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AK-47

April 06, 2024

This article is about the weapon. For other uses, see AK-47 (disambiguation).
This article is about the AK-47. For the AK family, see Kalashnikov rifle.
Not to be confused with AK-74.

The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (Russian: Автомат Калашникова, lit. 'Kalashnikov's automatic [rifle]'; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, it is the originating firearm of the Kalashnikov (or "AK") family of rifles. After more than eight decades since its creation, the AK-47 model and its variants remain one of the most popular and widely used firearms in the world.

AK-47
AK-47 Type 2A
TypeAssault rifle
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
In service1949–1974 (Soviet Union)
1949–present (other countries)
Used bySee Users
WarsSee Conflicts
Production history
DesignerMikhail Kalashnikov
Designed1946–1948[1]
ManufacturerKalashnikov Concern and various others including Norinco
Produced1948–present[2][3]
No. built≈ 75 million AK-47s, 100 million Kalashnikov-family weapons.[4][5]
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications (AK-47 with Type 3 receiver)
MassWithout magazine:
3.47 kg (7.7 lb)
Magazine, empty:
0.43 kg (0.95 lb) (early issue)[6]
0.33 kg (0.73 lb) (steel)[7]
0.25 kg (0.55 lb) (plastic)[8]
0.17 kg (0.37 lb) (light alloy)[7]
LengthFixed wooden stock:
880 mm (35 in)[8]
875 mm (34.4 in) (folding stock extended)
645 mm (25.4 in) (stock folded)[6]
Barrel lengthOverall length:
415 mm (16.3 in)[8]
Rifled bore length:
369 mm (14.5 in)[8]
Cartridge7.62×39mm
ActionGas-operated, closed rotating bolt
Rate of fireCyclic rate:
600 rounds/min[8]
Practical rate:
Semi-automatic:
40 rounds/min[8]
Bursts/ Fully automatic:
100 rounds/min[8]
Muzzle velocity715 m/s (2,350 ft/s)[8]
Effective firing range350 m (380 yd)[8]
Feed system20-round, 30-round, 50-round detachable box magazine,[8]
40-round, 75-round drum magazines also available
Sights100–800 m adjustable iron sights
Sight radius:
378 mm (14.9 in)[8]

Design work on the AK-47 began in 1945. It was presented for official military trials in 1947, and, in 1948, the fixed-stock version was introduced into active service for selected units of the Soviet Army. In early 1949, the AK was officially accepted by the Soviet Armed Forces[9] and used by the majority of the member states of the Warsaw Pact.

The model and its variants owe their global popularity to their reliability under harsh conditions, low production cost (compared to contemporary weapons), availability in virtually every geographic region, and ease of use. The AK has been manufactured in many countries and has seen service with armed forces as well as irregular forces and insurgencies throughout the world. As of 2004, "of the estimated 500 million firearms worldwide, approximately 100 million belong to the Kalashnikov family, three-quarters of which are AK-47s".[4] The model is the basis for the development of many other types of individual, crew-served, and specialized firearms.

History

Origins

During World War II, the Sturmgewehr 44 rifle used by German forces made a deep impression on their Soviet counterparts.[10][11] The select-fire rifle 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.[12][13] On 15 July 1943, an earlier model of the Sturmgewehr was demonstrated before the People's Commissariat of Arms of the USSR.[14] The Soviets were impressed with the weapon and immediately set about developing an intermediate caliber fully automatic rifle of their own,[10][11] to replace the PPSh-41 submachine guns and outdated Mosin–Nagant bolt-action rifles that armed most of the Soviet Army.[15]

The Soviets soon developed the 7.62×39mm M43 cartridge, used in[14] the semi-automatic SKS carbine and the RPD light machine gun.[16] Shortly after World War II, the Soviets developed the AK-47 rifle, which quickly replaced the SKS in Soviet service.[17][18] Introduced in 1959, the AKM is a lighter stamped steel version and the most ubiquitous variant of the entire AK series of firearms. In the 1960s, the Soviets introduced the RPK light machine gun, an AK-type weapon with a stronger receiver, a longer heavy barrel, and a bipod, that eventually replaced the RPD light machine gun.[16]

Concept

Mikhail Kalashnikov began his career as a weapon designer in 1941 while recuperating from a shoulder wound that he received during the Battle of Bryansk.[5][19] Kalashnikov himself stated..."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 year of its first manufacture, 1947."[20]

The AK-47 is best described as a hybrid of previous rifle technology innovations. "Kalashnikov decided to design an automatic rifle combining the best features of the American M1 Garand and the German StG 44."[21] Kalashnikov's team had access to these weapons and did not need to "reinvent the wheel". 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."[19]

Some claimed that Kalashnikov copied designs like Bulkin's TKB-415[22] or Simonov's AVS-31.[23]

Early designs

Kalashnikov started work on a submachine gun design in 1942[24] and light machine gun design in 1943.[25][26] Early in 1944, Kalashnikov was given some 7.62×39mm M43 cartridges and informed that other designers were working on weapons for this new Soviet small-arms cartridge. It was suggested that a new weapon might well lead to greater things. He then undertook work on the new rifle.[27] In 1944, he entered a design competition with this new 7.62×39mm, semi-automatic, gas-operated, long-stroke piston carbine, strongly influenced by the American M1 Garand.[28] The new rifle was in the same class as the SKS-45 carbine, with a fixed magazine and gas tube above the barrel.[27] However, the new Kalashnikov design lost out to a Simonov design.[29]

In 1946, a new design competition was initiated to develop a new rifle.[30] Kalashnikov submitted a gas-operated rifle with a short-stroke gas piston above the barrel, a breechblock mechanism similar to his 1944 carbine, and a curved 30-round magazine.[31] Kalashnikov's rifles, the AK-1 (with a milled receiver) and AK-2 (with a stamped receiver) proved to be reliable weapons and were accepted to a second round of competition along with other designs.

These prototypes (also known as the AK-46) had a rotary bolt, a two-part receiver with separate trigger unit housing, dual controls (separate safety and fire selector switches), and a non-reciprocating charging handle located on the left side of the weapon.[31][32] This design had many similarities to the StG 44.[33] In late 1946, as the rifles were being tested, one of Kalashnikov's assistants, Aleksandr Zaitsev, suggested a major redesign 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.

