separate fire selector and safety.<ref name=Popenker-Williams>{{cite book |author=Maxim Popenker |author2=Anthony G Williams |title=Assault Rifle |year=2005 |publisher=Crowood Press |url=http://books.google.com/?id=TNwgAAAACAAJ |isbn=978-1-86126-700-9}}{{Page needed|date=February 2013}}</ref> These were later combined in the production version to simplify the design. The fire selector is a large lever located on the right side of the rifle, it acts as a dust-cover and prevents the charging handle from being pulled fully to the rear when it is on safe.<ref name="arsenalinc1">Peter G. Kokalis, [http://www.arsenalinc.com/usa/imgs/articles/BulgarianAK.pdf Kalashnikovs – 3 of the best]. arsenalinc.com</ref> It is operated by the shooter's right fore-fingers and has 3 settings: safe (up), full-auto (center), and semi-auto (down).<ref name="arsenalinc1"/> The reason for this is, under stress a soldier will push the selector lever down with considerable force bypassing the full-auto stage and setting the rifle to semi-auto.<ref name="arsenalinc1"/> To set the AK-47 to full-auto requires the deliberate action of centering the selector lever.<ref name="arsenalinc1"/> To operate the fire selector lever, right handed shooters have to briefly remove their right hand from the pistol grip, which is ergonomically sub-optimal. Some AK-type rifles also have a more traditional selector lever on the left side of the receiver just above the pistol grip.<ref name="arsenalinc1"/> This lever is operated by the shooter's right thumb and has three settings: safe (forward), full-auto (center), and semi-auto (backward).<ref name="arsenalinc1"/> |
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===Magazines=== |
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[[File:Bakelite AK magazines.jpg|thumb|"Bakelite" rust-colored steel-reinforced 30-round plastic box 7.62×39mm AK magazines. Three magazines have an "arrow in triangle" [[Izhmash]] arsenal mark on the bottom right. The other magazine has a "star" [[Tula Arms Plant|Tula]] arsenal mark on the bottom right.]] |
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The standard magazine capacity is 30 rounds. There are also 10, 20 and 40-round box magazines, as well as 75-round [[drum magazine|drum]] magazines. |
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The AK-47's 30-round magazines have a pronounced curve that allows them to smoothly feed ammunition into the chamber. Their heavy steel construction combined with "feed-lips" (the surfaces at the top of the magazine that control the angle at which the cartridge enters the chamber) machined from a single steel billet makes them highly resistant to damage. These magazines are so strong that "Soldiers have been known to use their mags as hammers, and even bottle openers."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=419|title=Identifying & Collecting the 7.62×39 AK-47/AKM Magazine|work=Small Arms Defense Journal|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjeiCbVUEyA The many uses of an AK-47 magazine video. YouTube (2015-04-01).</ref> This contributes to the AK-47 magazine being more reliable, but makes it heavier than U.S. and NATO magazines. |
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The early slab-sided steel AK-47 30-round detachable box magazines weigh {{convert|.43|kg|lb|abbr=on}} empty.<ref name="Dockery">Dockery, Kevin (2007). Future Weapons. p. 102. ISBN 0425217507.</ref> The later steel AKM 30-round magazines had lighter sheet-metal bodies with prominent reinforcing ribs weighing {{convert|.33|kg|lbabbr=on}} empty.<ref name="Dockery"/><ref name="scribd2">{{cite web|url=http://www.scribd.com/doc/38483061/Ak-47-Technical-Description-Manual |title=Ak 47 Technical Description - Manual |publisher=Scribd.com |date=2010-09-30 |accessdate=2012-08-23}}</ref> To further reduce weight a light weight magazine with an aluminum body weighing {{convert|.19|kg|lb|abbr=on}} empty was introduced for the AKM that proved to be insubstantial and was quickly withdrawn from service. As a replacement steel-reinforced 30-round plastic 7.62×39mm box magazines were introduced. These [[Rust (color)|rust-colored]] magazines weigh {{convert|.24|kg|lb|abbr=on}} empty and are often mistakenly identified as being made of [[Bakelite]] (a [[phenolic resin]]), but were actually fabricated from two-parts of AG-S4 molding compound (a [[glass-filled polymer|glass-reinforced]] phenol-formaldehyde binder impregnated composite), assembled using an [[epoxy resin]] adhesive.<ref name="Kokalis">{{cite web|url=http://www.arsenalinc.com/usa/imgs/articles/BulgarianAK.pdf|title=Kalashnikovs 3 of the best|publisher="Shotgun News" magazine, Vol. 59 Issue no. 12 - May, 2005|accessdate=10 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="AG-S4">{{cite web|url=http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00867112?LI=true#page-1|title=Elastic characteristics of AG-4S glass-reinforced plastic under short-time and long-time loads|publisher=VM Grezin - Mechanics of Composite Materials, 1966 - Springer|accessdate=10 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="Kokalis_49">Kokalis, 49</ref> Noted for their durability, these magazines did however compromise the rifle's camouflage and lacked the small horizontal reinforcing ribs running down both sides of the magazine body near the front that were added on all later plastic magazine generations.<ref name="Kokalis_49"/> A second generation steel-reinforced dark-brown (color shades vary from [[maroon]] to [[Plum (color)|plum]] to near [[black]]) 30-round 7.62×39mm magazine was introduced in the early 1980s, fabricated from [[Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene|ABS]] plastic. The third generation steel-reinforced 30-round 7.62×39mm magazine is similar to the second generation, but is darker colored and has a matte nonreflective surface finish. The current issue steel-reinforced matte true black nonreflective surface finished 7.62×39mm 30-round magazines, fabricated from ABS plastic weigh {{convert|.25|kg|lb|abbr=on}} empty.<ref name="izhmash.ru">{{cite web|url=http://www.izhmash.ru/eng/product/akm.shtml|title=�фициальный сайт группы предприятий "ИЖМАШ"|publisher=|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> |
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Early steel AK-47 magazines are {{convert|9.75|in|mm|abbr=on}} long, and the later ribbed steel AKM and newer plastic 7.62×39mm magazines are about {{convert|1|in|mm|abbr=on}} shorter.<ref name="dtic.mil">[http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA046961 Rifle Evaluation Study], United States Army, Combat Development Command, ADA046961, 20 Dec 1962</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Are+kalashnikov+magazines+as+robust+as+their+reputation%3F+He+tormented...-a0262692779|title=Are kalashnikov magazines as robust as their reputation? He tormented a selection of AR magazines last year, now he takes on the AK. The results you may find surprising.|publisher=|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> |
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The transition from steel to mainly plastic magazines yielded a significant weight reduction and allow a soldier to carry more rounds for the same weight. |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
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! style="background:#efefef;" | Rifle |
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! style="background:#efefef;" | Cartridge |
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! style="background:#efefef;" | Cartridge weight |
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! style="background:#efefef;" | Weight of empty magazine |
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! style="background:#efefef;" | Weight of loaded magazine |
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! style="background:#efefef;" | Max. {{convert|10.12|kg|lbs|abbr=on}} ammunition load* |
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|- |
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| AK-47 (1949) |
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| [[7.62×39mm]] |
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| {{convert|16.3|g|gr|abbr=on}} |
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| slab-sided steel<br>{{convert|430|g|lb|abbr=on}} |
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| 30-rounds<br>{{convert|916|g|lbs|abbr=on}}<ref name="Dockery 2007 102">{{cite book|last=Dockery|first=Kevin|title=Future Weapons|year=2007|page=102|isbn=0-425-21750-7}}</ref> |
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| 11 magazines for 330 rounds<br>{{convert|10.12|kg|lbs|abbr=on}} |
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|- |
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| [[AKM]] (1957) |
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| 7.62×39mm |
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| {{convert|16.3|g|gr|abbr=on}} |
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| ribbed stamped-steel<br>{{convert|330|g|lbs|abbr=on}} |
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| 30-rounds<br>{{convert|819|g|lbs|abbr=on}}<ref name="scribd2"/><ref name="Dockery, Kevin 2007 p. 102">Dockery, Kevin (2007). Future Weapons. p. 102.</ref> |
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| 12 magazines for 360 rounds<br>{{convert|9.84|kg|lbs|abbr=on}} |
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|- |
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| [[AK-103]] (1994) |
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| 7.62×39mm |
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| {{convert|16.3|g|gr|abbr=on}} |
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| steel-reinforced plastic<br>{{convert|250|g|lbs|abbr=on}} |
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| 30-rounds<br>{{convert|739|g|lbs|abbr=on}}<ref name="scribd2"/><ref name="Dockery, Kevin 2007 p. 102"/> |
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| 13 magazines for 390 rounds<br>{{convert|9.62|kg|lbs|abbr=on}} |
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|} |
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<small>Note: All, 7.62×39mm AK magazines are backwards compatible with older AK variants.<br>Note *: 10.12 kg (22.3 lb) is the maximum amount of ammo that the average soldier can comfortably carry. It also allows for best comparison of the three most common 7.62×39mm AK platform magazines.</small> |
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Most Yugoslavian and some East German AK magazines were made with cartridge followers that hold the bolt open when empty; however, most AK magazine followers allow the bolt to close when the magazine is empty. |
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===Sights=== |
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[[File:AK47-rear-sight.jpg|thumb|right|Rear sight of a Chinese Type 56<br>Note: {{convert|100|to|800|m|yd|0|abbr=on}} settings and omission of a battle zero setting]] |
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The AK-47 uses a notched rear tangent [[iron sight]] calibrated in {{convert|100|m|yd|0|abbr=on}} increments from {{convert|100|to|800|m|yd|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="scribd1">{{cite web|url=http://www.scribd.com/doc/35165946/Ak-47-Technical-Manual|title=Ak 47 Technical Manual|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> The front sight is a post adjustable for elevation in the field. Horizontal adjustment is done by the armory before issue. The [[Point-blank range|"point-blank range"]] battle zero setting "'''П'''" on the 7.62×39mm AK-47 rear tangent sight element corresponds to a {{convert|300|m|yd|0|abbr=on}} zero.<ref name="scribd1"/>{{sfn|Rottman|2011|p=42}} These settings mirror the [[Mosin–Nagant]] and [[SKS]] rifles which the AK-47 replaced. For the AK-47 combined with service cartridges the 300 m battle zero setting limits the [[External ballistics#Bullet drop|apparent "bullet rise"]] within approximately {{convert|-5|to|+31|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} relative to the line of sight. Soldiers are instructed to fire at any target within this range by simply placing the sights on the center of mass (the belt buckle) of the enemy target. Any errors in range estimation are tactically irrelevant, as a well-aimed shot will hit the torso of the enemy soldier. Some AK-type rifles have a front sight with a flip-up luminous dot that is calibrated at {{convert|50|m|yd|0|abbr=on}}, for improved night fighting.<ref name="scribd1"/> |
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====Side rail==== |
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All current AKs (100 series) and some older models, have side rails for mounting a variety of scopes and sighting devices, such as the [[PSO-1|PSO-1 Optical Sniper Sight]].<ref>{{cite web |title=7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifles AK103, АК104 |publisher=[[Izhmash]] |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20141006102913/http://www.izhmash.ru/eng/product/ak103.shtml |accessdate=8 June 2012}}</ref> |
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The side rails allow for removal and remounting of optical accessories without interfering with the zeroing of the optic. However, the 100 series side folding stocks cannot be folded with the optics mounted. |
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===Accessories=== |
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[[File:AK-47 bayonet and scabbard.jpg|thumb|left|AK-47 6H3 bayonet and scabbard]] |
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Accessories supplied with the rifle include a {{convert|387|mm|in|abbr=on}} long 6H3 [[bayonet]] featuring a {{convert|200|mm|in|abbr=on}} long spear point blade. The AK-47 bayonet is installed by slipping the {{convert|17.7|mm|in|abbr=on}} diameter muzzle ring around the muzzle and latching the handle down on the bayonet lug under the front sight base.<ref name="worldbayonets.com">Ralph E. Cobb (2010) [http://worldbayonets.com/Misc__Pages/ak_bayonets/ak_bayonets.html AK Bayonets 101 – The Four Basic Types]. worldbayonets.com</ref> |
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[[File:AK103 GP 34.jpg|thumb|AK-103 with [[GP-25|GP-34]] Grenade Launcher]] |
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All current model AK-47 rifles can mount under-barrel 40 mm grenade launchers such as the [[GP-25]] and its variants, which can fire up to 20 rounds per minute and have an effective range of up to 400 metres.<ref>{{cite web |title=40 mm underbarrel grenade launcher GP-34 |publisher=[[Izhmash]] |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20141006102913/http://www.izhmash.ru/eng/product/gp-34.shtml |accessdate=20 October 2012}}</ref> The main grenade is the VOG-25 (VOG-25M) fragmentation grenade which has a 6 m (9 m) (20 ft (30 ft)) lethality radius. The VOG-25P/VOG-25PM ("jumping") variant explodes {{convert|0.5|–|1|m|ft}} above the ground.<ref>{{cite book |title=Russian Close Combat Weapon |pages=482–489 |year=2010 |publisher=Association "Defense Enterprises Assistance League" |location=Moscow |isbn=978-5-904540-04-3}}</ref> |
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The AK-47 can also mount a (rarely used) [[Rifle grenade#Cup-type|cup-type grenade launcher]], the [[Kalashnikov grenade launcher]] that fires standard [[RGD-5]] Soviet hand-grenades. The maximum effective range is approximately 150 meters.<ref name="ar15">[https://www.ar15.com/content/webPDF/AK47USArmyOperatorManual.pdf Operator's Manual for AK-47 Assault Rifle]. Department of the Army</ref> This launcher can also be used to launch [[tear-gas]] and [[riot control]] grenades. |
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===Terminal ballistics=== |
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{{Main|7.62×39mm}} |
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[[File:RussianWP.jpg|thumb|300px|Wound Profiles of Russian small-arms ammunition compiled by Dr. [[Martin Fackler]] on behalf of the U.S. military.]] |
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The AK fires the 7.62×39mm [[cartridge (weaponry)|cartridge]] with a muzzle velocity of {{convert|715|m/s|abbr=on}}.<ref name=izhmash/> The cartridge weight is {{convert|16.3|g|oz|abbr=on|1}}, the projectile weight is {{convert|7.9|g|gr|abbr=on|0}}.<ref name=ammoweight>{{cite book|title=Land Forces Weapons: Export Catalogue |year=2003 |page=85 |publisher=[[Rosoboronexport]] |location=Moscow |url=http://www.scribd.com/doc/30301368/Rosoboronexport-Land-Forces-Weapons-Catalogue |oclc=61406322}}</ref> The AK has excellent penetration when shooting through heavy foliage, walls or a common vehicle's metal body and into an opponent attempting to use these things as cover. The 7.62x39mm M43 projectile does not generally fragment when striking an opponent and has an unusual tendency to remain intact even after making contact with bone. The 7.62x39mm round produces significant wounding in cases where the bullet tumbles (yaws) in tissue,<ref>RF Bellamy and R. Zajtchuk (1990) "The physics and biophysics of wound ballistics". In: Zajtchuk R, ed. ''Textbook of Military Medicine, Part I: Warfare, Weaponry, and the Casualty'', Vol. 5, Conventional Warfare: Ballistic, Blast, and Burn Injuries. Washington, DC: Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army, United States of America. pp. 146–155</ref> but produces relatively minor wounds in cases where the bullet exits before beginning to yaw.<ref name="autogenerated7"/><ref>GK Roberts (21 May 2008) [http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2008Intl/Roberts.pdf U.S. Military Small Arms Ammunition Failures and Solutions], NDIA Dallas, TX,</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Wounding effects of the AK-47 rifle used by Patrick Purdy in the Stockton, California, schoolyard shooting of January 17, 1989|date=September 1990|volume=11|issue=3|pages=185–9|journal=American Journal of Forensic Medicine & Pathology|pmid=2220700|first=ML |last=Fackler|last2=Malinowski|first2=JA |last3=Hoxie |first3=SW |last4=Jason |first4=A.}}</ref> In the absence of yaw, the M43 round can pencil through tissue with relatively little injury.<ref name="autogenerated7">{{cite web|url=http://www.ciar.org/ttk/mbt/papers/misc/paper.x.small-arms.wounding-ballistics.patterns_of_military_rifle_bullets.fackler.unk.html |title=Patterns Of Military Rifle Bullets |publisher=Ciar.org |accessdate=23 August 2012}}</ref><ref>RF Bellamy and R. Zajtchuk (1990) "The physics and biophysics of wound ballistics. In: Zajtchuk R, ed. ''Textbook of Military Medicine, Part I: Warfare, Weaponry, and the Casualty'', Vol. 5, Conventional Warfare: Ballistic, Blast, and Burn Injuries. Washington, DC: Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army, United States of America (1990) Fig 4-38 p. 148</ref> |
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Most, if not all, of the 7.62x39mm ammunition found today is of the upgraded M67 variety. This variety deleted the steel insert, shifting the center of gravity rearward, and allowing the projectile to destabilize (or yaw) at about {{convert|3.3|in|cm|abbr=on}}, nearly {{convert|6.7|in|cm|abbr=on}} earlier in tissue than the M43 round.<ref name="uthr.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.uthr.org/SpecialReports/Military_rifle_bullet_wound_patterns.htm|title=Military rifle bullet wound patterns|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> This change also reduces penetration in ballistic gelatin to ~{{convert|25|in|cm|abbr=on}} for the newer M67 round versus ~{{convert|29|in|cm|abbr=on}} for the older M43 round.<ref name="uthr.org"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.frfrogspad.com/terminal2.htm |title= Military rifle bullet wound patterns comparison charts |author= Martin L. Fackler |publisher=Frfrogspad.com}}</ref> However, the wounding potential of M67 is mostly limited to the small permanent wound channel the bullet itself makes, especially when the bullet yaws.<ref name="uthr.org"/> |
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===Accuracy=== |
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The AK-47's accuracy has always been considered to be "good enough" to hit an adult male torso out to about {{convert|300|m|yd|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="defenseindustrydaily1">{{cite web|url=http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/the-usas-m4-carbine-controversy-03289/ |title=The USA's M4 Carbine Controversy |publisher=Defenseindustrydaily.com |date=21 November 2011 |accessdate=10 January 2012}}</ref><ref name="alpharubicon2">{{cite web|url=http://www.alpharubicon.com/leo/akseries.htm|title=Avtomat Kalashnikov|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> "At {{convert|300|m|yd|0|abbr=on}}, expert shooters (firing AK-47s) at prone or at bench rest positions had difficulty putting ten consecutive rounds on target."<ref name=chivers>C. J. Chivers (2011) ''The Gun''. Simon and Schuster Publishing. ISBN 0743271734. pp. 206–207. Taken from the Long Range Dispersion Firing Test of the AK-47 Assault Rifle, U.S. Army Foreign Science and Technology Center. August 1969. "Just how mediocre? Two decades later, the U.S. Army would hold long-range firing tests with Kalashnikov variants, including three Soviet, two Chinese, and a Romanian model. At 300 meters, expert shooters at prone or bench rest positions had difficulty putting ten consecutive rounds on target. The testers then had the weapons fired from a cradle by a machine, which removed human error. At 300 meters, the ten-rounds group fired in this manner had a minimum dispersion of 17.5 inches, compared to the 12.6 inches with an M-16, the American assault rifle fielded in Vietnam as a reaction to the Kalashnikov's spread."</ref> Despite the Soviet engineers best efforts and "no matter the changes, the AK-47's accuracy could not be significantly improved; when it came to precise shooting, it was a stubbornly mediocre arm."<ref name=chivers/> An AK can fire a 10 shot group of {{convert|5.9|in|cm|abbr=on}} at {{convert|100|m|yd|0|abbr=on}},<ref name="krtraining1">G. L. M. Kjellgren [http://www.krtraining.com/KRTraining/Archive/PracticalRangeSmallArms.pdf The Practical Range of Small Arms]. The American Rifleman. pp. 40–44</ref> and {{convert|17.5|in|cm|abbr=on}} at {{convert|300|m|yd|0|abbr=on}}<ref name=chivers/> Curiously, the newer stamped steel receiver AKM models are actually less accurate than their predecessors.<ref name="alpharubicon2"/> "There are advantages and disadvantages in both forged/milled receivers and stamped receivers. Milled/Forged Receivers are much more rigid, flexing less as the rifle is fired thus not hindering accuracy as much as stamped receivers. Stamped receivers on the other hand are a bit more rugged since it has some give in it and have less chances of having metal fatigue under heavy usage."<ref name="alpharubicon2"/> As a result, the milled AK-47's are capable of shooting {{convert|3|to|5|in|cm|0|abbr=on}} groups at {{convert|100|yd|m|0|abbr=on}}, whereas the stamped AKM's are capable of shooting {{convert|4|to|6|in|cm|0|abbr=on}} groups at {{convert|100|yd|m|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="alpharubicon2"/> The best shooters are able to hit a man-sized target at {{convert|800|m|yd|0|abbr=on}} within five shots (firing from prone or bench rest position) or ten shots (standing).{{sfn|НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АКМ (АКМС)|1983|p=155|ps= (under the default conditions of no wind and sea level atmospheric pressure, {{convert|15|C|F|0}}).}} |