In November 1947, the new prototypes (AK-47s) were completed. The rifle used a long-stroke gas piston above the barrel. The upper and lower receivers were combined into a single receiver. The selector and safety were combined into a single control lever/dust cover on the right side of the rifle. And, the bolt handle was simply attached to the bolt carrier. This simplified the design and production of the rifle. The first army trial series began in early 1948.[34] The new rifle proved to be reliable under a wide range of conditions and possessed convenient handling characteristics. In 1949, it was adopted by the Soviet Army as the "7.62 mm Kalashnikov rifle (AK)".[9]

Further development

 
AKMS with a stamped Type 4B receiver (top) and an AK-47 with a milled Type 2A receiver

There were many difficulties during the initial phase of production. The first production models had stamped sheet metal receivers with a milled trunnion and butt stock insert and a stamped body. Difficulties were encountered in welding the guide and ejector rails, causing high rejection rates.[35] Instead of halting production, a heavy[N 1] machined receiver was substituted for the sheet metal receiver. Even though production of these milled rifles started in 1951, they were officially referred to as AK-49, based on the date their development started, but they are widely known in the collectors' and current commercial market as "Type 2 AK-47".[36][37] 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.[38] Partly because of these problems, the Soviets were not able to distribute large numbers of the new rifles to soldiers until 1956. During this time, production of the interim SKS rifle continued.[35]

Once the manufacturing difficulties of non-milled receivers 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.[36] 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 fully automatic fire.[35] 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 fully automatic fire. The rifle was also roughly one-third lighter than the previous model.[36]

Receiver type Description[38]
Type 1A/B The original stamped receiver for the AK-47 was first produced in 1948[2] and adopted in 1949. The 1B was modified for an underfolding stock with a large hole present on each side to accommodate the hardware for the under folding stock.
Type 2A/B The first milled receiver was made from steel forging. It went into production in 1951 and production ended in 1957. The Type 2A has a distinctive socketed metal "boot" connecting the butt stock to the receiver and the milled lightning cut on the sides runs parallel to the barrel.
Type 3A/B "Final" version of the AK milled receiver made from steel bar stock. It went into production in 1955. The most ubiquitous example of the AK milled receiver. The milled lightning cut on the sides is slanted to the barrel axis.
Type 4A/B AKM receiver stamped from a smooth 1.0 mm (0.04 in) sheet of steel supported extensively by pins and rivets. It went into production in 1959. Overall, the most-used design in the construction of AK-series rifles.

Most licensed and unlicensed productions of the Kalashnikov assault rifle abroad were 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 often colloquially referred to as "AK-47s" in the West and some parts of Asia, although this is only correct when applied to rifles based on the original three receiver types.[39] In most former Eastern Bloc countries, the weapon is known simply as the "Kalashnikov" or "AK". The differences between the milled and stamped receivers includes 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.

Replacement

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 the production of the AK-74 and other weapons of the former Soviet bloc.

Design

The AK-47 was designed to be a simple, reliable fully 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.[40] The AK-47 uses a long-stroke gas system generally associated with high reliability in adverse conditions.[28][41][42] The large gas piston, generous clearance between moving parts, and tapered cartridge case design allow the gun to endure large amounts of foreign matter and fouling without failing to cycle.

Cartridge

Main article: 7.62×39mm
 
Wound Profiles of Russian small-arms ammunition compiled by Dr. Martin Fackler on behalf of the U.S. military

The AK fires the 7.62×39mm cartridge with a muzzle velocity of 715 m/s (2,350 ft/s).[8]

The cartridge weight is 16.3 g (0.6 oz), and the projectile weight is 7.9 g (122 gr).[43] The original Soviet M43 bullets are 123-grain boat-tail bullets with a copper-plated steel jacket, a large steel core, and some lead between the core and the jacket. 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 7.62×39mm 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 7.62×39mm round produces significant wounding in cases where the bullet tumbles (yaws) in tissue,[44] but produces relatively minor wounds in cases where the bullet exits before beginning to yaw.[45][46][47] In the absence of yaw, the M43 round can pencil through tissue with relatively little injury.[45][48]

Most, if not all, of the 7.62×39mm 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.[49] 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.[49][50] However, the wounding potential of M67 is mostly limited to the small permanent wound channel the bullet itself makes, especially when the bullet yaws.[49]

Operating mechanism

 
The gas-operated mechanism of a Norinco AK-47

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 fully 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. After ignition of the cartridge primer and propellant, rapidly expanding propellant gases are diverted into the gas cylinder above the barrel through a vent near the muzzle. The build-up of gases inside the gas cylinder drives the long-stroke piston and bolt carrier rearward and a cam guide machined into the underside of the bolt carrier, along with an ejector spur on the bolt carrier rail guide, rotates the bolt approximately 35° and unlocks it from the barrel extension via a camming pin on the bolt. The moving assembly has about 5.5 mm (0.2 in) of free travel, which creates a delay between the initial recoil impulse of the piston and the bolt unlocking sequence, allowing gas pressures to drop to a safe level before the seal between the chamber and the bolt is broken. The AK-47 does not have a gas valve; excess gases are ventilated through a series of radial ports in the gas cylinder. Unlike many other rifle platforms, such as the AR-15 platform, the Kalashnikov platform bolt locking lugs are chamfered allowing for primary extraction upon bolt rotation which aids reliable feeding and extraction, albeit not with that much force due to the short distance the bolt carrier travels before acting on the locking lug. The Kalashnikov platform then uses an extractor claw to eject the spent cartridge case.[51]

Barrel

 
AK-47 barrel and its distinctive gas block with a horizontal row of gas relief ports

The rifle received a barrel with a chrome-lined bore and four right-hand grooves at a 240 mm (1 in 9.45 in) or 31.5 calibers rifling twist rate. The gas block contains a gas channel that is installed at a slanted angle with the bore axis. The muzzle is threaded for the installation of various muzzle devices such as a muzzle brake or a blank-firing adaptor.

Gas block

The gas block of the AK-47 features a cleaning rod capture or sling loop. Gas relief ports that alleviate gas pressure are placed horizontally in a row on the gas cylinder.

Fire selector

 
Việt Cộng soldier armed with an AK-47 with the fire selector in the safe setting

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.[52] It is operated by the shooter's right fore-fingers and has three settings: safe (up), full-auto (center), and semi-auto (down).[52] The reason for this is that a soldier under stress will push the selector lever down with considerable force, bypassing the full-auto stage and setting the rifle to semi-auto.[52] To set the AK-47 to full-auto requires the deliberate action of centering the selector lever.[52] 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.[52] This lever is operated by the shooter's right thumb and has three settings: safe (forward), full-auto (center), and semi-auto (backward).[52]

Sights

 
Rear sight of a Chinese Type 56, featuring 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).[53] The front sight is a post adjustable for elevation in the field. Horizontal adjustment requires a special drift tool and is done by the armory before the issue or if the need arises by an armorer after the issue. The sight line elements are approximately 48.5 mm (1.9 in) over the bore axis. The "point-blank range" battle zero setting "П" standing for постоянная (constant) on the 7.62×39mm AK-47 rear tangent sight element corresponds to a 300 m (328 yd) zero.[53][54] 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, according to Russian and former Soviet doctrine) 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.[53]

Furniture

The AK-47 was originally equipped with a buttstock, handguard, and an upper heat guard made from solid wood. With the introduction of the Type 3 receiver the buttstock, lower handguard, and upper heat guard were manufactured from birch plywood laminates.[38] Such engineered woods are stronger and resist warping better than the conventional one-piece patterns, do not require lengthy maturing, and are cheaper. The wooden furniture was finished with the Russian amber shellac finishing process.[55] AKS and AKMS models featured a downward-folding metal butt-stock similar to that of the German MP40 submachine-gun, for use in the restricted space in the BMP infantry combat vehicle, as well as by paratroops. All 100 series AKs use plastic furniture with side-folding stocks.

Magazines

 
"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 arsenal mark on the bottom right

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 standard 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".[56][57] 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 had 1 mm (0.039 in) sheet-metal bodies and weighed 0.43 kg (0.95 lb) empty.[42] The later steel AKM 30-round magazines had lighter sheet-metal bodies with prominent reinforcing ribs weighing 0.33 kg (0.73 lb) empty.[42][58] To further reduce weight, a lightweight magazine with an aluminum body with a prominent reinforcing waffle rib pattern weighing 0.19 kg (0.42 lb) empty was developed for the AKM that proved to be too fragile, and the small issued amount of these magazines were quickly withdrawn from service.[59] As a replacement steel-reinforced 30-round plastic 7.62×39mm box magazines were introduced. These rust-colored magazines weigh 0.24 kg (0.53 lb) empty and are often mistakenly identified as being made of Bakelite (a phenolic resin), but were fabricated from two parts of AG-S4 molding compound (a glass-reinforced phenol-formaldehyde binder impregnated composite), assembled using an epoxy resin adhesive.[60][61][62] 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.[62] 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 non-reflective surface finish. The current issue is a steel-reinforced matte true black non- reflective surface finished 7.62×39mm 30-round magazine, fabricated from ABS plastic weighing 0.25 kg (0.55 lb) empty.[8]

Early steel AK-47 magazines are 9.75 in (248 mm) long; the later ribbed steel AKM and newer plastic 7.62×39mm magazines are about 1 in (25 mm) shorter.[63][64]

The transition from steel to mainly plastic magazines yields a significant weight reduction and allows a soldier to carry more ammunition for the same weight.

Rifle Cartridge Weight of empty magazine Weight of loaded magazine Max. 10.12 kg (22.3 lb) ammunition load*
AK-47 (1949) 7.62×39mm slab-sided steel
430 g (0.95 lb) 		30-rounds
916 g (2.019 lb)[42]		 11 magazines for 330 rounds
10.08 kg (22.2 lb)
AKM (1959) ribbed stamped-steel
330 g (0.73 lb) 		30-rounds
819 g (1.806 lb)[42][58]		 12 magazines for 360 rounds
9.83 kg (21.7 lb)
AK-103 (1994) steel-reinforced plastic
250 g (0.55 lb) 		30-rounds
739 g (1.629 lb)[42][58]		 13 magazines for 390 rounds
9.61 kg (21.2 lb)

All 7.62×39mm AK magazines are backward compatible with older AK variants.

10.12 kg (22.3 lb) is the maximum amount of ammo that the average soldier can comfortably carry. It also allows for the best comparison of the three most common 7.62×39mm AK magazines.[citation needed]

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.[citation needed]

Accessories

 
AK-47 6H2 bayonet and scabbard
 
AK-47 with Kalashnikov grenade launcher mounted on the muzzle

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.[65]

All current model AKM 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 meters.[66] 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.[67]

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.[68] This launcher can also be used to launch tear gas and riot control grenades.

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.[69] The side rails allow for the 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.

Characteristics

Service life

The AK-47 and its variants have been and are made in dozens of countries, with "quality ranging from finely engineered weapons to pieces of questionable workmanship."[70] As a result, the AK-47 has a service/system life of approximately 6,000,[71] to 10,000,[72] to 15,000[73] rounds. The AK-47 was designed to be a cheap, simple, easy-to-manufacture rifle,[74] perfectly matching Soviet military doctrine that treats equipment and weapons as disposable items.[75] As units are often deployed without adequate logistical support and dependent on "battlefield cannibalization" for resupply, it is more cost-effective to replace rather than repair weapons.[75]

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, and 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."[53]

Variants

 
7.62×39mm cartridges from Russia, China and Pakistan
Early variants (7.62×39mm)
  • Issue of 1948/49: Type 1: The very earliest models, stamped sheet metal receivers, are now very rare.
  • Issue of 1951: Type 2: Has a milled receiver. The 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).[6]
  • AKS (AKS-47): Type 1, 2, or 3 receivers: Featured a downward under folding metal stock similar to that of the MP 40, for use in the restricted space of the BMP infantry combat vehicle, as well as for airborne troops.
  • AKN (AKSN): Night sight rail.[76]
Modernized (7.62×39mm)
  • AKM: A simplified, lighter version of the AK-47; the Type 4 receiver is made from stamped and riveted sheet metal. A slanted muzzle device was added to reduce muzzle rise in automatic fire. The rifle weight is 3.1 kg (6.8 lb)[8] due to the lighter receiver. This is the most ubiquitous variant of the AK-47.
    • AKMS: Under-folding stock version of the AKM intended for airborne troops.
    • AKMN (AKMSN): Night scope rail.
    • AKML (AKMSL): Slotted flash suppressor and night scope rail.[77]
  • 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.
Foreign Variants (7.62×39mm)
  • Type 56: Chinese assault rifle based on the AK-47 Type 3.[78] Still in production primarily for export markets.