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===Service life=== |
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The AK-47 and its variants are made in dozens of countries, with "quality ranging from finely engineered weapons to pieces of questionable workmanship." {{sfn|Rottman|2011|p=39}} As a result, the AK-47 has a service/system life of approximately 6,000,<ref>http://www.ak-47.us/pic/books/emak90.pdf{{dead link|date=January 2015}} Possible archive [https://web.archive.org/web/20131203041629/http://www.ak-47.us/pic/books/emak90.pdf]</ref> to 10,000,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forgottenweapons.com/rifles/wz-88-tantal/|title=wz.88 Tantal|work=Forgotten Weapons|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> to 15,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arsenal-bg.com/defense_police/7,62ar-m1-m1f.htm|title=Arsenal 7.62mm "Arsenal" Assault Rifle AR-M1 and with Folding Butt AR-M1F|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> rounds.<ref name="armedforcesmuseum.com">[http://armedforcesmuseum.com/ak-47-assault-rifle/ AK-47 Assault Rifle]. armedforcesmuseum.com</ref> The AK-47 was designed to be a cheap, simple, easy to manufacture assault rifle,<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-worlds-most-popular-gun |title=The Most Popular Gun in the World|author=Victor Davis Hanson|journal=The New Atlantis|volume=32|year=2011|pages=140–147}}</ref> perfectly matching Soviet military doctrine that treats equipment and weapons as disposable items.<ref name="scribd.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.scribd.com/doc/50751945/Soviet-Weapon-System-Acquisition|title=Soviet Weapon-System Acquisition|author=John Greenewald}}</ref> As units are often deployed without adequate logistical support and dependent on "battlefield cannibalization" for resupply, it is actually more cost-effective to replace rather than repair weapons.<ref name="scribd.com"/> |
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The AK-47 has small parts and springs that need to be replaced every few thousand rounds. However..."Every time it is disassembled beyond the field stripping stage, it will take some time for some parts to regain their fit, some parts may tend to shake loose and fall out when firing the weapon. Some parts of the AK-47 line are riveted together. Repairing these can be quite a hassle, since the end of the rivet has to be ground off and a new one set after the part is replaced."<ref name="scribd1"/> |
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==Variants== |
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[[File:AK 47.JPG|thumb|right|1955 AK-47 Type 3]] |
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'''Early variants''' (7.62×39mm) |
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* Issue of 1948/49 – Type 1: The very earliest models, stamped sheet metal receiver, are now very rare. |
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* Issue of 1951 – Type 2: Has a milled receiver. Barrel and chamber are chrome plated to resist corrosion. |
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* Issue of 1954/55 – Type 3: Lightened, milled receiver variant. Rifle weight is {{convert|3.47|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АК|1967|pp=161–162}} |
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* AKS (AKS-47) – Type 1, 2, or 3 receiver: Featured a downward-folding metal stock similar to that of the German [[MP40]], for use in the restricted space in the [[BMP-1|BMP]] infantry combat vehicle, as well as by paratroops. |
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* AKN (AKSN) – Night scope rail.{{sfn|Monetchikov|2005|p=76}} |
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[[File:AK-47 bullets from China, Pakistan and Russia.jpg|thumb|right|7.62x39mm cartridges from Russia, China and Pakistan]] |
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'''Modernized''' (7.62×39mm) |
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* '''[[AKM]]''' – A simplified, lighter version of the AK-47; Type 4 receiver is made from stamped and riveted sheet metal. A slanted muzzle device was added to counter climb in automatic fire. Rifle weight is {{convert|3.1|kg|lb|abbr=on}}<ref name=izhmash/> due to the lighter receiver. This is the most ubiquitous variant of the AK-47. |
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** AKMS – Under-folding stock version of the AKM intended for [[airborne forces|airborne]] troops. |
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** AKMN (AKMSN) – Night scope rail. |
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** AKML (AKMSL) – Slotted flash suppressor and night scope rail.<ref name="AKML">{{cite web|title=AKML (AKMSL)|publisher=AK-INFO.RU|url=http://www.ak-info.ru/joomla/index.php/aaka/6-akm/54-akmsl|accessdate=8 February 2013}}</ref> |
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* '''[[RPK]]''' – Hand-held machine gun version with longer barrel and [[bipod]]. The variants – RPKS, RPKN (RPKSN), RPKL (RPKSL) – mirror AKM variants. The "S" variants have a side-folding wooden stock. |
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'''Low-impulse variants''' ([[5.45×39mm]]) |
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[[File:AK-74 RPK-74 DA-ST-89-06612.jpg|thumb|AK-74 and RPK-74]] |
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* '''[[AK-74]]''' – Assault rifle. |
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** AKS-74 – Side-folding stock. |
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** AK-74N (AKS-74N) – Night scope rail. |
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* '''[[AKS-74U]]''' – Compact carbine. |
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** AKS-74UN – Night scope rail. |
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* '''[[RPK-74]]''' – Light machine gun. |
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** RPKS-74 – Side-folding stock. |
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** RPK-74N (RPKS-74N) – Night scope rail. |
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'''The 100 Series''' |
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5.45×39mm / 5.56×45mm / 7.62×39mm |
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* '''[[AK-74M]]'''/'''[[AK-101]]'''/'''[[AK-103]]''' – Modernized AK-74. Scope rail and side-folding stock. |
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* '''[[AK-107]]'''/'''[[AK-107|AK-108]]''' – Balanced recoil models. |
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* '''[[AK-105]]'''/'''[[AK-102]]'''/'''[[AK-104]]''' – Carbine. |
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* RPK-74M / RPK-201 / RPKM and RPK-203 – Light machine gun. |
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'''Other weapons''' |
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* '''[[Saiga-12]]''' – 12-gauge shotgun. Built on AK receiver. |
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** Saiga-12S – Pistol grip and side-folding stock. |
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*** Saiga-12K – Shorter barrel. |
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** Saiga-20 (S/K) – 20-gauge. |
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** Saiga-410 (S/K) – .410 bore. |
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* '''[[Saiga semi-automatic rifle]]''' |
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* '''KSK shotgun''' – 12-gauge combat shotgun (based on Saiga-12). |
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* '''Vepr-12 Molot''' – 12-gauge combat shotgun. Built on RPK receiver. |
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* '''[[Bizon SMG|Bizon]]''' – Submachine gun with [[helical magazine]]. Borrows 60% of details from AKS-74U. [[9×18mm Makarov|9×18mm PM]], [[9×19mm Parabellum|9×19mm Luger]], [[.380 ACP]]; [[7.62×25mm Tokarev|7.62×25mm TT]] (box magazine). |
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* '''[[Vityaz-SN]]''' – [[9×19mm Parabellum]] Submachine gun. Successor to the Bizon and the standard SMG for all branches of Russian military and police forces<ref name="inmoscowsshadows.wordpress.com">{{cite web|url=http://inmoscowsshadows.wordpress.com/2008/10/23/new-guns-for-russias-cops-so-what/|title=New guns for Russia's cops – so what? – In Moscow's Shadows|work=In Moscow's Shadows|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> |
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* '''[[OTs-14 Groza]]''' – [[Bullpup]] assault rifle. [[9×39mm]], [[7.62×39mm]]. |
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[[File:AK-12 Engineering technologies international forum - 2012 01.jpg|thumb|AK-12]] |
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'''AK-12 series''' |
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* '''[[AK-12]]''' – The AK-12 uses the same gas-operated long-stroke piston system of previous Kalashnikov rifles, with many modern features that are radically different from other guns in its family. However, in late September 2013, the AK-12 was passed over by the Russian military.<ref name="ria23dec13">{{cite web|url=http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20131223/185857826/Kalashnikov-Plans-New-Rifle-More-Foreign-Models--Director-.html|title=Kalashnikov Plans New Rifle, More Export Models – Director|agency=RIA Novosti|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> |
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===Production outside of the Soviet Union/Russian Federation=== |
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Military variants only. Includes new designs substantially derived from the Kalashnikov. |
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{{Refimprove section|date=February 2013}} |
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;" |
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|- |
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! Country !! Variant(s) |
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|- |
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! Albania |
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| Automatiku Shqiptar model 56 '''(ASH-78 Tip-1)''' Albanian Automatic Assault Rifle Model 56 Type-1 [Made in Poliçan Arsenal] (Straight forward copy of [[Type 56 assault rifle|Type 56]], which in turn is a clone of the Soviet [[AKM]] rifle) |
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---- |
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Automatiku Shqiptar Tipi 1982 '''(ASH-82)''' Albanian Automatic Assault Rifle Type 1982 [Made in Poliçan Arsenal] (Straight forward copy of [[AKMS]]) |
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---- |
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Automatiku Shqiptar model 56 '''(ASH-78 Tip-2)''' Albanian Light Machine Gun [Made in Poliçan Arsenal] (Straight forward copy of [[RPK]]) |
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---- |
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Automatiku Shqiptar model 56 '''(ASH-78 Tip-3)''' Albanian Automatic Hybrid Rifle Model 56 Type-3 [Made in Poliçan Arsenal] (Hybrid rifle for multi-purpose roles mainly Marksman rifle with secondary assault rifle and grenade launcher capability) |
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---- |
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'''Other unknown variants.'''<br /> Several other unnamed & unidentified versions of the AKMS have been produce mainly with short barrels similar to the Soviet [[AK-74|AKS-74U]] mainly for special forces, Tank & Armoured crew also for Helicopter pilots and police.<br />There have also been modifications and fresh production of heavily modified '''ASh-82''' ([[AKMS]]) with '''[[SOPMOD]]''' accessories, mainly for Albania's special forces [[RENEA]] & exports. |
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|- |
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! Armenia |
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| [[K-3 (rifle)|K-3]] (bullpup, [[5.45×39mm]]) |
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|- |
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! Azerbaijan |
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| Khazri (AK-74M)<ref>{{cite web |script-title=ru:Азербайджан приступил к серийному производству автоматов АК-74М по российской лицензии |trans_title=Azerbaijan began serial production of AK-74M assault rifles under Russian license |language=Russian |date=8 July 2011 |work=ЦАМТО |publisher=Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade |location=Moscow |url=http://www.armstrade.org/includes/periodics/news/2011/0708/10108803/detail.shtml |accessdate=8 July 2011}}</ref> |
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|- |
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! Bangladesh |
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| Chinese [[Type 56 assault rifle|Type 56]] |
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|- |
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! Bulgaria |
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| AKK/AKKS (Type 3 AK-47/w. side-folding buttstock) |
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---- |
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AKKMS (AKMS), AKKN-47 (fittings for NPSU night sights) |
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---- |
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AK-47M1 (Type 3 with black polymer furniture) |
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---- |
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AK-47MA1/AR-M1 (same as -M1, but in 5.56 mm NATO) |
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---- |
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AKS-47M1 (AKMS in [[5.56×45mm NATO]]) |
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---- |
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AKS-47S (AK-47M1, short version, with East German folding stock, laser aiming device) |
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---- |
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AKS-47UF (short version of -M1, Russian folding stock), AR-SF (same as −47UF, but 5.56 mm NATO) |
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---- |
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AKS-93SM6 (similar to −47M1, cannot use grenade launcher) |
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---- |
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RKKS (RPK), AKT-47 (.22 rimfire training rifle) |
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|- |
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! Cambodia |
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| Chinese [[Type 56 assault rifle|Type 56]], Soviet AK-47, and [[AKM]] |
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|- |
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! People's Republic of China |
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| [[Type 56 assault rifle|Type 56]] |
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|- |
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! Colombia |
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| [[Galil ACE]] |
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|- |
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! Croatia |
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| [[APS-95]] |
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|- |
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! Cuba |
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| AKM<ref name="variants">{{cite web |author=Roman Dimov |title=Kalashnikov Arms Versions |work=The AK Site |url=http://kalashnikov.guns.ru/models.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929125610/http://kalashnikov.guns.ru/models.html |archivedate=29 September 2007 |deadurl=yes}}</ref> |
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|- |
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! [[East Germany]]<ref>{{cite web |title=MPi-K / MPi-AK Assault Rifle Series |language=Russian |work=Энциклопедия оружия и боеприпасов |url=http://weapon.at.ua/load/290-1-0-792 |accessdate=19 February 2013}}</ref> |
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| MPi-K/MPi-KS (AK-47/AKS) |
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---- |
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MPi-KM (AKM; wooden and plastic stock), MPi-KMS-72 (side-folding stock), MPi-KMS-K (carbine) |
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---- |
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MPi-AK-74N (AK-74), MPi-AKS-74N (side-folding stock), MPi-AKS-74NK (carbine) |
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---- |
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KK-MPi Mod.69 ([[.22 Long Rifle|.22 LR]] select-fire trainer) |
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|- |
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! Egypt |
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| AK-47, [[Misr assault rifle]] (AKMS), Maadi ARM (AKM) |
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|- |
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! Ethiopia |
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| AK-47, [[AK-103]] (manufactured locally at the State-run ''[[Gafat Armament Engineering Complex]]'' as the '''Et-97/1''')<ref>{{Wayback |df=yes|date=20110710203214 |url=http://ethiopiabook.com/galleryimg/l/print-advert-371.jpg |title=Advertisement flyer for manufacturing capabilities of the GAEC – Gafat Armament Engineering Complex.}} Retrieved on 8 October 2010.</ref> |
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|- |
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! Finland |
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| [[Rk 62]], [[Valmet M76]] (other names Rk 62 76, M62/76), [[Valmet M78]] (light machine gun), [[Rk 95 Tp]] |
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|- |
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! Hungary<ref name=Hungary>{{cite web|url=http://weapon.at.ua/load/312|title=Венгрия – Штурмовые винтовки / Автоматы – Оружие – Энциклопедия оружия и боеприпасов (огнестрельное ручное оружие, боеприпасы и снаряжение) – Страница 1|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> |
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| AK-55 (domestic manufacture of the 2nd Model AK-47) |
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---- |
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AKM-63 (also known as AMD-63 in the US; modernized AK-55), [[AMD-65]]M (modernized AKM-63, shorter barrel and side-folding stock), AMP-69 (rifle grenade launcher) |
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---- |
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[[AK-63]]F/D (other name AMM/AMMSz), AK-63MF (modernized) |
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---- |
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[[NGM-81]] ([[5.56×45mm NATO]]; fixed and under-folding stock) |
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|- |
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! India |
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| [[INSAS]] (fixed and side-folding stock), [[INSAS#Variant & Developments|KALANTAK]] (carbine), [[INSAS#Variant & Developments|INSAS light machine gun]] (fixed and side-folding stock), a local unlicensed version with carbon fibre furniture designated as AK-7 <ref>[http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/why-general-kalashnikov-couldnt-sell-the-ak-47-in-india/1/333532.html "Why General Kalashnikov couldn't sell the AK in India"]. ''India Today''.</ref> |
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---- |
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'''Trichy Assault Rifle 7.62 mm''', manufactured by [[Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli]] of [[Ordnance Factories Board]]<ref>[http://ofbindia.nic.in/products/data/weapons/wsc/21.htm "Assault Rifle 7,62mm"]. Indian Ordnance Factory Board</ref> |
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|- |
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! Iran |
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| KLS/KLF (AK-47/AKS), KLT (AKMS) |
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|- |
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! Iraq |
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| [[Tabuk Sniper Rifle]], Tabuk Assault Rifle (with fixed or underfolding stock, outright clones of Yugoslavian M70 rifles series), Tabuk Short Assault Rifle (carbine) |
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|- |
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! Israel |
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| [[IMI Galil]]: AR (assault/battle rifle), ARM (assault rifle/light machine gun), SAR (carbine), MAR (compact carbine), Sniper (sniper rifle), SR-99 (sniper rifle) |
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---- |
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[[Galil ACE]] |
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|- |
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! Italy |
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| Bernardelli VB-STD/VB-SR (Galil AR/SAR)<ref>{{cite web |title=Bernardelli company profile and history |work=V. Bernardelli S.r.l. |url=http://www.bernardelli.com/en/index.htm |accessdate=20 February 2013}}</ref> |
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|- |
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! Nigeria |