For the further developed AK models, see Kalashnikov rifles.

Production

Manufacturing countries of AK-47 and its variants in alphabetical order.

Country Military variant(s)
Albania Automatiku Shqiptar 1978 model 56 (ASH-78 Tip-1) made at Poliçan Arsenal (copy of Type 56 based on AKM rifle); model 56 Tip-2, copy of RPK; model 56 Tip-3 hybrid for multi-purpose roles with secondary rifle and grenade launcher capability; 1982 model (ASH-82) copy of AKMS. Several other versions of the AKMS have been produced mainly with short barrels similar to Soviet AKS-74U for special forces, tank & armoured crew and for helicopter pilots and police. There have also been modified ASh-82 (AKMS) with SOPMOD accessories, mainly for Albania's special forces RENEA & exports.[79]
Armenia K-3 (bullpup, 5.45×39mm)
Azerbaijan Khazri (AK-74M)[80]
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 5.56mm 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 5.56mm NATO); AKS-93SM6 (similar to −47M1, cannot use grenade launcher); and RKKS (RPK), AKT-47 (.22 rimfire training rifle)
Cambodia Chinese Type 56, Soviet AK-47, and AKM
China Type 56
Colombia Galil ACE, Galil Córdova
Croatia APS-95
Cuba AKM[81]
East Germany[82] 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)[82]
Egypt AK-47, Misr 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)[83]
Finland Rk 62, Valmet M76 (other names Rk 62 76, M62/76), Valmet M78 (light machine gun), Rk 95 Tp
Hungary 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)[84]
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;[85] and Trichy Rifle 7.62 mm manufactured by Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli of Ordnance Factories Board[86]
Iran KLS/KLF (AK-47/AKS), KLT (AKMS)
Iraq Tabuk Sniper Rifle, Tabuk Rifle (with fixed or underfolding stock, outright clones of Yugoslavian M70 rifles series), Tabuk Short Rifle (carbine)
Israel IMI Galil: AR (battle rifle), ARM (rifle/light machine gun), SAR (carbine), MAR (compact carbine), Sniper (sniper rifle), SR-99 (sniper rifle); and Galil ACE
Italy Bernardelli VB-STD/VB-SR (Galil AR/SAR)[87]
Nigeria Produced by DICON as OBJ-006[88][89]
North Korea Type 58A/B (Type 3 AK-47/w. stamped steel folding stock), Type 68A/B (AKM/AKMS), Type 88A/B-2 (AK-74/AKS-74/w. top folding stock)[90][91]
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[92]
Poland PmK (kbk AK) / PmKS (kbk AKS), Kalashnikov SMG name change to Kbk AK, Kalashnikov Carbine in 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)[93]
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 rifle, Truvelo Raptor, Vektor CR-21 (bullpup)
Sudan MAZ (based on the Type 56)[94]
Ukraine Vepr (bullpup, 5.45×39mm), Malyuk (bullpup)[95]
United States Century Arms: C39 (AK-47 var.), RAS47 (AKM var.), and C39v2 (AK-47 var.), InterOrdnance: AKM247 (AKM var.) M214 (pistol), Palmetto State Armory: PSAK-47 (AKM var.), Arsenal Inc: SA M-7 (AK-47 var.), Destructive Devices Industries: DDI 47S (AKM var.) DDI 47M (AK-47 var), Rifle Dynamics: RD700 and other custom build AK / AKM guns
Vietnam AKM-1 (AKM), TUL-1 (RPK), Galil Ace 31/32, STV rifle
Venezuela License granted, factory under construction[96]
Yugoslavia/Serbia M64, M70, M72, M76, M77, M80, M82, M85, M90, M91, M92, M99, M21

A private company Kalashnikov Concern (formerly Izhmash) from Russia has repeatedly claimed that the majority of foreign manufacturers are producing AK-type rifles without proper licensing.[97][98]

Accuracy potential

US military method

The AK-47's accuracy is generally sufficient to hit an adult male torso out to about 300 m (328 yd),[99][100] though even experts firing from prone or bench rest positions at this range were observed to have difficulty placing ten consecutive rounds on target.[101] Later designs did not significantly improve the rifle's accuracy.[101] An AK can fire a 10-shot group of 5.9 in (15 cm) at 100 m (109 yd),[102] and 17.5 in (44 cm) at 300 m (328 yd)[101] The newer stamped-steel receiver AKM models, while more rugged and less prone to metal fatigue, are less accurate than the forged/milled receivers of their predecessors: the milled AK-47s are capable of shooting 3 to 5 in (8 to 13 cm) groups at 100 yd (91 m), whereas the stamped AKMs are capable of shooting 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) groups at 100 yd (91 m).[100]

The best shooters can hit a man-sized target at 800 m (875 yd) within five shots (firing from a prone or bench rest position) or ten shots (standing).[103]

The single-shot hit-probability on the NATO E-type Silhouette Target (a human upper body half and head silhouette) of the AK-47 and the later developed AK-74, M16A1, and M16A2 rifles were measured by the US military under ideal proving ground conditions in the 1980s as follows:

 
NATO E-type Silhouette Target
Single-shot hit-probability on Crouching Man (NATO E-type Silhouette) Target[104]
Rifle Chambering Hit-probability (With no range estimation or aiming errors)
50 m 100 m 200 m 300 m 400 m 500 m 600 m 700 m 800 m
AK-47 (1949) 7.62×39mm 100% 100% 99% 94% 82% 67% 54% 42% 31%
AK-74 (1974) 5.45×39mm 100% 100% 100% 99% 93% 81% 66% 51% 34%
M16A1 (1967) 5.56×45mm NATO M193 100% 100% 100% 100% 96% 87% 73% 56% 39%
M16A2 (1982) 5.56×45mm NATO SS109/M855 100% 100% 100% 100% 98% 90% 79% 63% 43%

Under worst field exercise circumstances, the hit probabilities for all the tested rifles were drastically reduced, from 34% at 50m down to 3–4% at 600m with no significant differences between weapons at each range.[104]

Russian method

The following table represents the Russian circular error probable method for determining accuracy, which involves drawing two circles on the target, one for the maximum vertical dispersion of hits and one for the maximum horizontal dispersion of hits. They then disregard the hits on the outer part of the target and only count half of the hits (50% or R50) on the inner part of the circles. This significantly reduces the overall diameter of the groups. They then use both the vertical and horizontal measurements of the reduced groups to measure accuracy. When the R50 results are doubled, the hit probability increases to 93.7%.

 
Circular error probable 20 hits distribution example
AK-47 semi-automatic and short burst dispersion with 57-N-231 steel core service ammunition[105]
Range Vertical accuracy of fire (R50) semi-automatic Horizontal accuracy of fire (R50) semi-automatic Vertical accuracy of fire (R50) short burst Horizontal accuracy of fire (R50) short burst Remaining bullet energy Remaining bullet velocity
0 m
(0 yd)		 0 cm (0.0 in) 0 cm (0.0 in) 0 cm (0.0 in) 0 cm (0.0 in) 2,036 J (1,502 ft⋅lbf) 718 m/s (2,356 ft/s)
100 m (110 yd) 8 cm (3.1 in) 4 cm (1.6 in) 9 cm (3.5 in) 11 cm (4.3 in) 1,540 J (1,140 ft⋅lbf) 624 m/s (2,047 ft/s)
200 m (219 yd) 11 cm (4.3 in) 8 cm (3.1 in) 18 cm (7.1 in) 22 cm (8.7 in) 1,147 J (846 ft⋅lbf) 539 m/s (1,768 ft/s)
300 m (330 yd) 17 cm (6.7 in) 12 cm (4.7 in) 27 cm (10.6 in) 33 cm (13.0 in) 843 J (622 ft⋅lbf) 462 m/s (1,516 ft/s)
400 m (440 yd) 23 cm (9.1 in) 16 cm (6.3 in) 31 cm (12.2 in) 44 cm (17.3 in) 618 J (456 ft⋅lbf) 395 m/s (1,296 ft/s)
500 m (550 yd) 29 cm (11.4 in) 20 cm (7.9 in) 46 cm (18.1 in) 56 cm (22.0 in) 461 J (340 ft⋅lbf) 342 m/s (1,122 ft/s)
600 m (656 yd) 35 cm (13.8 in) 24 cm (9.4 in) 56 cm (22.0 in) 67 cm (26.4 in) 363 J (268 ft⋅lbf) 303 m/s (994 ft/s)
700 m (770 yd) 42 cm (16.5 in) 29 cm (11.4 in) 66 cm (26.0 in) 78 cm (30.7 in) 314 J (232 ft⋅lbf) 282 m/s (925 ft/s)
800 m (870 yd) 49 cm (19.3 in) 34 cm (13.4 in) 76 cm (29.9 in) 89 cm (35.0 in) 284 J (209 ft⋅lbf) 268 m/s (879 ft/s)
  • R50 means the closest 50 percent of the shot group will all be within a circle of the mentioned diameter.

The vertical and horizontal mean (R50) deviations with service ammunition at 800 m (875 yd) for AK platforms are.

SKS, AK-47, AKM, and AK-74 dispersion at 800 m (875 yd)[106]
Rifle Firing mode Vertical accuracy of fire (R50) Horizontal accuracy of fire (R50)
SKS (1945) semi-automatic 38 cm (15.0 in) 29 cm (11.4 in)
AK-47 (1949) semi-automatic 49 cm (19.3 in) 34 cm (13.4 in)
AK-47 (1949) short burst 76 cm (29.9 in) 89 cm (35.0 in)
AKM (1959) short burst 64 cm (25.2 in) 90 cm (35.4 in)
AK-74 (1974) short burst 48 cm (18.9 in) 64 cm (25.2 in)

Users

 
A map of current AK users (including derivative and modernized variants in orange and purple)

Former users

Illicit trade

See also: Crime in Russia § Arms trafficking
 
AK-47 copies confiscated from Somali pirates by Finnish mine-layer Pohjanmaa during Operation Atalanta, photographed in Manege Military Museum. The stocks are missing on the top three AKs.

Throughout the world, the AK and its variants are commonly used by governments, revolutionaries, terrorists, criminals, and civilians alike. In some countries, such as Somalia, Rwanda, Mozambique, Congo, and Tanzania, the prices for Black Market AKs are between $30 and $125 per weapon and prices have fallen in the last few decades due to mass counterfeiting.[136] In Kenya, "an AK-47 fetches five head of cattle (about 10,000 Kenya shillings or 100 U.S. dollars) when offered for barter, but costs almost half that price when cash is paid".[137] There are places around the world where AK-type weapons can be purchased on the black market "for as little as $6, or traded for a chicken or a sack of grain".[138][139][140]

The AK-47 has also spawned a cottage industry of sorts and has been copied and manufactured (one gun at a time) in small shops around the world (see Khyber Pass Copy).[141][142] The estimated numbers of AK-type weapons vary greatly. The Small Arms Survey suggests that "between 70 and 100 million of these weapons have been produced since 1947".[143] 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.[4] Because AK-type weapons have been made in many countries, often illicitly, it is impossible to know how many exist.[144]

Conflicts

 
Burundi peacekeepers prepare for next rotation to Somalia, 2006
 
Kurdish YPJ fighters in Syria, 2014

The AK-47 has been used in the following conflicts:

1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s

Cultural influence and impact

 
The AK-47 on the flag of Mozambique
 
The AK-47 on the former coat of arms of Burkina Faso
 
CIA Agent drawing of the alleged first westerner sighting of the AK-47 in 1953

"Basically, it's the anti-Western cachet 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[156]

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China, as well as United States and other NATO nations supplied arms and technical knowledge to numerous countries and rebel forces around the world. During this time the Western countries used relatively expensive automatic rifles, such as the FN FAL, the HK G3, the M14, and the M16. In contrast, the Russians and Chinese used the AK-47; its low production cost and ease of manufacture allow them to make AKs in vast numbers.