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| Produced by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria as OBJ-006<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200610/02/eng20061002_308128.html|title=People's Daily Online – Nigeria to mass-produce Nigerian version of AK-47 rifles|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dicon.gov.ng/military1.html|title=DEFENCE INDUSTRY CORPORATION OF NIGERIA (DICON) OFFICIAL WEBSITE|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> |
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|- |
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! North Korea |
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| [[Type 58 assault rifle|Type 58]]A/B (Type 3 AK-47/w. stamped steel folding stock), Type 68A/B (AKM/AKMS), Type 88 (AKS-74)<ref name="Weapon">US Department of Defense, North Korea Country Handbook 1997, Appendix A: Equipment Recognition, PPSH 1943 SUBMACHINEGUN (TYPE-50 CHINA/MODEL-49 DPRK), p. A-79.</ref><ref>US Department of Defense, North Korea Country Handbook 1997, Appendix A: Equipment Recognition, TYPE-68 (AKM) ASSAULT RIFLE, p. A-77.</ref> |
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|- |
|||
! Pakistan |
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| [[Reverse Engineering|Reverse engineered]] by hand and machine in Pakistan's highland areas (see [[Khyber Pass Copy]]) near the border of Afghanistan; more recently the [[Pakistan Ordnance Factories]] started the manufacture of an AK-47/AKM clone called '''PK-10'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20110717170742/http://www.upiasia.com/Security/2009/11/16/russia_confronts_pakistan_china_over_copied_weapons/5776/|title=Russia confronts Pakistan, China over copied weapons|publisher=upiasia.com|author=Andrei Chang|date=16 November 2009}}</ref> |
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|- |
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! Poland<ref>{{cite web |title=Poland. Assault Rifles |language=Russian |work=Энциклопедия оружия и боеприпасов |url=http://weapon.at.ua/load/313 |accessdate=19 February 2013}}</ref> |
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| pmK (kbk AK) / pmKS (kbk AKS) (name has changed from pmK – "pistolet maszynowy Kałasznikowa", Kalashnikov SMG to the kbk AK – "karabinek AK", Kalashnikov Carbine in mid-1960s) (AK-47/AKS) |
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---- |
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[[kbkg wz. 1960]] (rifle grenade launcher), kbkg wz. 1960/72 (modernized) |
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---- |
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kbk AKM / kbk AKMS (AKM/AKMS) |
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---- |
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[[kbk wz. 1988 Tantal]] ([[5.45×39mm]]), [[skbk wz. 1989 Onyks]] (compact carbine) |
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---- |
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[[kbs wz. 1996 Beryl]] ([[5.56×45mm NATO|5.56×45mm]]), [[kbk wz. 1996 Mini-Beryl]] (compact carbine) |
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|- |
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! Romania |
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| [[Pistol Mitralieră model 1963/1965|PM md. 63/65]] (AKM/AKMS), [[Pistol Mitralieră model 1963/1965#PM md. 80|PM md. 80]], [[Pistol Mitralieră model 1963/1965#PM md. 90|PM md. 90]], collectively exported under the umbrella name AIM or AIMS |
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---- |
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[[PA md. 86]] (AK-74), exported as the AIMS-74 |
|||
---- |
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PM md. 90 short barrel, PA md. 86 short barrel, exported as the AIMR |
|||
---- |
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[[PSL (rifle)|PSL]] (designated marksman rifle; other names PSL-54C, Romak III, FPK and SSG-97) |
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|- |
|||
! South Africa |
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| [[R4 assault rifle]], [[Truvelo Raptor]], [[Vektor CR-21]] (bullpup) |
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|- |
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! Sudan |
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| MAZ<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mic.sd/images/products/wepons/en/MAZbn.html|title=MAZ|publisher=[[Military Industry Corporation]]|accessdate=8 February 2009| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20081227202939/http://www.mic.sd/images/products/wepons/en/MAZbn.html| archivedate= 27 December 2008 | deadurl= yes}}</ref> (based on the [[Type 56 assault rifle|Type 56]]) |
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|- |
|||
! Ukraine |
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| [[Vepr]] (bullpup, [[5.45×39mm]]), Malyuk (bullpup)<ref>{{cite web |author=Aleksandr Raigorodetsky |script-title=ru:Автомат "Малюк" ("Малыш") (Украина) |trans_title="Malyuk" Assault Rifle (Ukraine) |language=Russian |date=6 October 2011 |work=Оружейная экзотика |url=http://raigap.livejournal.com/87857.html?mode=reply}}</ref> |
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|- |
|||
! United States |
|||
| Century Arms Model 39 (7.62x39mm), InterOrdnance AKM247, M214 |
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|- |
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! Vietnam |
|||
| AKM-1 (AKM), TUL-1 (RPK), Galil Ace 31/32 |
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|- |
|||
! Venezuela |
|||
| License granted, factory under construction<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Industry/Analysis/2007/08/15/defense_focus_venezuelas_kalashnikovs/1273/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604095328/http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Industry/Analysis/2007/08/15/defense_focus_venezuelas_kalashnikovs/1273/ |archivedate=4 June 2008 |title=Defense Focus: Venezuela's Kalashnikovs |agency=United Press International |author=Martin Sieff |date=15 August 2007 |accessdate=19 October 2008}}</ref> |
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|- |
|||
! [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]]/[[Serbia]] |
|||
| M-64, [[Zastava M70|M-70]], [[Zastava M72|M-72]], [[Zastava M76|M-76]], [[Zastava M77|M-77]], [[Zastava M80|M-80]], [[Zastava M82|M-82]], [[Zastava M85|M-85]], [[Zastava M90|M-90]], [[Zastava M91|M-91]], [[Zastava M92|M-92]], [[Zastava M99|M-99]], [[Zastava M21|M-21]] |
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|} |
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Certainly more have been produced elsewhere; but the above list represents known producers and is limited to only military variants. An updated AK-47 design – the [[AK-103]] – is still produced in Russia. |
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===Derivatives=== |
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[[File:Iraqi police officer with Tabuk sniper rifle.jpg|thumb|Iraqi [[Tabuk Sniper Rifle]]]] |
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The basic design of the AK-47 has been used as the basis for other successful rifle designs such as the Finnish [[Rk 62|Rk 62/76]] and [[Rk 95 Tp]], the Israeli [[IMI Galil|Galil]], the Indian [[INSAS rifle|INSAS]] and the Yugoslav [[Zastava M76]] and M77/82 rifles. Several [[bullpup]] designs have surfaced such as the Chinese [[Norinco Type 86S]], although none have been produced in quantity. Bullpup conversions are also available commercially. |
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{{Further2|[[list of weapons influenced by the Kalashnikov design]]}} |
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===Licensing=== |
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OJSC [[IzhMash]] has repeatedly claimed that the majority of manufacturers produce AK-47s without a proper [[license]] from IZH.<ref>{{cite web | title = Восточная Европа захватила рынок продаж автоматов Калашникова | url = http://www.lenta.ru/news/2006/06/13/rifles/ | publisher = Lenta.ru | accessdate =19 July 2006 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20060702132440/http://lenta.ru/news/2006/06/13/rifles/| archivedate= 2 July 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = 'Ижмаш' подсчитал контрафактные автоматы Калашникова | publisher = Lenta.ru | url = http://lenta.ru/news/2006/04/15/fake | accessdate =19 July 2006 }}</ref> The [[Izhevsk]] Machine Tool Factory acquired a patent in 1999,{{Clarify|date=July 2009}}<!-- In what country is the gun patented? It seems questionable to have something patented 50 years after invention. --> making manufacture of the newest Kalashnikov rifles, such as AK-100s by anyone other than themselves illegal in countries where a patent is granted. However, older variants, such as AK and AKM are public domain due to age of design. |
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==Illicit trade== |
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[[File:Cambodian AK-47.jpg|thumb|right|[[Cambodia]]n AK-47 with black furniture]] |
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Throughout the world, the AK and its variants are among the most commonly smuggled small arms sold to governments, rebels, criminals, and civilians alike, with little international oversight.{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}} In some countries, prices for AKs are very low; in Somalia, Rwanda, Mozambique, Congo and Tanzania prices are between $30 and $125 per weapon,<ref name="ControlArms"/> and prices have fallen in the last few decades due to mass counterfeiting. [[Moisés Naím]] observed that in a small town in Kenya in 1986, an AK-47 cost fifteen cows but that in 2005, the price was down to four cows indicating that supply was "immense".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cceia.org/resources/transcripts/5279.html |title=ILLICIT: How Smugglers, Traffickers, and Copycats Are Hijacking the Global Economy |author=Moisés Naím and Joanne J. Myers|publisher=Carnegie Council |date=9 November 2005| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090629002155/http://www.cceia.org/resources/transcripts/5279.html| archivedate= 29 June 2009 }}</ref> The weapon has appeared in a number of conflicts including clashes in the [[Balkans]], Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia.<ref name="ControlArms">[http://www.oxfam.de/files/20060623_theak47_200kb.pdf The AK-47: The World's Favourite Killing Machine]. ControlArms Briefing Note (26 June 2006).</ref> |
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The [[Taliban]] and the [[United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan|Northern Alliance]] fought each other with Soviet AKs; some of these were exported to Pakistan. The gun is now also made in Pakistan's semi-autonomous areas (see [[Khyber Pass Copy]]).<ref>[http://www.defstrat.com/exec/frmArticleDetails.aspx?DID=347 "South Asia Defence & Strategic Reveiw"]. defstrat.com.</ref> "'The Distribution of Iranian Ammunition in Africa', by the private British arms-tracking group Conflict Armament Research (CAR), shows how [[Iran]] broke trade embargoes{{sic|?}} and infiltrated African markets with massive amounts of illegal, unmarked 7.62 mm rounds for the Kalashnikov-style AK-47 rifles."<ref>Geoffrey Ingersoll (14 January 2013) "[http://www.businessinsider.com/iran-sells-ammo-to-africa-2013-1 Investigation Reveals Iran's Secret Role In African Conflicts]", [[Business Insider]].</ref> |
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Estimated numbers of AK-type weapons vary. The Small Arms Survey suggest that "between 70 and 100 million of these weapons have been produced since 1947."<ref>[http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/A-Yearbook/2004/en/Small-Arms-Survey-2004-Chapter-01-EN.pdf "Continuity and Change: PRODUCTS AND PRODUCERS"]. ''Small Arms Survey 2004''</ref> The World Bank estimates that out of the 500 million total firearms available worldwide, 100 million are of the Kalashnikov family, and 75 million are AK-47s.<ref name=k3/> Because AK-type weapons have been made in other countries, often illicitly, it is impossible to know how many really exist.<ref>{{cite journal|author=P. Graves-Brown |doi=10.1177/1359183507081896 |title=Avtomat Kalashnikova|journal=Journal of Material Culture|date= November 2007 |volume=12 |issue=3|pages= 285–307}}</ref> |
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==Cultural influence== |
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{{Quote box |
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| quote = "Basically, it's the anti-Western caché of it ... And you know, one man's terrorist is another man's [[freedom fighter]], so we all sort of think, oh boy, we've got a little bit of [[Che Guevara]] in us. And this accounts for the popularity of the (AK 47) weapon. Plus I think that in the United States it's considered [[counterculture]], which is always something that citizens in this country kind of like ... It's kind of sticking a finger in the eye of [[the man]], if you will." |
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| source = — Larry Kahaner, author of ''AK-47: The Weapon That Changed the Face of War''<ref name = "NPRKahaner" /> |
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| width = 35% |
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| align = right |
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}} |
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Russia/Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China, as well as Western countries (especially the United States) supplied arms and technical knowledge to numerous countries and rebel forces in a global struggle between the [[Warsaw Pact]] nations and their allies against [[NATO]] and their allies called the [[Cold War]]. While the NATO countries used rifles such as the relatively expensive [[M14 rifle|M14]], [[FN FAL]], [[Heckler & Koch G3|HK G3]] and [[M16 rifle|M16]] assault rifle during this time, the low production and materials costs of the AK-47 meant that the Russia/USSR could produce and supply its allies at a very low cost. Because of its low cost, it was also duplicated or used as the basis for many other rifles (see [[List of weapons influenced by the Kalashnikov design]]), such as the Israeli [[IMI Galil|Galil]], Chinese [[Type 56 assault rifle|Type 56]], and Swiss [[SIG SG 550]]. As a result, the Cold War saw the mass export of AK-47s by the Soviet Union and the PRC to their allies, such as the Nicaraguan [[Sandinistas]], [[Viet Cong]] as well as Middle Eastern, Asian, and African revolutionaries. The United States also purchased the Type 56 from the PRC to give to the [[mujahideen]] guerrillas during the [[Soviet war in Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.5rar.asn.au/weapons/type_56.htm|title=Chinese Type-56 Assault Rifle|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> |
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The proliferation of this weapon is reflected by more than just numbers. The AK-47 is included in the [[flag of Mozambique]] and its [[Emblem of Mozambique|emblem]], an acknowledgment that the country's leaders gained power in large part through the effective use of their AK-47s.<ref>Michael R. Gordon (13 March 1997). [http://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/13/world/burst-of-pride-for-a-staccato-executioner-ak-47.html "Burst of Pride for a Staccato Executioner: AK-47"]. ''The New York Times''.</ref> It is also found in the coats of arms of [[Coat of arms of East Timor|East Timor]], the revolution era [[coat of arms of Burkina Faso]] and the [[flag of Hezbollah]]. |
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[[File:MP Inspects Captured AK-47 Vietnam.jpg|thumb|left|A [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] [[Military police|M.P.]] inspects a Soviet AK-47 recovered in Vietnam, 1968.]] |
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[[File:Mortar attack on Shigal Tarna garrison, Kunar Province, 87.jpg|thumb|right|During the [[Soviet war in Afghanistan]] in the 1980s, several sources simultaneously arming both sides of the Afghan conflict, the country was filled with AK-47s and their derivatives.<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/how-did-the-ak47-become-the-most-abundant-weapon-on-earth-2124407.html "How did the AK-47 become the most abundant weapon on earth?"]. ''The Independent''. </ref>]] |
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In parts of the Western world, the AK-47 is associated with their enemies; both Cold War era and present-day. In the pro-communist states, the AK-47 became a symbol of third-world revolution. During the 1980s, the Soviet Union became the principal arms dealer to countries embargoed by Western nations, including Middle Eastern nations such as Syria, Libya and Iran, who welcomed Soviet Union backing against Israel. After the [[History of the Soviet Union (1985–1991)|fall of the Soviet Union]], AK-47s were sold both openly and on the black market to any group with cash, including drug cartels and dictatorial states, and more recently they have been seen in the hands of Islamic groups such as the [[Taliban]] and [[Al-Qaeda]] in Afghanistan and Iraq, and [[FARC]], [[Ejército de Liberación Nacional]] guerrillas in Colombia. Western movies often portray criminals, gang members and terrorists using AK-47s. For these reasons, in the U.S. and Western Europe the AK-47 is stereotypically regarded as the weapon of choice of insurgents, gangsters and terrorists. Conversely, throughout the [[developing world]], the AK-47 can be positively attributed with [[revolutionaries]] against foreign occupation, [[imperialism]], or [[colonialism]].<ref name = "NPRKahaner">Andrea Seabrook (26 November 2006) [http://web.archive.org/web/20140730054103/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6539945 AK-47: The Weapon Changed the Face of War]. ''[[NPR]] Weekend Edition Sunday''</ref> |
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In Mexico, the AK-47 is known as "Cuerno de Chivo" (literally "Goat's Horn") because of its curved magazine design and is one of the weapons of choice of Mexican drug cartels. It is sometimes mentioned in Mexican folk music lyrics.<ref name="AolNews">{{cite web|author=Ben Muessig|title=Narcocorridos: The Songs of Mexico's Drug War|url=http://www.aolnews.com/2010/08/10/narcocorridos-the-songs-of-mexicos-drug-war/|publisher=AolNews|accessdate=9 August 2011}}</ref> |
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In 2006, Colombian musician and peace activist [[Cesar Lopez|César López]] devised the ''[[escopetarra]]'', an AK converted into a guitar. One sold for US$17,000 in a fundraiser held to benefit the victims of [[anti-personnel mines]], while another was exhibited at the United Nations' [[Conference on Disarmament]].<ref name="BBC">{{cite news | title = Escopetarras: disparando música | author = Héctor Latorre| date = 24 January 2006 | accessdate =31 January 2007 | publisher = BBC World | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/misc/newsid_4644000/4644028.stm | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070222195808/http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/misc/newsid_4644000/4644028.stm| archivedate= 22 February 2007 }}</ref> |
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The AK-47 made an appearance in U.S. popular culture as a recurring focus in the 2005 [[Nicolas Cage]] film ''[[Lord of War]]''. There are numerous monologues in the movie focusing on the weapon and its effects on global conflict and the [[gun running]] market, such as: |
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''"Of all the weapons in the vast Soviet arsenal, nothing was more profitable than Avtomat Kalashnikova model of 1947. More commonly known as the AK-47, or Kalashnikov. It's the world's most popular assault rifle. A weapon all fighters love. An elegantly simple 9 pound amalgamation of forged steel and plywood. It doesn't break, jam, or overheat. It'll shoot whether it's covered in mud or filled with sand. It's so easy, even a child can use it; and they do. The Soviets put the gun on a coin. Mozambique put it on their flag. Since the end of the Cold War, the Kalashnikov has become the Russian people's greatest export. After that comes vodka, caviar, and suicidal novelists. One thing is for sure, no one was lining up to buy their cars."''<ref>{{cite web|title=Lord of War (2005) – memorable quotes|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399295/quotes?qt=qt0403308|publisher=Internet Movie Database|accessdate=29 October 2012}}</ref> |
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==Kalashnikov Museum== |
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The Kalashnikov Museum (also called the AK-47 museum) opened on 4 November 2004, in [[Izhevsk]], Udmurt Republic. This city is in the [[Ural Region]] of Russia. The museum chronicles the biography of General [[Mikhail Kalashnikov|Kalashnikov]], and documents the invention of the AK-47. The museum complex of small arms of M. T. Kalashnikov, a series of halls and multimedia exhibitions is devoted to the evolution of the AK-47 assault rifle and attracts 10,000 monthly visitors.<ref>Chivers, C.J. [http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/02/18/travel/18heads.html "AK-47 Museum: Homage to the Gun That Won the East"]. ''The New York Times'', 18 February 2007</ref> |
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Nadezhda Vechtomova, the museum director stated in an interview that the purpose of the museum is to honor the ingenuity of the inventor and the hard work of the employees and to "separate the weapon as a weapon of murder from the people who are producing it and to tell its history in our country." |
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==Users== |
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{{Split section|date=January 2015}} |
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[[File:Evstafiev-spetsnaz-prepare-for-mission.jpg|thumb|300px|A [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Spetsnaz]] (special operations) group prepares for a mission in Afghanistan, 1988.]] |
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[[File:AK47map.svg|thumb|A map of states that use the AK. AK-47 operators are marked red, AK derivative operators are marked orange and modernized AK operators are marked pink.]] |
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{{div col|3}} |