In the pro-communist states, the AK-47 became a symbol of the Third World revolution. They were utilized in the Cambodian Civil War and the Cambodian–Vietnamese War.[157] During the 1980s, the Soviet Union became the principal arms dealer to countries embargoed by Western nations, including Middle Eastern nations such as Libya and Syria, which 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 Al-Qaeda, ISIL, and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Iraq, and FARC, Ejército de Liberación Nacional guerrillas in Colombia.[156]

In Russia, the Kalashnikov is a tremendous source of national pride.[158] "The family of the inventor of the world's most famous rifle, Mikhail Kalashnikov, has authorized German engineering company MMI to use the well-known Kalashnikov name on a variety of not-so-deadly goods."[159] In recent years, Kalashnikov Vodka has been marketed with souvenir bottles in the shape of the AK-47 Kalashnikov.[160][161] There are also Kalashnikov watches,[162] umbrellas,[163] and knives.[164][165]

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 Kalashnikov's small arms, a series of halls, and multimedia exhibitions are devoted to the evolution of the AK-47 rifle and attracts 10,000 monthly visitors.[166] 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".

On 19 September 2017 a 9 metres (30 ft) monument of Kalashnikov was unveiled in central Moscow. A protester, later detained by police, attempted to unfurl a banner reading "a creator of weapons is a creator of death".[167]

The proliferation of this weapon is reflected by more than just numbers. The AK-47 is included on the flag of Mozambique and its emblem, an acknowledgment that the country gained its independence in large part through the effective use of their AK-47s.[168] It is also found in the coats of arms of East Timor, Zimbabwe and the revolution era Burkina Faso, as well as in the flags of Hezbollah, Syrian Resistance, FARC-EP, the New People's Army, TKP/TIKKO and the International Revolutionary People's Guerrilla Forces.

U.S. and Western Europe countries frequently associate the AK-47 with their enemies; both Cold War era and present-day. For example, Western works of fiction (movies, television, novels, video games) often portray criminals, gang members, insurgents, and terrorists using AK-47s as the weapon of choice. Conversely, throughout the developing world, the AK-47 can be positively attributed with revolutionaries against foreign occupation, imperialism, or colonialism.[156]

In Ireland the AK-47 is associated with The Troubles due to its extensive use by republican paramilitaries during this period.[169] In 2013, a decommissioned AK-47 was included in the A History of Ireland in 100 Objects collection.[170]

The AK-47 made an appearance in U.S. popular culture as a recurring focus in the Nicolas Cage film Lord of War (2005). Numerous monologues in the movie focus on the weapon, and its effects on global conflict and the gun running market.[171]

In Iraq and Afghanistan, private military company contractors from the U.K. and other countries used the AK-47 and its variants along with Western firearms such as the AR-15.[172][page needed]

In 2006, the 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.[173]

In Mexico, the AK-47 is known as "Cuerno de Chivo" (literally "Goat's Horn") because of its curved magazine design. It is one of the weapons of choice of Mexican drug cartels. It is sometimes mentioned in Mexican folk music lyrics.[174]

Gallery

  •  
    An AK-47 Type 1 (top) and 2 (bottom) on display. The Type 1 features a stamped receiver while the Type 2 receiver is milled.
  •  
    A U.S. Army M.P inspects a Chinese AK-47 recovered in Vietnam, 1968
  •  
    AK-47s of the PAIGC-liberation movement, ready to be transported from Senegal to Guinea-Bissau, 1973
  •  
    A Soviet Spetsnaz (special operations) group prepares for a mission in Afghanistan, 1988
  •  
    During the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s, several sources simultaneously armed both sides of the Afghan conflict, filling the country with AK-47s and their derivatives.[175]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ 2.6 lb milled from 6 lb stock. This was about 2.2 lb heavier than the stamped receiver.

References

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Further reading

  • Chivers, C.J. (October 2010). The Gun. Simon & Schuster. p. 459. ISBN 978-0-7432-7076-2.
  • Chivers, C. J. (1 November 2010). . Wired. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023.
  • Dewey, William J. (November 1994). "AK-47S for the Ancestors". Journal of Religion in Africa. 24 (4): 358–374. doi:10.1163/157006694X00200. JSTOR 1581342.
  • Ezell, Edward Clinton; Stevens, R. Blake (1 December 2001). Kalashnikov: The Arms and the Man. Cobourg, ON: Collector Grade Publications. ISBN 978-0-88935-267-4.
  • Fackler, Martin L.; Surinchak, John S.; Malinowski, John A.; Bowen, Robert E. (1984). "Wounding potential of the Russian AK-74 assault rifle". Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care. 24 (3): 263–6. doi:10.1097/00005373-198403000-00014. PMID 6708147.
  • Hodges, Michael (January 2007). AK47: The Story of the People's Gun. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-92104-3.
  • Honeycutt, Fred L. Jr & Anthony, F. Patt (1996). Military Rifles of Japan (5th ed.). Palm Beach Gardens, FL: 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.
  • Kalashnikov, Mikhail Timofeevich; Joly, Elena (2006). The Gun That Changed the World. Polity Press. ISBN 978-0-7456-3691-7.[permanent dead link]
  • 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.
  • Walter, John (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.
  • Ружье. Оружие и амуниция, 1999/3, pp. 18–21 has an article about the AK-47 prototypes.
  • Kalashnikov, М.Т. (2002). "Кто автор АК-47?" [Who is the author of AK-47?] (PDF). Kalashnikov (in Russian). No. 2. pp. 4–7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. An article rejecting some of the alternative theories as to the authorship of the AK-47.
  • Degtyaryov, М. (2009). . Kalashnikov (in Russian). No. 4. pp. 18–23. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. An article comparing the internals of the StG 44 and AK-47.
  • Kalashnikov (in Russian). No. 8. 2009. pp. 18–23. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. 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 (in Russian). No. 9. 2009. pp. 16–22. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Report/letter on the final round of testing, 27 December 1947, declaring Kalashnikov's design the winner.
  • "Первый В Династии" [First In The Dynasty] (PDF). Kalashnikov (in Russian). No. 11. 2009. pp. 8–13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Articles on the 1948 military trials.