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<!--READ FIRST: This section is for cited entries only. Please do not add entries into this list without a citation from a reliable source. All entries without a citation will be removed. Thank you.--> |
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* {{Flagu|Afghanistan}}<ref name=washingtonpost>{{cite news |author=Larry Kahaner |title=Weapon Of Mass Destruction |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=26 November 2006 |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/24/AR2006112400788.html |accessdate=3 April 2010}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Albania}}<ref name=Jones>{{cite book |editor=Richard D. Jones |editor2=Leland S. Ness |title=Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009–2010 |date=27 January 2009 |edition=35 |publisher=[[Jane's Information Group]] |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=A5ngPgAACAAJ |isbn=978-0-7106-2869-5}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Algeria}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Angola}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Armenia}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Azerbaijan}}<ref name=Jones/><ref>{{cite web |author=Marshall St. John |title=Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov and the AK-47 |publisher=Mouseguns.com |url=http://www.southernoutdoorlife.com/mouseguns/ak47info/ak47info.htm |accessdate=20 May 2012}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Bangladesh}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Belarus}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Benin}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Botswana}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Bulgaria}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Burkina Faso}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armyrecognition.com/burkina_faso_army_land_forces_ranks_combat_uniform/burkina_faso_army_defence_force_ranks_military_pattern_camouflage_combat_field_uniforms_dress_grades.html |title=Burkina Faso Army defence force ranks military pattern camouflage combat field uniforms dress grades – Army Recognition – Army Recognition |publisher=Armyrecognition.com |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://africadefensejournal.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/burkina-nouveau-mouvement-de-colere-des-militaires-a-ouagadougou/ |title=Burkina : nouveau mouvement de colère des militaires à Ouagadougou |work=Africa Defense Journal |date=24 May 2011 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afrikitalia.it/burkina-faso-ces-mesures-presidentielles-qui-font-plaisir-a-larmee/ |title=Burkina Faso: Ces Mesures Présidentielles Qui Font Plaisir à l'Armée |publisher=afrikitalia.it |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Burundi}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvids/7591704762/ |title=Blending |publisher=Flickr |date=21 July 2012 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20131018020437/http://www.ssrresourcecentre.org/2010/10/22/latest-edition-of-the-ssr-monitor-burundi-focuses-on-armed-forces-reform/ |title=Latest edition of the SSR Monitor: Burundi focuses on armed forces reform |publisher= Security Sector Reform Resource Centre |date=20 December 2013 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Cambodia}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Cameroon}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ivarfjeld.com/2013/09/11/dozens-of-pentecostal-churches-being-shut-down-in-cameroon/ |title=Dozens of Pentecostal Churches being shut down in Cameroon | News that matters |publisher=Ivarfjeld.com |date=11 September 2013 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crtv.cm/cont/nouvelles/nouvelles_sola_fr.php?idField=10126&table=nouvelles&sub=special |title=Nouvelles – CRTV |publisher=Crtv.cm |date=29 December 2013 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Cape Verde}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Central African Republic}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Chad}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Chile}}<ref name=Gander>{{cite book |author=Terry J. Gander |author2=Ian V. Hogg |authorlink2=Ian V. Hogg |title=Jane's Infantry Weapons 1995–96 |date=1 May 1995 |edition=21 |publisher=[[Jane's Information Group]] |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=qSL8AAAACAAJ |isbn=978-0-7106-1241-0}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|People's Republic of China}}: [[Type 56 assault rifle|Type 56]] variant was used.<ref name=Miller>{{cite book |author=David M. O. Miller |title=The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns |date=1 May 2001 |series=Illustrated Directory Series |publisher=Salamander Books |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=GgpRPgAACAAJ |isbn=978-1-84065-245-1}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Comoros}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Republic of the Congo}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Democratic Republic of the Congo}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Cuba}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Djibouti}}<ref>{{cite web|author=roberthuffstutter |url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/usarmyafrica/5505821033/ |title=Djiboutian Army Quick Reaction Regiment trains at Ali Oune, Djibouti, February 2011 | Flickr – Photo Sharing! |publisher=Flickr |date=22 December 2011 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armyrecognition.com/djibouti_army_ranks_military_combat_uniforms/djibouti_army_ranks_land_ground_forces_combat_field_uniforms_military_grades_uniformes_de.html |title=Djibouti Army ranks land ground forces combat field uniforms military grades uniformes de – Army Recognition – Army Recognition |publisher=Armyrecognition.com |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Egypt}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Eritrea}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Ethiopia}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|El Salvador}}<ref>{{cite web |title=El otro negocio de los antigripales |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20080626031718/http://www.elsalvador.com/mwedh/nota/nota_completa.asp?|publisher=elsalvador.com|author=Jorge Beltrán and Juan Lado|date=8 June 2008}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Finland}}: [[Rk 62]], [[Rk 95 Tp]]. |
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* {{Flagu|Gabon}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Gambia}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thegambiavoice.blogspot.ca/2011/05/members-of-gambia-armed-forces.html |title=Members of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF)Missing For Months Families in Desperate Situation | The Gambia voice |publisher=Thegambiavoice.blogspot.ca |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://wow.gm/africa/gambia/fajara/article/2008/2/29/gaf-gpf-undergo-british-army-training-1 |title=GAF, GPF Undergo British Army Training – WOW Gambia |publisher=Wow.gm |date=1 March 2008 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statehouse.gm/army-recuits-gradu_300307.htm |title=Office of The Gambian President: State House Online: Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh |publisher=Statehouse.gm |date=30 March 2007 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://kibaaro.com/gambia-army-pledge-support-to-ntcg-of-sidia-bayo/|title=Gambia Army Pledge Support To NTCG of Sidia Bayo|work=Kibaaro News|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Ghana}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armyrecognition.com/ghana_ghanaian_army_ranks_combat_uniforms/ghana_ghanaian_army_ranks_military_combat_field_uniforms_dress_grades_uniformes_combat_armee_ghana.html |title=Ghana Ghanaian Army ranks military combat field uniforms dress grades uniformes combat armee Ghana – Army Recognition – Army Recognition |publisher=Armyrecognition.com |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20131019102919/http://www.gbcghana.com/index.php?id=1.368921 |title=Ghana Armed Forces Inter-Service Sports Festival opens |publisher=Gbcghana.com |date=27 April 2011}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Greece}}: [[Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (Greece)|EKAM]] counter-terrorist unit of the [[Hellenic Police]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Milan Milosevic |title=Trojanski Konj za Teroriste |language=Serbian |year=2005 |work=Kalibar |publisher=[[Novosti AD]] |url=http://www.kalibar.rs/code/navigate.php?Id=74 |accessdate=4 April 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Greece Ministry of Public Order Press Office: Special Anti-Terrorist Unit |date=July 2004 |publisher=[[Hellenic Police]] |url=http://www.astynomia.gr/images/stories/DOCS/Attachment11480_ENHMEROTIKO_EKAM_ENGL.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=27 September 2009 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5rOg1WIHo |archivedate=21 July 2010 |deadurl=yes}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Guinea}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Equatorial Guinea}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Guinea-Bissau}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Guyana}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Hungary}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|India}}:<ref name=Jones/> Used by [[Force One]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Maha's elite counter terror unit Force One becomes operational |date=25 November 2009 |newspaper=[[Business Standard]] |publisher=Business Standard Ltd |location=New Delhi |url=http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/maha%5Cs-elite-counter-terror-unit-force-one-becomes-operational/377563/ |accessdate=5 July 2010 |oclc=496280002}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Indonesia}}: Still used by '''TNI-AD''', '''TNI-AL''', '''TNI-AU''', and Police{{citation needed|date=February 2015}} |
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* {{Flagu|Iran}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Iraq}}<ref name=washingtonpost/><ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Ivory Coast}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/09/reluctant-farewell-to-arms-in-cote-divoire/ |title=Reluctant Farewell to Arms in Côte d'Ivoire – Inter Press Service |publisher=Ipsnews.net |date=22 September 2012 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channelstv.com/home/2012/08/17/gunmen-attack-army-base-in-cote-divoire/ |title=Gunmen attack army base in Cote d’Ivoire|publisher=Channelstv.com |date=17 August 2012 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20131018032117/http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5285925&ct=7227769|author=Tim Tanton |title=Faith helps Ivoirian general endure suffering, challenges |publisher=UMC.org |date=22 July 2009 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Kazakhstan}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Kenya}}<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=XjdMPwvVWW4C&pg=PT13&dq|title=Kenya National Assembly Official Record|date=25 September 2007}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|North Korea}}: [[Type 56 assault rifle|Type 56]] and [[Type 58 assault rifle|Type 58]] variants were used.<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Laos}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Kuwait}}<ref>{{citation|title=United States Marine Corps Reserve Officers' Association|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=kZKXOQlvccMC&pg=PA38|year=2000|publisher=Turner Publishing Company|isbn=978-1-56311-489-2|pages=38–}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Lebanon}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Liberia}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Libya}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Macedonia}}<ref name=Jones/><ref>{{cite news |author=Zoran Nikolovski |title=Macedonian military police, US National Guard conduct joint manoeuvres |date=12 October 2006 |newspaper=[[Southeast European Times]] |publisher=[[United States European Command]] |url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2006/10/12/feature-03 |accessdate=14 March 2011 |oclc=731936128}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Madagascar}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Mali}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Malta}}: [[Type 56 assault rifle|Type 56]] variant.<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Mauritania}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20110625-al-qaeda-camp-destroyed-mali-mauritania-aqim-terrorism |title=Mauritanian army destroys al Qaeda camp in Mali – France |publisher=France 24 |date=25 June 2011 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20140810101948/http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/features/2011/11/29/feature-04|title=Nouakchott displays military might |publisher=Magharebia |date= 29 November 2011 |author=Jemal Oumar }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Taoufik MJAIED, James ANDRE |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20111028-reporters-mauritania-aqim-terrorism-france24 |title=International breaking news and headlines |publisher=France 24 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Moldova}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Mongolia}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Morocco}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Mozambique}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Myanmar}}: Used by the [[Myanmar Police Force]] (include the Chinese [[Type 56]]).{{citation needed|date=May 2013}} |
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* {{Flagu|Namibia}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Niger}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defenseimagery.mil/imagery.html#a=search&s=322nd%20Parachute%20Regiment&n=90&guid=b3feba8b8d594b98b11ac0da741e776e62c4d095 |title=Find Imagery |publisher=DefenseImagery.mil |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hettwer.com/#/green-sahara---archeology/GUNS___B1Z5047__1_|title=Mike Hettwer Photography|accessdate=2 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Charlotte Bozonette|title=Niger remains wary of Mali crisis on its doorstep|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/05/niger-conflict-mali-army|newspaper=The Guardian|date=5 March 2013}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Nigeria}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200610/02/eng20061002_308128.html |title=People's Daily Online – Nigeria to mass-produce Nigerian version of AK-47 rifles |work=People's Daily |date=2 October 2006 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dicon.gov.ng/military1.html |title=Defence Industry Corporation Of Nigeria (Dicon) Official Website |publisher=DICON |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/world-exclusive-nigerian-army-soldiers-in-maliinspiration-henry-a-beegeagles-blogger/ |title=World Exclusive: Nigerian Army Special Forces In Mali(Inspiration..Henry, A Beegeagle'S Blogger) | Beegeagle'S Blog |publisher=Beegeagle.wordpress.com |date=4 February 2013 |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Pakistan}}: [[Type 56 assault rifle|Type 56]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Pakistan Army |publisher=Pakistan Defence |location=Indianapolis, IN |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20131012004559/http://www.defence.pk/pakistan-army/}}</ref> and [[AK-103]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Special Forces (Maritime) (Pakistan), Amphibious and special forces |date=28 June 2012 |work=Jane's Amphibious and Special Forces |publisher=[[Jane's Information Group]] |url=http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Amphibious-and-Special-Forces/Special-Forces-Maritime-Pakistan.html |accessdate=23 February 2013}}</ref> used. |
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* {{flag|Palestine}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Israel Aids Palestinians With Arms |date=5 September 2008 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/world/middleeast/06mideast.html }}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Peru}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Philippines}}: Used by the Santiago City PNP.<ref>{{cite news |title=Santiago city forms SWAT team to combat crime |date=2 September 2006 |publisher=[[Presidential Communications Group (Philippines)|Philippine Information Agency]] |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20140508030152/http://archives.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&sec=reader&rp=1&fi=p060902.htm&no=3&date=09/02/2006}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Poland}}:<ref name=Popenker/> Replaced by AKM and [[kbs wz. 1996 Beryl]]. |
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* {{Flagu|Qatar}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Rhodesia}}<ref name="PTW">{{cite book | author = Rod Wells| title = Part-Time War|edition= 2011|page= 155 | publisher = Fern House| isbn= 978-1-902702-25-4}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Romania}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Russia}}:<ref name=Popenker/> Replaced by the [[AK-74]] since 1974. |
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* {{Flagu|Rwanda}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armyrecognition.com/rwanda_armee_rwandaise_grades_uniformes_combat/rwanda_rwandan_army_ranks_land_ground_forces_combat_uniforms_military_equipment_rwandais_grades_unif.html |title=Rwanda Rwandan Army ranks land ground forces combat uniforms military equipment rwandais grades unif – Army Recognition – Army Recognition |publisher=Armyrecognition.com |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref> |
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* {{flag|Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic}}<ref>{{cite journal |title=Western Sahara – In the unforgiving deserts of south west Algeria, Nick Ryan meets the nomads fighting a 25 year battle |year=1999 |journal=[[Geographical (magazine)|Geographical]] |publisher=[[Royal Geographical Society]] |url=http://www.nickryan.net/articles/sahara.html |accessdate=20 May 2012 |issn=0016-741X}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Sao Tome and Principe}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Senegal}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/africom/4597959610/ |title=AFRICOM: 106th SOAR (A) Trains with Senegalese: | Flickr – Photo Sharing! |publisher=Flickr |accessdate=29 December 2013}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Serbia}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Seychelles}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Sierra Leone}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Slovenia}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Somalia}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|South Africa}}: Used by the [[South African Special Forces Brigade|Special Forces Brigade]].<ref name="Jock">{{cite book | author = Harry McCallion| title = Killing Zone|edition= 11 April 1996|pages= 13–281 | publisher = Bloomsbury Paperbacks| isbn= 0-7475-2567-6}}</ref> |
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* {{Flagu|Sri Lanka}}: [[Type 56 assault rifle|Type 56]] variant.<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Sudan}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{flag|South Sudan}}{{Citation needed|date=August 2012}} |
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* {{Flagu|Suriname}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Syria}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Tajikistan}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Tanzania}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Togo}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Turkey}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Turkmenistan}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Uganda}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Ukraine}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Dominican Republic}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|UAE}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Uzbekistan}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Vietnam}}: [[Type 56 assault rifle|Type 56]] variant was used extensively by the [[Viet Cong]].<ref name=Miller/> |
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* {{Flagu|Yemen}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{flag|Yugoslavia}}<ref name=Popenker/> |
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* {{Flagu|Zambia}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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* {{Flagu|Zimbabwe}}<ref name=Jones/> |
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{{div col end}} |
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==See also== |
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* [[Comparison of the AK-47 and M16]] |
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* [[List of Russian inventions]] |
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* [[List of Russian weaponry]] |
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* [[List of assault rifles]] |
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* [[List of weapons influenced by the Kalashnikov design]] |
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* [[Table of handgun and rifle cartridges]] |
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* [[Overview of gun laws by nation]] |
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==Notes== |
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{{Reflist|group=N}} |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} |
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==Bibliography== |
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{{refbegin}} |
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* {{cite book |last=Bolotin |first=David Naumovich |script-title=ru:История советского стрелкового оружия и патронов |trans_title=The History of Soviet Small-arms and Ammunition |series=Voyenno-Istoricheskaya Biblioteka |publisher=Poligon |location=Saint Petersburg |year=1995 |url=http://www.shooting-ua.com/dop_arhiv/dop_2/books/Istor_sovet_orujiya.pdf |format=PDF |language=Russian |isbn=5-85503-072-5 |ref=harv}} |