External links

  • US Army Operator's Manual for the AK-47 Assault Rifle
  • . Archived from the original on 29 September 2007.
  • (PDF). U.S. Army. Archived from the original on 14 February 2006. Retrieved 9 November 2005.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  • . Time. Archived from the original on 25 February 2010.
  • . RT. Archived from the original on 8 August 2021.
  • . NPR. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023.
  • . NPR. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023.
  • . YouTube. Archived from the original on 27 December 2021. & . Al Jazeera English. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023.
  • "AK-47 Full Auto, U.S. Army in Iraq".
  • . Dawn News. 26 December 2013. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023.

April 06, 2024
this, article, about, weapon, other, uses, disambiguation, this, article, about, family, kalashnikov, rifle, confused, with, officially, known, avtomat, kalashnikova, russian, Автомат, Калашникова, kalashnikov, automatic, rifle, also, known, kalashnikov, just,. This article is about the weapon For other uses see AK 47 disambiguation This article is about the AK 47 For the AK family see Kalashnikov rifle Not to be confused with AK 74 The AK 47 officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova Russian Avtomat Kalashnikova lit Kalashnikov s automatic rifle also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK is a gas operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7 62 39mm cartridge Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov it is the originating firearm of the Kalashnikov or AK family of rifles After more than eight decades since its creation the AK 47 model and its variants remain one of the most popular and widely used firearms in the world AK 47AK 47 Type 2ATypeAssault riflePlace of originSoviet UnionService historyIn service1949 1974 Soviet Union 1949 present other countries Used bySee UsersWarsSee ConflictsProduction historyDesignerMikhail KalashnikovDesigned1946 1948 1 ManufacturerKalashnikov Concern and various others including NorincoProduced1948 present 2 3 No built 75 million AK 47s 100 million Kalashnikov family weapons 4 5 VariantsSee VariantsSpecifications AK 47 with Type 3 receiver MassWithout magazine 3 47 kg 7 7 lb Magazine empty 0 43 kg 0 95 lb early issue 6 0 33 kg 0 73 lb steel 7 0 25 kg 0 55 lb plastic 8 0 17 kg 0 37 lb light alloy 7 LengthFixed wooden stock 880 mm 35 in 8 875 mm 34 4 in folding stock extended 645 mm 25 4 in stock folded 6 Barrel lengthOverall length 415 mm 16 3 in 8 Rifled bore length 369 mm 14 5 in 8 Cartridge7 62 39mmActionGas operated closed rotating boltRate of fireCyclic rate 600 rounds min 8 Practical rate Semi automatic 40 rounds min 8 Bursts Fully automatic 100 rounds min 8 Muzzle velocity715 m s 2 350 ft s 8 Effective firing range350 m 380 yd 8 Feed system20 round 30 round 50 round detachable box magazine 8 40 round 75 round drum magazines also availableSights100 800 m adjustable iron sightsSight radius 378 mm 14 9 in 8 Design work on the AK 47 began in 1945 It was presented for official military trials in 1947 and in 1948 the fixed stock version was introduced into active service for selected units of the Soviet Army In early 1949 the AK was officially accepted by the Soviet Armed Forces 9 and used by the majority of the member states of the Warsaw Pact The model and its variants owe their global popularity to their reliability under harsh conditions low production cost compared to contemporary weapons availability in virtually every geographic region and ease of use The AK has been manufactured in many countries and has seen service with armed forces as well as irregular forces and insurgencies throughout the world As of 2004 update of the estimated 500 million firearms worldwide approximately 100 million belong to the Kalashnikov family three quarters of which are AK 47s 4 The model is the basis for the development of many other types of individual crew served and specialized firearms Contents 1 History 1 1 Origins 1 2 Concept 1 3 Early designs 1 4 Further development 1 5 Replacement 2 Design 2 1 Cartridge 2 2 Operating mechanism 2 3 Barrel 2 4 Gas block 2 5 Fire selector 2 6 Sights 2 7 Furniture 2 8 Magazines 2 9 Accessories 3 Characteristics 3 1 Service life 4 Variants 5 Production 6 Accuracy potential 6 1 US military method 6 2 Russian method 7 Users 7 1 Former users 7 2 Illicit trade 8 Conflicts 9 Cultural influence and impact 10 Gallery 11 See also 12 Notes 13 References 14 Bibliography 15 Further reading 16 External linksHistoryOrigins During World War II the Sturmgewehr 44 rifle used by German forces made a deep impression on their Soviet counterparts 10 11 The select fire rifle 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 12 13 On 15 July 1943 an earlier model of the Sturmgewehr was demonstrated before the People s Commissariat of Arms of the USSR 14 The Soviets were impressed with the weapon and immediately set about developing an intermediate caliber fully automatic rifle of their own 10 11 to replace the PPSh 41 submachine guns and outdated Mosin Nagant bolt action rifles that armed most of the Soviet Army 15 The Soviets soon developed the 7 62 39mm M43 cartridge used in 14 the semi automatic SKS carbine and the RPD light machine gun 16 Shortly after World War II the Soviets developed the AK 47 rifle which quickly replaced the SKS in Soviet service 17 18 Introduced in 1959 the AKM is a lighter stamped steel version and the most ubiquitous variant of the entire AK series of firearms In the 1960s the Soviets introduced the RPK light machine gun an AK type weapon with a stronger receiver a longer heavy barrel and a bipod that eventually replaced the RPD light machine gun 16 Concept Mikhail Kalashnikov began his career as a weapon designer in 1941 while recuperating from a shoulder wound that he received during the Battle of Bryansk 5 19 Kalashnikov himself stated 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 year of its first manufacture 1947 20 The AK 47 is best described as a hybrid of previous rifle technology innovations Kalashnikov decided to design an automatic rifle combining the best features of the American M1 Garand and the German StG 44 21 Kalashnikov s team had access to these weapons and did not need to reinvent the wheel 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 19 Some claimed that Kalashnikov copied designs like Bulkin s TKB 415 22 or Simonov s AVS 31 23 Early designs Kalashnikov started work on a submachine gun design in 1942 24 and light machine gun design in 1943 25 26 Early in 1944 Kalashnikov was given some 7 62 39mm M43 cartridges and informed that other designers were working on weapons for this new Soviet small arms cartridge It was suggested that a new weapon might well lead to greater things He then undertook work on the new rifle 27 In 1944 he entered a design competition with this new 7 62 39mm semi automatic gas