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* {{cite book |last=Monetchikov |first=Sergei Borisovich |script-title=ru:История русского автомата |trans_title=The History of Russian Assault Rifle |series=Entsiklopediya Russkoi Armii |language=Russian |year=2005 |publisher=Izdatel'stvo "Atlant 44" |location= |url=http://www.rulit.net/books/istoriya-russkogo-avtomata-read-249341-1.html |isbn=5-98655-006-4 |ref=harv}} |
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* {{cite book |last=Poyer |first=Joe |title=The AK-47 and AK-74 Kalashnikov Rifles and Their Variations: A Shooter's and Collector's Guide |date=1 January 2006 |publisher=North Cape Publications |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=EPArOwAACAAJ |isbn=978-1-882391-41-7 |ref=harv}} |
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* {{cite book |last=Rottman |first=Gordon |title=The AK-47: Kalashnikov-series assault rifles |date=24 May 2011 |publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]] |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=qK9Nn-2xocUC |isbn=978-1-84908-835-0 |ref=harv}} |
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{{refend}} |
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==Further reading== |
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;Books |
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* {{cite book| author = Chivers, C.J| title =The Gun |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=r3VwUEHoDikC&pg=PA459| publisher=Simon & Schuster| date=October 2010|isbn=978-0-7432-7076-2}} |
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* {{cite book| last = Ezell| first = Edward Clinton|author2= R. Blake Stevens| title = Kalashnikov: The Arms and the Man| date = 1 December 2001| publisher = Collector Grade Publications| location = Cobourg, ON| isbn = 978-0-88935-267-4 }} |
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* {{cite book |editor-last=Gulevich |editor-first=I. D. |title=НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АК |trans_title=7.62 mm AK |language=Russian |year=1967 |edition=3 |publisher=[[Voenizdat]] |location=Moscow |url=http://weapon.at.ua/blog/2011-07-14-570 |ref={{sfnref|НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АК|1967|pp=161–162}}}} |
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* {{cite book| author = Michael Hodges| title = Ak47: The Story of the People's Gun| url = http://books.google.com/?id=j82yAAAACAAJ| date = January 2007| publisher = Hodder & Stoughton| isbn = 978-0-340-92104-3 }} |
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* Honeycutt Jr, Fred L. and Anthony, Patt F. ''Military Rifles of Japan.'' (1996) ''Fifth Edition'', 8th printing; Julin Books. ISBN 0-9623208-7-0. |
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* {{cite book |last=Kahaner |first=Larry |title=AK-47: the weapon that changed the face of war |year=2007 |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=oBAhAQAAIAAJ |isbn=978-0-471-72641-8 |ref=harv}} |
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* {{cite book| author = Kalashnikov, Mikhail Timofeevich |author2= Joly, Elena | title = The gun that changed the world| url = http://books.google.com/?id=CY2HlLDiaNwC| year = 2006| publisher = Polity Press| isbn = 978-0-7456-3691-7 }} |
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* {{cite book |last=Shilin |first=Valery |last2=Cutshaw |first2=Charlie |title=Legends and Reality of the AK: A Behind-The Scenes Look at the History, Design, and Impact of the Kalashnikov Family of Weapons |date=1 March 2000 |publisher=[[Paladin Press]] |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=U3kIAAAACAAJ |isbn=978-1-58160-069-8}} |
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* {{cite book |editor-last=Vilchinsky |editor-first=I. K. |title=НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АКМ (АКМС) |trans_title=7.62 mm AKM (AKMS) |language=Russian |year=1983 |edition=3 |publisher=[[Voenizdat]] |location=Moscow |url=http://militera.lib.ru/manuals/nastav_akm/index.html |ref={{sfnref|НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АКМ (АКМС)|1983|pp=149–150}}}} |
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* {{cite book| author = John Walter| title = Kalashnikov: machine pistols, assault rifles, and machine-guns, 1945 to the present| url = http://books.google.com/?id=XnybC2qSORAC| date = 4 September 1999| publisher = Greenhill Books/[[Lionel Leventhal]]| isbn = 978-1-85367-364-1 }} |
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; Articles |
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* [http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/11/ff_ak47/all/1 How the AK-47 Rewrote the Rules of Modern Warfare] – Three-part article by [[C. J. Chivers]], for ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired Magazine]]'' |
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* ''Ружье. Оружие и амуниция'' 1999/3, pp. 18–21 has an article about the AK-47 prototypes |
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* М.Т. Kalashnikov, "[http://www.kalashnikov.ru/upload/medialibrary/8c5/04_07.pdf Кто автор АК-47?]" (Who is the author of AK-47?) – an article rejecting some of the alternative theories as to the authorship of the AK-47, ''Kalashnikov'' magazine, 2002/2, pp. 4–7 (in Russian) |
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* М. Degtyaryov, "[http://www.kalashnikov.ru/upload/medialibrary/910/018_023.pdf Неочевидное очевидное]" – an article comparing the internals of the StG 44 and AK-47, ''Kalashnikov'' magazine, 2009/4, pp. 18–23 (in Russian) |
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* "[http://www.kalashnikov.ru/upload/medialibrary/499/018_022.pdf В преддверии юбилея...]" Transcription of the commission report on the testing round from the summer of 1947; no winner was selected at this point, but the commission held Kalashnikov's, Dementiev's and Bulkin's designs as most closely satisfying TTT number 3131. ''Kalashnikov'' magazine, 2009/8, pp. 18–22 (in Russian) |
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* "[http://www.kalashnikov.ru/upload/medialibrary/843/016_022.pdf Путёвка в жизнь]" Report/letter on the final round of testing, 27 December 1947, declaring Kalashnikov's design the winner. ''Kalashnikov'' magazine, 2009/9, pp. 16–22 (in Russian) |
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* Articles on the 1948 military trials: "[http://www.kalashnikov.ru/upload/medialibrary/b62/064_066.pdf На пути в войска]" and "[http://www.kalashnikov.ru/upload/medialibrary/c06/008_013.pdf ПЕРВЫЙ В ДИНАСТИИ]", ''Kalashnikov'' magazine, 2009/10-11 |
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<!-- this source might be useful later* {{cite journal |
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| author = Fackler |
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| last2 = Surinchak |
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| year = 1984 |
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| first2 = John S. |
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| last3 = Malinowski |
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| first3 = John A. |
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| last4 = Bowen |
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| first4 = Robert E. |
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| title = Wounding potential of the Russian AK-74 assault rifle |
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| journal = Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care |
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| volume = 24 |
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| pages = 263–6 |
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| doi = 10.1097/00005373-198403000-00014 |
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| issue = 3 |
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}}--> |
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== External links == |
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{{Wiktionary}} |
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{{wikiquote}} |
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{{commons}} |
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* [http://kalashnikov.guns.ru/ AK Site – Kalashnikov Home Page] {{Wayback |df=yes|date=20070929102901 |url=http://kalashnikov.guns.ru/ |title=(Mirror) }} |
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* [[s:AK-47 Operator's Manual|US Army Operator's Manual for the AK-47 Assault Rifle]] |
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* [http://www.nazarian.no/images/wep/284_US_Army_AK47.pdf Nazarian's Gun's Recognition Guide (MANUAL) AK 47 Manual (.pdf)] |
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* [http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1964810,00.html The Timeless, Ubiquitous AK-47] – slideshow by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine |
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* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6539945 AK-47: The Weapon Changed the Face of War] – audio report by ''[[NPR]]'' |
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* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130493013 The AK-47: The Gun That Changed The Battlefield] – audio report by ''[[NPR]]'' |
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* [http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=na2_Nw31BBI AK-47 Documentary: Part 1] & [http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=PB1VuBWTyvY Part 2] by ''[[Al Jazeera English]]'' |
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* [https://archive.org/details/AkmAk-47TypeFullAutoIraqU.s.Army AK-47 Full Auto, U.S. Army in Iraq] from the ''[[Internet Archive]]'' |
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* [http://www.dawn.com/news/1076328 Years of the gun: A political history of the AK-47 in Pakistan] by ''[[Dawn News]]'' |
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{{AK47 derivatives}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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[[Category:1947 introductions]] |
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[[Category:7.62 mm rifles]] |
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[[Category:Assault rifles]] |
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[[Category:Infantry weapons of the Cold War]] |
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[[Category:Rifles of the Cold War]] |
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[[Category:Cold War weapons of the Soviet Union]] |
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[[Category:Kalashnikov derivatives]] |
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[[Category:Soviet inventions]] |
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[[Category:Weapons of Russia]] |
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[[Category:Military equipment 1945–1949]] |
Revision as of 03:24, 30 May 2015
AK-47[N 1] | |
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![]() AK-47 with 6H3 bayonet | |
Type | Assault rifle |
Place of origin | Soviet Union |
Service history | |
In service | 1949–present 1949–1980s (USSR) |
Used by | See Users |
Production history | |
Designer | Mikhail Kalashnikov |
Designed | 1946–1948[1] |
Manufacturer | Izhmash and various others including Norinco |
Produced | 1949–1959[2] |
No. built | ≈ 75 million AK-47s, 100 million Kalashnikov-family weapons.[3][4] |
Variants | See Variants |
Specifications | |
Mass | Without magazine: 3.47 kg (7.7 lb) Magazine, empty: 0.43 kg (0.95 lb) (early issue)[5] 0.33 kg (0.73 lb) (steel)[6] 0.25 kg (0.55 lb) (plastic)[7] 0.17 kg (0.37 lb) (light alloy)[6] |
Length | Fixed wooden stock: 880 mm (35 in)[7] 875 mm (34.4 in) folding stock extended 645 mm (25.4 in) stock folded[5] |
Barrel length | Overall length: 415 mm (16.3 in)[7] Rifled bore length: 369 mm (14.5 in)[7] |
Cartridge | 7.62×39mm |
Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
Rate of fire | Cyclic rate of fire: 600 rds/min[7] Practical rate of fire: Semi-auto 40 rds/min[7] Full-auto 100 rds/min[7] |
Muzzle velocity | 715 m/s (2,350 ft/s)[7] |
Effective firing range | 350 m (380 yd)[7] |
Feed system | 30-round detachable box magazine[7] There are also 5- 10-, 20- and 40-round box and 75- and 100-round drum magazines available |
Sights | 100–800 m adjustable iron sights Sight radius: 378 mm (14.9 in)[7] |
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known in the Soviet documentation as Avtomat Kalashnikova (Russian: Автомат Калашникова). It is also known as Kalashnikov, AK, or in Russian slang, Kalash.
Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year of World War II (1945). After the war in 1946, the AK-47 was presented for official military trials. In 1948, the fixed-stock version was introduced into active service with selected units of the Soviet Army. An early development of the design was the AKS (S—Skladnoy or "folding"), which was equipped with an underfolding metal shoulder stock. In 1949, the AK-47 was officially accepted by the Soviet Armed Forces[8] and used by the majority of the member states of the Warsaw Pact.
Even after six decades the model and its variants remain the most popular and widely used assault rifles in the world because of their substantial reliability under harsh conditions, low production costs compared to contemporary Western weapons, availability in virtually every geographic region and ease of use. The AK-47 has been manufactured in many countries and has seen service with armed forces as well as irregular forces worldwide, and was the basis for developing many other types of individual and crew-served firearms. As of 2004, out of the estimated 500 million firearms worldwide, approximately 100 million belong to the Kalashnikov family, three-quarters of which are AK-47s.[3]
History
Origins
Throughout World War II, Soviet soldiers found themselves consistently outgunned by heavily armed German troops, especially those armed with the Sturmgewehr StG 44 assault rifles, which the Germans fielded in large numbers.[9][4][10][11][12][13][14][15] The select-fire StG 44 was chambered for a new intermediate cartridge, the 7.92×33mm Kurz, and combined the firepower of a submachine gun with the range and accuracy of a rifle.[10]
On July 15, 1943, a Sturmgewehr was demonstrated before the People's Commissariat of Arms of the USSR.[16] The Soviets were so impressed with the Sturmgewehr, that they immediately set about developing an intermediate caliber automatic rifle of their own, to replace the badly outdated Mosin–Nagant bolt-action rifles and PPSh-41 submachine guns that armed most of the Soviet Army.[12][16][17][18][19][20]
The Soviets soon developed the 7.62×39mm M43 cartridge, the semi-automatic SKS carbine and the RPD light machine gun.[21] Shortly after World War II, the Soviets developed the AK-47 assault rifle, which would quickly replace the SKS in Soviet service.[22][23] In the 1960s, the Soviets introduced the RPK light machine gun, itself an AK-47 type weapon with a stronger receiver, a longer heavy barrel, and a bipod, that would eventually replace the RPD light machine gun.[21]
Development and competition
Mikhail Kalashnikov began his career as a weapon designer while in a hospital after he was shot in the shoulder during the Battle of Bryansk.[4][24] After tinkering with a submachine gun design in 1942[25] and with a light machine gun in 1943,[26][27] in 1944 he entered a competition for a new weapon that would chamber the 7.62×41mm cartridge developed by Yelizarov and Syomin in 1943 (the 7.62×41mm cartridge predated the current 7.62×39mm M1943).[citation needed] In the 1944 competition for intermediate cartridge weapons, Kalashnikov submitted a semi-automatic, gas-operated carbine, strongly influenced by the American M1 Garand, but that lost out to a Simonov design, which was adopted as the SKS-45.[28]
In the fully automatic weapon category, the specifications (тактико-технические требования – TTT) number 2456-43[29] passed down by the GAU in November 1943 were rather ambitious: the weapon was to have a 500–520 mm long barrel and had to weigh no more than 5 kg, including a folding bipod. Despite this, many Soviet designers participated in this category, Tokarev, Korovin, Degtyarev, Shpagin, Simonov, and Prilutsky are some of the more prominent names who submitted designs;[30] Kalashnikov did not submit an entry for this contest.[29] A gun presented by Sudayev, the AS-44 (weight: 5.6 kg, barrel length 505 mm), came up ahead in the mid-1944 trials.
However subsequent field trials conducted in 1945 found it to be too heavy for the average soldier and Sudayev was asked to lighten his gun; his lightened variant (5.35 kg, 485 mm barrel) turned out to be less reliable and less accurate. In October 1945, the GAU was convinced to dispense with the built-in bipod requirement; Sudayev's gun in this variant, called OAS (облегченный автомат Судаева – ОАС), weighed only 4.8 kg. Sudayev however fell ill and died in 1946, preventing further development.[31][32][33]
The experience gained from the reliability issues of the lightened Sudayev design convinced the GAU that a brand new competition had to be held, and for this round the requirements were explicitly stated: a wholesale replacement of the PPSh-41 and PPS-43 sub-machine guns was what they were after. The new competition was initiated in 1946 under GAU TTT number 3131-45. Ten designs had been submitted by August 1946.[34]
Kalashnikov and his design team from factory number two in Kovrov submitted an entry. It was a gas-operated rifle which had a breech-block mechanism similar to his 1944 carbine, and a curved 30-round magazine. Kalashnikov's rifles (codenamed AK-1 and −2, the former with a milled receiver and the latter with a stamped one) proved to be reliable and the weapon was accepted to second round of competition along with designs by A. A. Dementyev (KB-P-520) and A. A. Bulkin (TKB-415). In late 1946, as the rifles were being tested, one of Kalashnikov's assistants, Aleksandr Zaitsev, suggested a major redesign of AK-1, particularly to improve reliability. At first, Kalashnikov was reluctant, given that their rifle had already fared better than its competitors. Eventually, however, Zaitsev managed to persuade Kalashnikov. The new rifle (factory name KB-P-580) proved to be simple and reliable under a wide range of conditions with convenient handling characteristics; prototypes with serial numbers one to three were completed in November 1947. Production of the first army trial series began in early 1948 at the Izhevsk factory number 524,[35] and in 1949 it was adopted by the Soviet Army as "7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK)".[8]
Design
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/AK-47_type_II_Part_DM-ST-89-01131.jpg/350px-AK-47_type_II_Part_DM-ST-89-01131.jpg)
The AK-47 is best described as a hybrid of previous rifle technology innovations:[36] the trigger mechanism,[37] double locking lugs and unlocking raceway[citation needed] of the M1 Garand/M1 carbine, the safety mechanism of the John Browning designed Remington Model 8 rifle,[citation needed] and the gas system of the Sturmgewehr 44.[citation needed]
Kalashnikov borrowed the long stroke piston design from the M1 Garand, with the op rod and piston mounted on the top instead of the bottom of the rifle.[38]
Kalashnikov's team had access to all of these weapons and had no need to "reinvent the wheel",[36] though he denied that his design was based on the German Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle.[39] Kalashnikov himself observed: "A lot of Russian Army soldiers ask me how one can become a constructor, and how new weaponry is designed. These are very difficult questions. Each designer seems to have his own paths, his own successes and failures. But one thing is clear: before attempting to create something new, it is vital to have a good appreciation of everything that already exists in this field. I myself have had many experiences confirming this to be so."[24]
There are claims about Kalashnikov copying other designs, like Bulkin's TKB-415[2] or Simonov's AVS-31.[40]
Receiver development
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/AKMS_and_AK-47_DD-ST-85-01270.jpg/220px-AKMS_and_AK-47_DD-ST-85-01270.jpg)
There were many difficulties during the initial phase of production. The first production models had stamped sheet metal receivers. Difficulties were encountered in welding the guide and ejector rails, causing high rejection rates.[41] Instead of halting production, a heavy machined receiver was substituted for the sheet metal receiver. This was a more costly process, but the use of machined receivers accelerated production as tooling and labor for the earlier Mosin–Nagant rifle's machined receiver were easily adapted. Partly because of these problems, the Soviets were not able to distribute large numbers of the new rifle to soldiers until 1956. During this time, production of the interim SKS rifle continued.[41]
Once manufacturing difficulties had been overcome, a redesigned version designated the AKM (M for "modernized" or "upgraded"; in Russian: Автомат Калашникова Модернизированный [Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovanniy]) was introduced in 1959.[42] This new model used a stamped sheet metal receiver and featured a slanted muzzle brake on the end of the barrel to compensate for muzzle rise under recoil. In addition, a hammer retarder was added to prevent the weapon from firing out of battery (without the bolt being fully closed), during rapid or automatic fire.[41] This is also sometimes referred to as a "cyclic rate reducer", or simply "rate reducer", as it also has the effect of reducing the number of rounds fired per minute during automatic fire. It was also roughly one-third lighter than the previous model.[42]
Both licensed and unlicensed production of the Kalashnikov weapons abroad were almost exclusively of the AKM variant, partially due to the much easier production of the stamped receiver. This model is the most commonly encountered, having been produced in much greater quantities. All rifles based on the Kalashnikov design are frequently referred to as AK-47s in the West, although this is only correct when applied to rifles based on the original three receiver types.[43] In most former Eastern Bloc countries, the weapon is known simply as the "Kalashnikov" or "AK". The photo above at right illustrates the differences between the Type 2 milled receiver and the Type 4 stamped, including the use of rivets rather than welds on the stamped receiver, as well as the placement of a small dimple above the magazine well for stabilization of the magazine.
Receiver type | Description |
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Type 1A/B | Original stamped receiver for AK-47. -1B modified for underfolding stock. A large hole is present on each side to accommodate the hardware for the underfolding stock.
(this naming convention continues with all types) |
Type 2A/B | Milled from steel forging. |
Type 3A/B | "Final" version of the milled receiver, from steel bar stock. The most ubiquitous example of the milled-receiver AK-47. |
Type 4A/B | Stamped AKM receiver. Overall, the most-used design in the construction of the AK-series rifles. |
In 1974, the Soviets began replacing their AK-47 and AKM rifles with a newer design, the AK-74, which uses 5.45×39mm ammunition. This new rifle and cartridge had only started to be manufactured in Eastern European nations when the Soviet Union collapsed, drastically slowing production of the AK-74 and other weapons of the former Soviet bloc.
Features
The AK-47 was designed to be a simple, reliable automatic rifle that could be manufactured quickly and cheaply, using mass production methods that were state of the art in the Soviet Union during the late 1940s.[44] The large gas piston, generous clearances between moving parts, and tapered cartridge case design allow the gun to endure large amounts of foreign matter and fouling without failing to cycle. This reliability comes at the expense of accuracy, as the looser tolerances do not allow for precision and consistency.
Operating cycle
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Viet_Cong_soldier_DD-ST-99-04298.jpg/220px-Viet_Cong_soldier_DD-ST-99-04298.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Chinese_type_56_AK47.jpg/220px-Chinese_type_56_AK47.jpg)
The AK-47 uses a long stroke gas system, as was found in the M1 Garand.[38] To fire, the operator inserts a loaded magazine, pulls back and releases the charging handle, and then pulls the trigger. In semi-automatic, the firearm fires only once, requiring the trigger to be released and depressed again for the next shot. In full-automatic, the rifle continues to fire automatically cycling fresh rounds into the chamber, until the magazine is exhausted or pressure is released from the trigger. As each bullet travels through the barrel, a portion of the gases expanding behind it is diverted into the gas tube above the barrel, where it acts on the gas piston. The piston, in turn, is driven backward, pushing the bolt carrier, which causes the bolt to move backwards, ejecting the spent round, and chambering a new round when the recoil spring pushes it forward.[45]
This long-stroke piston design used by the AK-47 (and notably in the designs of the M1 Garand and IMI Tavor)[46] is generally associated with greater reliability in adverse conditions.[47]
Fire selector
The prototype of the AK-47, had a separate fire selector and safety.[48] These were later combined in the production version to simplify the design. The fire selector is a large lever located on the right side of the rifle, it acts as a dust-cover and prevents the charging handle from being pulled fully to the rear when it is on safe.[49] It is operated by the shooter's right fore-fingers and has 3 settings: safe (up), full-auto (center), and semi-auto (down).[49] The reason for this is, under stress a soldier will push the selector lever down with considerable force bypassing the full-auto stage and setting the rifle to semi-auto.[49] To set the AK-47 to full-auto requires the deliberate action of centering the selector lever.[49] To operate the fire selector lever, right handed shooters have to briefly remove their right hand from the pistol grip, which is ergonomically sub-optimal. Some AK-type rifles also have a more traditional selector lever on the left side of the receiver just above the pistol grip.[49] This lever is operated by the shooter's right thumb and has three settings: safe (forward), full-auto (center), and semi-auto (backward).[49]
Magazines
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Bakelite_AK_magazines.jpg/220px-Bakelite_AK_magazines.jpg)
The standard magazine capacity is 30 rounds. There are also 10, 20 and 40-round box magazines, as well as 75-round drum magazines.
The AK-47's 30-round magazines have a pronounced curve that allows them to smoothly feed ammunition into the chamber. Their heavy steel construction combined with "feed-lips" (the surfaces at the top of the magazine that control the angle at which the cartridge enters the chamber) machined from a single steel billet makes them highly resistant to damage. These magazines are so strong that "Soldiers have been known to use their mags as hammers, and even bottle openers."[50][51] This contributes to the AK-47 magazine being more reliable, but makes it heavier than U.S. and NATO magazines. The early slab-sided steel AK-47 30-round detachable box magazines weigh .43 kg (0.95 lb) empty.[52] The later steel AKM 30-round magazines had lighter sheet-metal bodies with prominent reinforcing ribs weighing .33 kilograms (0.73 lb)* empty.[52][53] To further reduce weight a light weight magazine with an aluminum body weighing .19 kg (0.42 lb) empty was introduced for the AKM that proved to be insubstantial and was quickly withdrawn from service. As a replacement steel-reinforced 30-round plastic 7.62×39mm box magazines were introduced. These rust-colored magazines weigh .24 kg (0.53 lb) empty and are often mistakenly identified as being made of Bakelite (a phenolic resin), but were actually fabricated from two-parts of AG-S4 molding compound (a glass-reinforced phenol-formaldehyde binder impregnated composite), assembled using an epoxy resin adhesive.[54][55][56] Noted for their durability, these magazines did however compromise the rifle's camouflage and lacked the small horizontal reinforcing ribs running down both sides of the magazine body near the front that were added on all later plastic magazine generations.[56] A second generation steel-reinforced dark-brown (color shades vary from maroon to plum to near black) 30-round 7.62×39mm magazine was introduced in the early 1980s, fabricated from ABS plastic. The third generation steel-reinforced 30-round 7.62×39mm magazine is similar to the second generation, but is darker colored and has a matte nonreflective surface finish. The current issue steel-reinforced matte true black nonreflective surface finished 7.62×39mm 30-round magazines, fabricated from ABS plastic weigh .25 kg (0.55 lb) empty.[57] Early steel AK-47 magazines are 9.75 in (248 mm) long, and the later ribbed steel AKM and newer plastic 7.62×39mm magazines are about 1 in (25 mm) shorter.[58][59]
The transition from steel to mainly plastic magazines yielded a significant weight reduction and allow a soldier to carry more rounds for the same weight.
Rifle | Cartridge | Cartridge weight | Weight of empty magazine | Weight of loaded magazine | Max. 10.12 kg (22.3 lb) ammunition load* |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AK-47 (1949) | 7.62×39mm | 16.3 g (252 gr) | slab-sided steel 430 g (0.95 lb) |
30-rounds 916 g (2.019 lb)[46] |
11 magazines for 330 rounds 10.12 kg (22.3 lb) |
AKM (1957) | 7.62×39mm | 16.3 g (252 gr) | ribbed stamped-steel 330 g (0.73 lb) |
30-rounds 819 g (1.806 lb)[53][60] |
12 magazines for 360 rounds 9.84 kg (21.7 lb) |
AK-103 (1994) | 7.62×39mm | 16.3 g (252 gr) | steel-reinforced plastic 250 g (0.55 lb) |
30-rounds 739 g (1.629 lb)[53][60] |
13 magazines for 390 rounds 9.62 kg (21.2 lb) |
Note: All, 7.62×39mm AK magazines are backwards compatible with older AK variants.
Note *: 10.12 kg (22.3 lb) is the maximum amount of ammo that the average soldier can comfortably carry. It also allows for best comparison of the three most common 7.62×39mm AK platform magazines.
Most Yugoslavian and some East German AK magazines were made with cartridge followers that hold the bolt open when empty; however, most AK magazine followers allow the bolt to close when the magazine is empty.
Sights
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/AK47-rear-sight.jpg/220px-AK47-rear-sight.jpg)
Note: 100 to 800 m (109 to 875 yd) settings and omission of a battle zero setting
The AK-47 uses a notched rear tangent iron sight calibrated in 100 m (109 yd) increments from 100 to 800 m (109 to 875 yd).[61] The front sight is a post adjustable for elevation in the field. Horizontal adjustment is done by the armory before issue. The "point-blank range" battle zero setting "П" on the 7.62×39mm AK-47 rear tangent sight element corresponds to a 300 m (328 yd) zero.[61][62] These settings mirror the Mosin–Nagant and SKS rifles which the AK-47 replaced. For the AK-47 combined with service cartridges the 300 m battle zero setting limits the apparent "bullet rise" within approximately −5 to +31 cm (−2.0 to 12.2 in) relative to the line of sight. Soldiers are instructed to fire at any target within this range by simply placing the sights on the center of mass (the belt buckle) of the enemy target. Any errors in range estimation are tactically irrelevant, as a well-aimed shot will hit the torso of the enemy soldier. Some AK-type rifles have a front sight with a flip-up luminous dot that is calibrated at 50 m (55 yd), for improved night fighting.[61]
Side rail
All current AKs (100 series) and some older models, have side rails for mounting a variety of scopes and sighting devices, such as the PSO-1 Optical Sniper Sight.[63] The side rails allow for removal and remounting of optical accessories without interfering with the zeroing of the optic. However, the 100 series side folding stocks cannot be folded with the optics mounted.
Accessories
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/AK-47_bayonet_and_scabbard.jpg/220px-AK-47_bayonet_and_scabbard.jpg)
Accessories supplied with the rifle include a 387 mm (15.2 in) long 6H3 bayonet featuring a 200 mm (7.9 in) long spear point blade. The AK-47 bayonet is installed by slipping the 17.7 mm (0.70 in) diameter muzzle ring around the muzzle and latching the handle down on the bayonet lug under the front sight base.[64]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/AK103_GP_34.jpg/220px-AK103_GP_34.jpg)
All current model AK-47 rifles can mount under-barrel 40 mm grenade launchers such as the GP-25 and its variants, which can fire up to 20 rounds per minute and have an effective range of up to 400 metres.[65] The main grenade is the VOG-25 (VOG-25M) fragmentation grenade which has a 6 m (9 m) (20 ft (30 ft)) lethality radius. The VOG-25P/VOG-25PM ("jumping") variant explodes 0.5–1 metre (1.6–3.3 ft) above the ground.[66]
The AK-47 can also mount a (rarely used) cup-type grenade launcher, the Kalashnikov grenade launcher that fires standard RGD-5 Soviet hand-grenades. The maximum effective range is approximately 150 meters.[67] This launcher can also be used to launch tear-gas and riot control grenades.
Terminal ballistics
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/RussianWP.jpg/300px-RussianWP.jpg)
The AK fires the 7.62×39mm cartridge with a muzzle velocity of 715 m/s (2,350 ft/s).[7] The cartridge weight is 16.3 g (0.6 oz), the projectile weight is 7.9 g (122 gr).[68] The AK has excellent penetration when shooting through heavy foliage, walls or a common vehicle's metal body and into an opponent attempting to use these things as cover. The 7.62x39mm M43 projectile does not generally fragment when striking an opponent and has an unusual tendency to remain intact even after making contact with bone. The 7.62x39mm round produces significant wounding in cases where the bullet tumbles (yaws) in tissue,[69] but produces relatively minor wounds in cases where the bullet exits before beginning to yaw.[70][71][72] In the absence of yaw, the M43 round can pencil through tissue with relatively little injury.[70][73]
Most, if not all, of the 7.62x39mm ammunition found today is of the upgraded M67 variety. This variety deleted the steel insert, shifting the center of gravity rearward, and allowing the projectile to destabilize (or yaw) at about 3.3 in (8.4 cm), nearly 6.7 in (17 cm) earlier in tissue than the M43 round.[74] This change also reduces penetration in ballistic gelatin to ~25 in (64 cm) for the newer M67 round versus ~29 in (74 cm) for the older M43 round.[74][75] However, the wounding potential of M67 is mostly limited to the small permanent wound channel the bullet itself makes, especially when the bullet yaws.[74]
Accuracy
The AK-47's accuracy has always been considered to be "good enough" to hit an adult male torso out to about 300 m (328 yd).[76][77] "At 300 m (328 yd), expert shooters (firing AK-47s) at prone or at bench rest positions had difficulty putting ten consecutive rounds on target."[78] Despite the Soviet engineers best efforts and "no matter the changes, the AK-47's accuracy could not be significantly improved; when it came to precise shooting, it was a stubbornly mediocre arm."[78] An AK can fire a 10 shot group of 5.9 in (15 cm) at 100 m (109 yd),[79] and 17.5 in (44 cm) at 300 m (328 yd)[78] Curiously, the newer stamped steel receiver AKM models are actually less accurate than their predecessors.[77] "There are advantages and disadvantages in both forged/milled receivers and stamped receivers. Milled/Forged Receivers are much more rigid, flexing less as the rifle is fired thus not hindering accuracy as much as stamped receivers. Stamped receivers on the other hand are a bit more rugged since it has some give in it and have less chances of having metal fatigue under heavy usage."[77] As a result, the milled AK-47's are capable of shooting 3 to 5 in (8 to 13 cm) groups at 100 yd (91 m), whereas the stamped AKM's are capable of shooting 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) groups at 100 yd (91 m).[77] The best shooters are able to hit a man-sized target at 800 m (875 yd) within five shots (firing from prone or bench rest position) or ten shots (standing).[80]
Service life
The AK-47 and its variants are made in dozens of countries, with "quality ranging from finely engineered weapons to pieces of questionable workmanship." [81] As a result, the AK-47 has a service/system life of approximately 6,000,[82] to 10,000,[83] to 15,000[84] rounds.[12] The AK-47 was designed to be a cheap, simple, easy to manufacture assault rifle,[85] perfectly matching Soviet military doctrine that treats equipment and weapons as disposable items.[86] As units are often deployed without adequate logistical support and dependent on "battlefield cannibalization" for resupply, it is actually more cost-effective to replace rather than repair weapons.[86]
The AK-47 has small parts and springs that need to be replaced every few thousand rounds. However..."Every time it is disassembled beyond the field stripping stage, it will take some time for some parts to regain their fit, some parts may tend to shake loose and fall out when firing the weapon. Some parts of the AK-47 line are riveted together. Repairing these can be quite a hassle, since the end of the rivet has to be ground off and a new one set after the part is replaced."[61]
Variants
Early variants (7.62×39mm)
- Issue of 1948/49 – Type 1: The very earliest models, stamped sheet metal receiver, are now very rare.
- Issue of 1951 – Type 2: Has a milled receiver. Barrel and chamber are chrome plated to resist corrosion.
- Issue of 1954/55 – Type 3: Lightened, milled receiver variant. Rifle weight is 3.47 kg (7.7 lb).[5]
- AKS (AKS-47) – Type 1, 2, or 3 receiver: Featured a downward-folding metal stock similar to that of the German MP40, for use in the restricted space in the BMP infantry combat vehicle, as well as by paratroops.
- AKN (AKSN) – Night scope rail.[87]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/AK-47_bullets_from_China%2C_Pakistan_and_Russia.jpg/220px-AK-47_bullets_from_China%2C_Pakistan_and_Russia.jpg)
Modernized (7.62×39mm)
- AKM – A simplified, lighter version of the AK-47; Type 4 receiver is made from stamped and riveted sheet metal. A slanted muzzle device was added to counter climb in automatic fire. Rifle weight is 3.1 kg (6.8 lb)[7] due to the lighter receiver. This is the most ubiquitous variant of the AK-47.
- RPK – Hand-held machine gun version with longer barrel and bipod. The variants – RPKS, RPKN (RPKSN), RPKL (RPKSL) – mirror AKM variants. The "S" variants have a side-folding wooden stock.
Low-impulse variants (5.45×39mm)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/AK-74_RPK-74_DA-ST-89-06612.jpg/220px-AK-74_RPK-74_DA-ST-89-06612.jpg)
- AK-74 – Assault rifle.
- AKS-74 – Side-folding stock.
- AK-74N (AKS-74N) – Night scope rail.
- AKS-74U – Compact carbine.
- AKS-74UN – Night scope rail.
- RPK-74 – Light machine gun.
- RPKS-74 – Side-folding stock.
- RPK-74N (RPKS-74N) – Night scope rail.
The 100 Series
5.45×39mm / 5.56×45mm / 7.62×39mm
- AK-74M/AK-101/AK-103 – Modernized AK-74. Scope rail and side-folding stock.
- AK-107/AK-108 – Balanced recoil models.
- AK-105/AK-102/AK-104 – Carbine.
- RPK-74M / RPK-201 / RPKM and RPK-203 – Light machine gun.
Other weapons
- Saiga-12 – 12-gauge shotgun. Built on AK receiver.
- Saiga-12S – Pistol grip and side-folding stock.
- Saiga-12K – Shorter barrel.
- Saiga-20 (S/K) – 20-gauge.
- Saiga-410 (S/K) – .410 bore.
- Saiga-12S – Pistol grip and side-folding stock.
- Saiga semi-automatic rifle
- KSK shotgun – 12-gauge combat shotgun (based on Saiga-12).
- Vepr-12 Molot – 12-gauge combat shotgun. Built on RPK receiver.
- Bizon – Submachine gun with helical magazine. Borrows 60% of details from AKS-74U. 9×18mm PM, 9×19mm Luger, .380 ACP; 7.62×25mm TT (box magazine).
- Vityaz-SN – 9×19mm Parabellum Submachine gun. Successor to the Bizon and the standard SMG for all branches of Russian military and police forces[89]
- OTs-14 Groza – Bullpup assault rifle. 9×39mm, 7.62×39mm.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/5.45-%D0%BC%D0%BC_%D0%B0%D0%B2%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%82_%D0%90%D0%9A-12_-_%D0%A2%D0%B5%D1%85%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B8%D0%B8_%D0%B2_%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B8_2012_01.jpg/220px-5.45-%D0%BC%D0%BC_%D0%B0%D0%B2%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%82_%D0%90%D0%9A-12_-_%D0%A2%D0%B5%D1%85%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B8%D0%B8_%D0%B2_%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B8_2012_01.jpg)
AK-12 series
- AK-12 – The AK-12 uses the same gas-operated long-stroke piston system of previous Kalashnikov rifles, with many modern features that are radically different from other guns in its family. However, in late September 2013, the AK-12 was passed over by the Russian military.[90]
Production outside of the Soviet Union/Russian Federation
Military variants only. Includes new designs substantially derived from the Kalashnikov.
This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2013) |
Country | Variant(s) |
---|---|
Albania | Automatiku Shqiptar model 56 (ASH-78 Tip-1) Albanian Automatic Assault Rifle Model 56 Type-1 [Made in Poliçan Arsenal] (Straight forward copy of Type 56, which in turn is a clone of the Soviet AKM rifle)
Automatiku Shqiptar Tipi 1982 (ASH-82) Albanian Automatic Assault Rifle Type 1982 [Made in Poliçan Arsenal] (Straight forward copy of AKMS) Automatiku Shqiptar model 56 (ASH-78 Tip-2) Albanian Light Machine Gun [Made in Poliçan Arsenal] (Straight forward copy of RPK) Automatiku Shqiptar model 56 (ASH-78 Tip-3) Albanian Automatic Hybrid Rifle Model 56 Type-3 [Made in Poliçan Arsenal] (Hybrid rifle for multi-purpose roles mainly Marksman rifle with secondary assault rifle and grenade launcher capability) Other unknown variants. |
Armenia | K-3 (bullpup, 5.45×39mm) |
Azerbaijan | Khazri (AK-74M)[91] |
Bangladesh | Chinese Type 56 |
Bulgaria | AKK/AKKS (Type 3 AK-47/w. side-folding buttstock)
AKKMS (AKMS), AKKN-47 (fittings for NPSU night sights) AK-47M1 (Type 3 with black polymer furniture) AK-47MA1/AR-M1 (same as -M1, but in 5.56 mm NATO) AKS-47M1 (AKMS in 5.56×45mm NATO) AKS-47S (AK-47M1, short version, with East German folding stock, laser aiming device) AKS-47UF (short version of -M1, Russian folding stock), AR-SF (same as −47UF, but 5.56 mm NATO) AKS-93SM6 (similar to −47M1, cannot use grenade launcher) RKKS (RPK), AKT-47 (.22 rimfire training rifle) |
Cambodia | Chinese Type 56, Soviet AK-47, and AKM |
People's Republic of China | Type 56 |
Colombia | Galil ACE |
Croatia | APS-95 |
Cuba | AKM[92] |
East Germany[93] | MPi-K/MPi-KS (AK-47/AKS)
MPi-KM (AKM; wooden and plastic stock), MPi-KMS-72 (side-folding stock), MPi-KMS-K (carbine) MPi-AK-74N (AK-74), MPi-AKS-74N (side-folding stock), MPi-AKS-74NK (carbine) KK-MPi Mod.69 (.22 LR select-fire trainer) |
Egypt | AK-47, Misr assault rifle (AKMS), Maadi ARM (AKM) |
Ethiopia | AK-47, AK-103 (manufactured locally at the State-run Gafat Armament Engineering Complex as the Et-97/1)[94] |
Finland | Rk 62, Valmet M76 (other names Rk 62 76, M62/76), Valmet M78 (light machine gun), Rk 95 Tp |
Hungary[95] | AK-55 (domestic manufacture of the 2nd Model AK-47)
AKM-63 (also known as AMD-63 in the US; modernized AK-55), AMD-65M (modernized AKM-63, shorter barrel and side-folding stock), AMP-69 (rifle grenade launcher) AK-63F/D (other name AMM/AMMSz), AK-63MF (modernized) NGM-81 (5.56×45mm NATO; fixed and under-folding stock) |
India | INSAS (fixed and side-folding stock), KALANTAK (carbine), INSAS light machine gun (fixed and side-folding stock), a local unlicensed version with carbon fibre furniture designated as AK-7 [96]
Trichy Assault Rifle 7.62 mm, manufactured by Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli of Ordnance Factories Board[97] |
Iran | KLS/KLF (AK-47/AKS), KLT (AKMS) |
Iraq | Tabuk Sniper Rifle, Tabuk Assault Rifle (with fixed or underfolding stock, outright clones of Yugoslavian M70 rifles series), Tabuk Short Assault Rifle (carbine) |
Israel | IMI Galil: AR (assault/battle rifle), ARM (assault rifle/light machine gun), SAR (carbine), MAR (compact carbine), Sniper (sniper rifle), SR-99 (sniper rifle)
|
Italy | Bernardelli VB-STD/VB-SR (Galil AR/SAR)[98] |
Nigeria | Produced by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria as OBJ-006[99][100] |
North Korea | Type 58A/B (Type 3 AK-47/w. stamped steel folding stock), Type 68A/B (AKM/AKMS), Type 88 (AKS-74)[101][102] |
Pakistan | Reverse engineered by hand and machine in Pakistan's highland areas (see Khyber Pass Copy) near the border of Afghanistan; more recently the Pakistan Ordnance Factories started the manufacture of an AK-47/AKM clone called PK-10[103] |
Poland[104] | pmK (kbk AK) / pmKS (kbk AKS) (name has changed from pmK – "pistolet maszynowy Kałasznikowa", Kalashnikov SMG to the kbk AK – "karabinek AK", Kalashnikov Carbine in mid-1960s) (AK-47/AKS)
kbkg wz. 1960 (rifle grenade launcher), kbkg wz. 1960/72 (modernized) kbk AKM / kbk AKMS (AKM/AKMS) kbk wz. 1988 Tantal (5.45×39mm), skbk wz. 1989 Onyks (compact carbine) kbs wz. 1996 Beryl (5.56×45mm), kbk wz. 1996 Mini-Beryl (compact carbine) |
Romania | PM md. 63/65 (AKM/AKMS), PM md. 80, PM md. 90, collectively exported under the umbrella name AIM or AIMS
PA md. 86 (AK-74), exported as the AIMS-74 PM md. 90 short barrel, PA md. 86 short barrel, exported as the AIMR PSL (designated marksman rifle; other names PSL-54C, Romak III, FPK and SSG-97) |
South Africa | R4 assault rifle, Truvelo Raptor, Vektor CR-21 (bullpup) |
Sudan | MAZ[105] (based on the Type 56) |
Ukraine | Vepr (bullpup, 5.45×39mm), Malyuk (bullpup)[106] |
United States | Century Arms Model 39 (7.62x39mm), InterOrdnance AKM247, M214 |
Vietnam | AKM-1 (AKM), TUL-1 (RPK), Galil Ace 31/32 |
Venezuela | License granted, factory under construction[107] |
Yugoslavia/Serbia | M-64, M-70, M-72, M-76, M-77, M-80, M-82, M-85, M-90, M-91, M-92, M-99, M-21 |
Certainly more have been produced elsewhere; but the above list represents known producers and is limited to only military variants. An updated AK-47 design – the AK-103 – is still produced in Russia.
Derivatives
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Iraqi_police_officer_with_Tabuk_sniper_rifle.jpg/220px-Iraqi_police_officer_with_Tabuk_sniper_rifle.jpg)
The basic design of the AK-47 has been used as the basis for other successful rifle designs such as the Finnish Rk 62/76 and Rk 95 Tp, the Israeli Galil, the Indian INSAS and the Yugoslav Zastava M76 and M77/82 rifles. Several bullpup designs have surfaced such as the Chinese Norinco Type 86S, although none have been produced in quantity. Bullpup conversions are also available commercially.
Licensing
OJSC IzhMash has repeatedly claimed that the majority of manufacturers produce AK-47s without a proper license from IZH.[108][109] The Izhevsk Machine Tool Factory acquired a patent in 1999,[clarification needed] making manufacture of the newest Kalashnikov rifles, such as AK-100s by anyone other than themselves illegal in countries where a patent is granted. However, older variants, such as AK and AKM are public domain due to age of design.
Illicit trade
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Cambodian_AK-47.jpg/220px-Cambodian_AK-47.jpg)
Throughout the world, the AK and its variants are among the most commonly smuggled small arms sold to governments, rebels, criminals, and civilians alike, with little international oversight.[citation needed] In some countries, prices for AKs are very low; in Somalia, Rwanda, Mozambique, Congo and Tanzania prices are between $30 and $125 per weapon,[110] and prices have fallen in the last few decades due to mass counterfeiting. Moisés Naím observed that in a small town in Kenya in 1986, an AK-47 cost fifteen cows but that in 2005, the price was down to four cows indicating that supply was "immense".[111] The weapon has appeared in a number of conflicts including clashes in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia.[110]
The Taliban and the Northern Alliance fought each other with Soviet AKs; some of these were exported to Pakistan. The gun is now also made in Pakistan's semi-autonomous areas (see Khyber Pass Copy).[112] "'The Distribution of Iranian Ammunition in Africa', by the private British arms-tracking group Conflict Armament Research (CAR), shows how Iran broke trade embargoes [sic?] and infiltrated African markets with massive amounts of illegal, unmarked 7.62 mm rounds for the Kalashnikov-style AK-47 rifles."[113]
Estimated numbers of AK-type weapons vary. The Small Arms Survey suggest that "between 70 and 100 million of these weapons have been produced since 1947."[114] The World Bank estimates that out of the 500 million total firearms available worldwide, 100 million are of the Kalashnikov family, and 75 million are AK-47s.[3] Because AK-type weapons have been made in other countries, often illicitly, it is impossible to know how many really exist.[115]
Cultural influence
"Basically, it's the anti-Western caché of it ... And you know, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, so we all sort of think, oh boy, we've got a little bit of Che Guevara in us. And this accounts for the popularity of the (AK 47) weapon. Plus I think that in the United States it's considered counterculture, which is always something that citizens in this country kind of like ... It's kind of sticking a finger in the eye of the man, if you will."
— Larry Kahaner, author of AK-47: The Weapon That Changed the Face of War[116]
Russia/Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China, as well as Western countries (especially the United States) supplied arms and technical knowledge to numerous countries and rebel forces in a global struggle between the Warsaw Pact nations and their allies against NATO and their allies called the Cold War. While the NATO countries used rifles such as the relatively expensive M14, FN FAL, HK G3 and M16 assault rifle during this time, the low production and materials costs of the AK-47 meant that the Russia/USSR could produce and supply its allies at a very low cost. Because of its low cost, it was also duplicated or used as the basis for many other rifles (see List of weapons influenced by the Kalashnikov design), such as the Israeli Galil, Chinese Type 56, and Swiss SIG SG 550. As a result, the Cold War saw the mass export of AK-47s by the Soviet Union and the PRC to their allies, such as the Nicaraguan Sandinistas, Viet Cong as well as Middle Eastern, Asian, and African revolutionaries. The United States also purchased the Type 56 from the PRC to give to the mujahideen guerrillas during the Soviet war in Afghanistan.[117]
The proliferation of this weapon is reflected by more than just numbers. The AK-47 is included in the flag of Mozambique and its emblem, an acknowledgment that the country's leaders gained power in large part through the effective use of their AK-47s.[118] It is also found in the coats of arms of East Timor, the revolution era coat of arms of Burkina Faso and the flag of Hezbollah.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/MP_Inspects_Captured_AK-47_Vietnam.jpg/220px-MP_Inspects_Captured_AK-47_Vietnam.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Mortar_attack_on_Shigal_Tarna_garrison%2C_Kunar_Province%2C_87.jpg/220px-Mortar_attack_on_Shigal_Tarna_garrison%2C_Kunar_Province%2C_87.jpg)
In parts of the Western world, the AK-47 is associated with their enemies; both Cold War era and present-day. In the pro-communist states, the AK-47 became a symbol of third-world revolution. During the 1980s, the Soviet Union became the principal arms dealer to countries embargoed by Western nations, including Middle Eastern nations such as Syria, Libya and Iran, who welcomed Soviet Union backing against Israel. After the fall of the Soviet Union, AK-47s were sold both openly and on the black market to any group with cash, including drug cartels and dictatorial states, and more recently they have been seen in the hands of Islamic groups such as the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Iraq, and FARC, Ejército de Liberación Nacional guerrillas in Colombia. Western movies often portray criminals, gang members and terrorists using AK-47s. For these reasons, in the U.S. and Western Europe the AK-47 is stereotypically regarded as the weapon of choice of insurgents, gangsters and terrorists. Conversely, throughout the developing world, the AK-47 can be positively attributed with revolutionaries against foreign occupation, imperialism, or colonialism.[116]
In Mexico, the AK-47 is known as "Cuerno de Chivo" (literally "Goat's Horn") because of its curved magazine design and is one of the weapons of choice of Mexican drug cartels. It is sometimes mentioned in Mexican folk music lyrics.[120]
In 2006, Colombian musician and peace activist César López devised the escopetarra, an AK converted into a guitar. One sold for US$17,000 in a fundraiser held to benefit the victims of anti-personnel mines, while another was exhibited at the United Nations' Conference on Disarmament.[121]
The AK-47 made an appearance in U.S. popular culture as a recurring focus in the 2005 Nicolas Cage film Lord of War. There are numerous monologues in the movie focusing on the weapon and its effects on global conflict and the gun running market, such as:
"Of all the weapons in the vast Soviet arsenal, nothing was more profitable than Avtomat Kalashnikova model of 1947. More commonly known as the AK-47, or Kalashnikov. It's the world's most popular assault rifle. A weapon all fighters love. An elegantly simple 9 pound amalgamation of forged steel and plywood. It doesn't break, jam, or overheat. It'll shoot whether it's covered in mud or filled with sand. It's so easy, even a child can use it; and they do. The Soviets put the gun on a coin. Mozambique put it on their flag. Since the end of the Cold War, the Kalashnikov has become the Russian people's greatest export. After that comes vodka, caviar, and suicidal novelists. One thing is for sure, no one was lining up to buy their cars."[122]
Kalashnikov Museum
The Kalashnikov Museum (also called the AK-47 museum) opened on 4 November 2004, in Izhevsk, Udmurt Republic. This city is in the Ural Region of Russia. The museum chronicles the biography of General Kalashnikov, and documents the invention of the AK-47. The museum complex of small arms of M. T. Kalashnikov, a series of halls and multimedia exhibitions is devoted to the evolution of the AK-47 assault rifle and attracts 10,000 monthly visitors.[123]
Nadezhda Vechtomova, the museum director stated in an interview that the purpose of the museum is to honor the ingenuity of the inventor and the hard work of the employees and to "separate the weapon as a weapon of murder from the people who are producing it and to tell its history in our country."
Users
![]() |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Evstafiev-spetsnaz-prepare-for-mission.jpg/300px-Evstafiev-spetsnaz-prepare-for-mission.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/AK47map.svg/220px-AK47map.svg.png)
Afghanistan[124]
Albania[125]
Algeria[125]
Angola[125]
Armenia[125]
Azerbaijan[125][126]
Bangladesh[125]
Belarus[125]
Benin[125]
Bosnia and Herzegovina[125]
Botswana[125]
Bulgaria[125]
Burkina Faso[127][128][129]
Burundi[130][131]
Cambodia[125]
Cameroon[132][133]
Cape Verde[125]
Central African Republic[125]
Chad[125]
Chile[134]
People's Republic of China: Type 56 variant was used.[135]
Comoros[125]
Republic of the Congo[125]
Democratic Republic of the Congo[125]
Cuba[125]
Djibouti[136][137]
Egypt[125]
Eritrea[125]
Ethiopia[125]
El Salvador[138]
Finland: Rk 62, Rk 95 Tp.
Gabon[125]
Gambia[139][140][141][142]
Ghana[143][144]
Greece: EKAM counter-terrorist unit of the Hellenic Police.[145][146]
Guinea[125]
Equatorial Guinea[125]
Guinea-Bissau[125]
Guyana[125]
Hungary[125]
India:[125] Used by Force One.[147]
Indonesia: Still used by TNI-AD, TNI-AL, TNI-AU, and Police[citation needed]
Iran[125]
Iraq[124][125]
Ivory Coast[148][149][150]
Kazakhstan[125]
Kenya[151]
North Korea: Type 56 and Type 58 variants were used.[125]
Laos[125]
Kuwait[152]
Lebanon[125]
Liberia[125]
Libya[125]
Macedonia[125][153]
Madagascar[125]
Mali[125]
Malta: Type 56 variant.[125]
Mauritania[154][155][156]
Moldova[125]
Mongolia[125]
Morocco[125]
Mozambique[125]
Myanmar: Used by the Myanmar Police Force (include the Chinese Type 56).[citation needed]
Namibia[125]
Niger[157][158][159]
Nigeria[160][161][162]
Pakistan: Type 56[163] and AK-103[164] used.
Palestine[165]
Peru[125]
Philippines: Used by the Santiago City PNP.[166]
Poland:[2] Replaced by AKM and kbs wz. 1996 Beryl.
Qatar[125]
Rhodesia[167]
Romania[125]
Russia:[2] Replaced by the AK-74 since 1974.
Rwanda[168]
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic[169]
Sao Tome and Principe[125]
Senegal[170]
Serbia[125]
Seychelles[125]
Sierra Leone[125]
Slovenia[125]
Somalia[125]
South Africa: Used by the Special Forces Brigade.[171]
Sri Lanka: Type 56 variant.[125]
Sudan[125]
South Sudan[citation needed]
Suriname[125]
Syria[125]
Tajikistan[125]
Tanzania[125]
Togo[125]
Turkey[125]
Turkmenistan[125]
Uganda[125]
Ukraine[125]
Dominican Republic[125]
UAE[125]
Uzbekistan[125]
Vietnam: Type 56 variant was used extensively by the Viet Cong.[135]
Yemen[125]
Yugoslavia[2]
Zambia[125]
Zimbabwe[125]
See also
- Comparison of the AK-47 and M16
- List of Russian inventions
- List of Russian weaponry
- List of assault rifles
- List of weapons influenced by the Kalashnikov design
- Table of handgun and rifle cartridges
- Overview of gun laws by nation
Notes
- ^ Table data are for AK-47 with Type 3 receiver.
References
- ^ Monetchikov 2005, chpts. 6 and 7 (if AK-46 and −47 are to be seen as separate designs).
- ^ a b c d e Maksim Popenker (5 February 2009). "Kalashnikov AK (AK-47) AKS, AKM and AKMS assault rifles (USSR)". World Guns. Modern Firearms & Ammunition. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ^ a b c Phillip Killicoat (April 2007). "Weaponomics: The Global Market for Assault Rifles" (PDF). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 4202 (Post-Conflict Transitions Working Paper No. 10). Oxford University. p. 3. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
- ^ a b c "AK-47 Inventor Doesn't Lose Sleep Over Havoc Wrought With His Invention". USA: Fox News. 6 July 2007. OCLC 36334372. Retrieved 3 April 2010. Cite error: The named reference "foxnews" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b c НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АК 1967, pp. 161–162.
- ^ a b НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АКМ (АКМС) 1983, pp. 149–150.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "AKM (AK-47) Kalashnikov modernized assault rifle, caliber 7.62mm". Izhmash.
- ^ a b Monetchikov 2005, p. 67; Bolotin 1995, p. 129.
- ^ Rottman 2011, p. 9.
- ^ a b "Machine Carbine Promoted" Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 57, April 1945.
- ^ http://www.worldpress.org/cover5.htm "Born in November 1919—one of 18 children, of whom only six survived—Mikhail Kalashnikov was a Soviet T-38 tank commander in 1941, wounded in the shoulder and back when a German shell smashed part of the tank’s armor into his body. "I was in the hospital, and a soldier in the bed beside me asked: ‘Why do our soldiers have only one rifle for two or three of our men, when the Germans have automatics?’ So I designed one. I was a soldier, and I created a machine gun for a soldier. It was called an Avtomat Kalashnikova, the automatic weapon of Kalashnikov—AK—and it carried the date of its first manufacture, 1947." An interview with Mikhail Kalashnikov, Robert Fisk, The Independent (centrist), London, England. April 22, 2001.
- ^ a b c http://armedforcesmuseum.com/ak-47-assault-rifle/ | Armed Forces History Museum, AK-47 assault rifle Cite error: The named reference "armedforcesmuseum.com" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Chapter 1. Symbol of violence, war and culture. oneworld-publications.com
- ^ Weapon Of Mass Destruction. Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-19.
- ^ http://pogoarchives.org/labyrinth/09/02.pdf M16 Rifle Case Study. Prepared for the Presidents Blue Ribbon Defense Panel. March 16, 1970. By Richard R. Hallock, Colonel U.S. Army (Retired) "Used in quantity against the Soviets at Stalingrad, the German Sturmgewehr made a deep impression on the Russians. They copied the ballistics of the cartridge while improving the configuration and improving the weapon. They standardized the weapon in 1947 as the AK-47 rifle."
- ^ a b http://english.pravda.ru/history/02-08-2003/3461-kalashnikov-0/ "The history of the world-known gun started on July 15th, 1943, when a captured complex—an MP-43 gun and a cartridge—were demonstrated at a meeting of the arms committee. Chief designer Nikolay Elizarov and chief engineer Pavel Ryazanov created the Soviet "interim cartridge " within a very short period of time. The technological support was provided by Boris Syomin. After that, scientists started working on a new fire arms system for that cartridge." The History of Kalashnikov Gun. Pravda. 02.08.2003
- ^ http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/guns/2006/02/father-100-million-rifles "Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. Kalashnikov, by then a sergeant, was injured within months when a shell stopped his T-34 tank and sent shrapnel through his shoulder. As Soviet history tells it, while Sgt. Kalashnikov recuperated, he began tinkering with infantry weapons, eventually setting his mind on designing a lightweight automatic assault rifle that would expel the better-armed Nazis from Russian soil. Soviet infantry fought World War II with two basic small arms: one was the badly outdated Mosin–Nagant Model 1891 bolt-action rifle. The other was the PPSh series of submachine guns, reliable arms that were effective but only at short range. Something better was needed, and that something was in the hands of the Nazi Wehrmacht. It was called the MP44 Sturmgewehr (assault rifle), and it could fire in full or semiautomatic mode. Chambered for a revolutionary new cartridge, a short 7.92mm round that was less powerful than a full-size rifle cartridge, yet far more powerful than the pistol cartridges for which submachine guns were chambered, the Sturmgewehr made a deep impression on the Soviets who faced it." The Father of 100 Million Rifles Mikhail Kalashnikov was a poor russian farm boy who happened to be a mechanical genius, and for better or for worse, the rifle he designed has changed history. Article by C.J. Chivers. Uploaded on February 28, 2006
- ^ History of AK-47 Gun – The Gun Book Review. Popular Mechanics (2010-10-12). Retrieved on 2012-02-09.
- ^ "Scribd". Scribd. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
- ^ http://pogoarchives.org/labyrinth/09/02.pdf M16 Rifle Case Study. Prepared for the Presidents Blue Ribbon Defense Panel. March 16, 1970. By Richard R. Hallock, Colonel U.S. Army (Retired) "Used in quantity against the Soviets at Stalingrad, the German Sturmgewehr made a deep impression on the Russians. They copied the ballistics of the cartridge while improving the configuration and improving the weapon. They standardized the weapon in 1947 as the AK-47 rifle."
- ^ a b http://www.virginia1774.org/DIA-ST-HB-07-03-74.pdf Small Arms Identifiction and Operations Guide-Eurasain Communist Countries. by Harold E. Johnson. September 1973. U.S. Army Foreign Science and Technology Center of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/oct/10/russia.nickpatonwalsh Interview with AK-47 rifle inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov. 'I sleep soundly' Shamed by his parents' exile, he was determined to do his bit for the Soviet cause. And so Mikhail Kalashnikov invented what was to become the world's most prolific killing machine. Nick Paton Walsh tracks down the 83-year-old at his tranquil lakeside. by Nick Paton Walsh. The Guardian, Thursday 9 October 2003
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/rbth/6453703/Russia-celebrates-Mikhail-Kalashnikovs-90th-birthday-the-designer-who-armed-the-world.html Interview with AK-47 rifle inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov. Russia celebrates Mikhail Kalashnikov's 90th birthday - the designer who armed the world. This online supplement is produced and published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russia), which takes sole responsibility for the content.
- ^ a b Bolotin 1995, pp. 123–124.
- ^ Bolotin 1995, p. 123.
- ^ Monetchikov 2005, p. 38.
- ^ David Naumovich Bolotin; [translation: Igor F. Naftul'eff ; edited by John Walter, Heikki Pohjolainen] (1995). Soviet Small-arms and Ammunition. Hyvinkää: Finnish Arms Museum Foundation (Suomen asemuseosäätiö). p. 150. ISBN 9519718419.
{{cite book}}
:|author=
has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ David Naumovich Bolotin; [translation: Igor F. Naftul'eff ; edited by John Walter, Heikki Pohjolainen] (1995). Soviet Small-arms and Ammunition. Hyvinkää: Finnish Arms Museum Foundation (Suomen asemuseosäätiö). p. 115. ISBN 9519718419.
{{cite book}}
:|author=
has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Руслан Чумак, Казалось бы мелочи КАЛАШНИКОВ. ОРУЖИЕ, БОЕПРИПАСЫ, СНАРЯЖЕНИЕ 2010/3, p. 15
- ^ Monetchikov 2005, p. 26.
- ^ Sergei Monetchikov (October 2002). РУССКИЕ ОРУЖЕЙНИКИ: Жизнь, оборвавшаяся на взлете. bratishka.ru
- ^ Bolotin 1995, pp. 127.
- ^ Monetchikov 2005, p. 35.
- ^ Monetchikov 2005, p. 36.
- ^ Monetchikov 2005, p. 64.
- ^ a b Anatoly Wasserman (23 February 2010). Великий компилятор. Компьютерра-Онлайн (in Russian). Retrieved 15 September 2011.
{{cite web}}
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- ^ a b Patrick Sweeney (2010) The Gun Digest Book of The AR-15, Vol. 3. Gun Digest Books. p. 20. ISBN 1440213763.
- ^ Val Shilin; Charlie Cutshaw. "Mikhail Kalashnikov". Power Custom. Retrieved 19 October 2008.
- ^ Andrei Kuptsov (2001). Странная история оружия: С. Г. Симонов, неизвестный гений России, или кто и как разоружил русского солдата (in Russian). Moscow: Kraft+. p. 262. ISBN 978-5-93675-025-0.
{{cite book}}
: Unknown parameter|trans_title=
ignored (|trans-title=
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- ^ a b Edward Ezell (1 March 1986). The AK47 story: evolution of the Kalashnikov weapons. Stackpole Books. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-8117-0916-3.
- ^ Poyer 2006, p. 2.
- ^ "An AK for Every Market by James Dunnigan April 23, 2003". strategypage.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2009.
- ^ Department of the Army. wikisource:en:AK-47 Operator's Manual. 203d Military Intelligence Battalion.
- ^ a b Dockery, Kevin (2007). Future Weapons. p. 102. ISBN 0-425-21750-7.
- ^ The Battle Rifle: Development and Use Since World War II, By Russell C. Tilstra, (McFarland 2014) page 25-28
- ^ Maxim Popenker; Anthony G Williams (2005). Assault Rifle. Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1-86126-700-9.[page needed]
- ^ a b c d e f Peter G. Kokalis, Kalashnikovs – 3 of the best. arsenalinc.com
- ^ "Identifying & Collecting the 7.62×39 AK-47/AKM Magazine". Small Arms Defense Journal. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjeiCbVUEyA The many uses of an AK-47 magazine video. YouTube (2015-04-01).
- ^ a b Dockery, Kevin (2007). Future Weapons. p. 102. ISBN 0425217507.
- ^ a b c "Ak 47 Technical Description - Manual". Scribd.com. 30 September 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
- ^ "Kalashnikovs 3 of the best" (PDF). "Shotgun News" magazine, Vol. 59 Issue no. 12 - May, 2005. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
- ^ "Elastic characteristics of AG-4S glass-reinforced plastic under short-time and long-time loads". VM Grezin - Mechanics of Composite Materials, 1966 - Springer. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
- ^ a b Kokalis, 49
- ^ [http://www.izhmash.ru/eng/product/akm.shtml "�фициальный сайт группы предприятий "ИЖМАШ""]. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
{{cite web}}
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at position 1 (help) - ^ Rifle Evaluation Study, United States Army, Combat Development Command, ADA046961, 20 Dec 1962
- ^ "Are kalashnikov magazines as robust as their reputation? He tormented a selection of AR magazines last year, now he takes on the AK. The results you may find surprising". Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- ^ a b Dockery, Kevin (2007). Future Weapons. p. 102.
- ^ a b c d "Ak 47 Technical Manual". Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- ^ Rottman 2011, p. 42.
- ^ "7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifles AK103, АК104". Izhmash. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
- ^ Ralph E. Cobb (2010) AK Bayonets 101 – The Four Basic Types. worldbayonets.com
- ^ "40 mm underbarrel grenade launcher GP-34". Izhmash. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ^ Russian Close Combat Weapon. Moscow: Association "Defense Enterprises Assistance League". 2010. pp. 482–489. ISBN 978-5-904540-04-3.
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- ^ a b "Patterns Of Military Rifle Bullets". Ciar.org. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
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- ^ RF Bellamy and R. Zajtchuk (1990) "The physics and biophysics of wound ballistics. In: Zajtchuk R, ed. Textbook of Military Medicine, Part I: Warfare, Weaponry, and the Casualty, Vol. 5, Conventional Warfare: Ballistic, Blast, and Burn Injuries. Washington, DC: Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army, United States of America (1990) Fig 4-38 p. 148
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- ^ G. L. M. Kjellgren The Practical Range of Small Arms. The American Rifleman. pp. 40–44
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Bibliography
- Bolotin, David Naumovich (1995). История советского стрелкового оружия и патронов (PDF). Voyenno-Istoricheskaya Biblioteka (in Russian). Saint Petersburg: Poligon. ISBN 5-85503-072-5.
{{cite book}}
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suggested) (help) - Monetchikov, Sergei Borisovich (2005). История русского автомата. Entsiklopediya Russkoi Armii (in Russian). Izdatel'stvo "Atlant 44". ISBN 5-98655-006-4.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
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suggested) (help) - Poyer, Joe (1 January 2006). The AK-47 and AK-74 Kalashnikov Rifles and Their Variations: A Shooter's and Collector's Guide. North Cape Publications. ISBN 978-1-882391-41-7.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Rottman, Gordon (24 May 2011). The AK-47: Kalashnikov-series assault rifles. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-835-0.
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Further reading
- Books
- Chivers, C.J (October 2010). The Gun. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-7076-2.
- Ezell, Edward Clinton; R. Blake Stevens (1 December 2001). Kalashnikov: The Arms and the Man. Cobourg, ON: Collector Grade Publications. ISBN 978-0-88935-267-4.
- Gulevich, I. D., ed. (1967). НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АК (in Russian) (3 ed.). Moscow: Voenizdat.
{{cite book}}
: Unknown parameter|trans_title=
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suggested) (help) - Michael Hodges (January 2007). Ak47: The Story of the People's Gun. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-92104-3.
- Honeycutt Jr, Fred L. and Anthony, Patt F. Military Rifles of Japan. (1996) Fifth Edition, 8th printing; Julin Books. ISBN 0-9623208-7-0.
- Kahaner, Larry (2007). AK-47: the weapon that changed the face of war. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-72641-8.
{{cite book}}
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(help) - Kalashnikov, Mikhail Timofeevich; Joly, Elena (2006). The gun that changed the world. Polity Press. ISBN 978-0-7456-3691-7.
- Shilin, Valery; Cutshaw, Charlie (1 March 2000). Legends and Reality of the AK: A Behind-The Scenes Look at the History, Design, and Impact of the Kalashnikov Family of Weapons. Paladin Press. ISBN 978-1-58160-069-8.
- Vilchinsky, I. K., ed. (1983). НСД. 7,62-мм автомат АКМ (АКМС) (in Russian) (3 ed.). Moscow: Voenizdat.
{{cite book}}
: Unknown parameter|trans_title=
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suggested) (help) - John Walter (4 September 1999). Kalashnikov: machine pistols, assault rifles, and machine-guns, 1945 to the present. Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal. ISBN 978-1-85367-364-1.
- Articles
- How the AK-47 Rewrote the Rules of Modern Warfare – Three-part article by C. J. Chivers, for Wired Magazine
- Ружье. Оружие и амуниция 1999/3, pp. 18–21 has an article about the AK-47 prototypes
- М.Т. Kalashnikov, "Кто автор АК-47?" (Who is the author of AK-47?) – an article rejecting some of the alternative theories as to the authorship of the AK-47, Kalashnikov magazine, 2002/2, pp. 4–7 (in Russian)
- М. Degtyaryov, "Неочевидное очевидное" – an article comparing the internals of the StG 44 and AK-47, Kalashnikov magazine, 2009/4, pp. 18–23 (in Russian)
- "В преддверии юбилея..." Transcription of the commission report on the testing round from the summer of 1947; no winner was selected at this point, but the commission held Kalashnikov's, Dementiev's and Bulkin's designs as most closely satisfying TTT number 3131. Kalashnikov magazine, 2009/8, pp. 18–22 (in Russian)
- "Путёвка в жизнь" Report/letter on the final round of testing, 27 December 1947, declaring Kalashnikov's design the winner. Kalashnikov magazine, 2009/9, pp. 16–22 (in Russian)
- Articles on the 1948 military trials: "На пути в войска" and "ПЕРВЫЙ В ДИНАСТИИ", Kalashnikov magazine, 2009/10-11
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/40px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- AK Site – Kalashnikov Home Page Template:Wayback
- US Army Operator's Manual for the AK-47 Assault Rifle
- Nazarian's Gun's Recognition Guide (MANUAL) AK 47 Manual (.pdf)
- The Timeless, Ubiquitous AK-47 – slideshow by Time magazine
- AK-47: The Weapon Changed the Face of War – audio report by NPR
- The AK-47: The Gun That Changed The Battlefield – audio report by NPR
- AK-47 Documentary: Part 1 & Part 2 by Al Jazeera English
- AK-47 Full Auto, U.S. Army in Iraq from the Internet Archive
- Years of the gun: A political history of the AK-47 in Pakistan by Dawn News