operated long stroke piston carbine strongly influenced by the American M1 Garand 28 The new rifle was in the same class as the SKS 45 carbine with a fixed magazine and gas tube above the barrel 27 However the new Kalashnikov design lost out to a Simonov design 29 In 1946 a new design competition was initiated to develop a new rifle 30 Kalashnikov submitted a gas operated rifle with a short stroke gas piston above the barrel a breechblock mechanism similar to his 1944 carbine and a curved 30 round magazine 31 Kalashnikov s rifles the AK 1 with a milled receiver and AK 2 with a stamped receiver proved to be reliable weapons and were accepted to a second round of competition along with other designs These prototypes also known as the AK 46 had a rotary bolt a two part receiver with separate trigger unit housing dual controls separate safety and fire selector switches and a non reciprocating charging handle located on the left side of the weapon 31 32 This design had many similarities to the StG 44 33 In late 1946 as the rifles were being tested one of Kalashnikov s assistants Aleksandr Zaitsev suggested a major redesign 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 In November 1947 the new prototypes AK 47s were completed The rifle used a long stroke gas piston above the barrel The upper and lower receivers were combined into a single receiver The selector and safety were combined into a single control lever dust cover on the right side of the rifle And the bolt handle was simply attached to the bolt carrier This simplified the design and production of the rifle The first army trial series began in early 1948 34 The new rifle proved to be reliable under a wide range of conditions and possessed convenient handling characteristics In 1949 it was adopted by the Soviet Army as the 7 62 mm Kalashnikov rifle AK 9 Further development nbsp AKMS with a stamped Type 4B receiver top and an AK 47 with a milled Type 2A receiverThere were many difficulties during the initial phase of production The first production models had stamped sheet metal receivers with a milled trunnion and butt stock insert and a stamped body Difficulties were encountered in welding the guide and ejector rails causing high rejection rates 35 Instead of halting production a heavy N 1 machined receiver was substituted for the sheet metal receiver Even though production of these milled rifles started in 1951 they were officially referred to as AK 49 based on the date their development started but they are widely known in the collectors and current commercial market as Type 2 AK 47 36 37 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 38 Partly because of these problems the Soviets were not able to distribute large numbers of the new rifles to soldiers until 1956 During this time production of the interim SKS rifle continued 35 Once the manufacturing difficulties of non milled receivers had been overcome a redesigned version designated the AKM M for modernized or upgraded in Russian Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovannyj Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovanniy was introduced in 1959 36 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 fully automatic fire 35 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 fully automatic fire The rifle was also roughly one third lighter than the previous model 36 Receiver type Description 38 Type 1A B The original stamped receiver for the AK 47 was first produced in 1948 2 and adopted in 1949 The 1B was modified for an underfolding stock with a large hole present on each side to accommodate the hardware for the under folding stock Type 2A B The first milled receiver was made from steel forging It went into production in 1951 and production ended in 1957 The Type 2A has a distinctive socketed metal boot connecting the butt stock to the receiver and the milled lightning cut on the sides runs parallel to the barrel Type 3A B Final version of the AK milled receiver made from steel bar stock It went into production in 1955 The most ubiquitous example of the AK milled receiver The milled lightning cut on the sides is slanted to the barrel axis Type 4A B AKM receiver stamped from a smooth 1 0 mm 0 04 in sheet of steel supported extensively by pins and rivets It went into production in 1959 Overall the most used design in the construction of AK series rifles Most licensed and unlicensed productions of the Kalashnikov assault rifle abroad were 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 often colloquially referred to as AK 47s in the West and some parts of Asia although this is only correct when applied to rifles based on the original three receiver types 39 In most former Eastern Bloc countries the weapon is known simply as the Kalashnikov or AK The differences between the milled and stamped receivers includes 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 Replacement 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 the production of the AK 74 and other weapons of the former Soviet bloc DesignThe AK 47 was designed to be a simple reliable fully 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 40 The AK 47 uses a long stroke gas system generally associated with high reliability in adverse conditions 28 41 42 The large gas piston generous clearance between moving parts and tapered cartridge case design allow the gun to endure large amounts of foreign matter and fouling without failing to cycle Cartridge Main article 7 62 39mm nbsp Wound Profiles of Russian small arms ammunition compiled by Dr Martin Fackler on behalf of the U S militaryThe AK fires the 7 62 39mm cartridge with a muzzle velocity of 715 m s 2 350 ft s 8 The cartridge weight is 16 3 g 0 6 oz and the projectile weight is 7 9 g 122 gr 43 The original Soviet M43 bullets are 123 grain boat tail bullets with a copper plated steel jacket a large steel core and some lead between the core and the jacket 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 62 39mm 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 62 39mm round produces significant wounding in cases where the bullet tumbles yaws in tissue 44 but produces relatively minor wounds in cases where the bullet exits before beginning to yaw 45 46 47 In the absence of yaw the M43 round can pencil through tissue with relatively little injury 45 48 Most if not all of the 7 62 39mm 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 49 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 49 50 However the wounding potential of M67 is mostly limited to the small permanent wound channel the bullet itself makes especially when the bullet yaws 49 Operating mechanism nbsp The gas operated mechanism of a Norinco AK 47To 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 fully 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 After ignition of the cartridge primer and propellant rapidly expanding propellant gases are diverted into the gas cylinder above the barrel through a vent near the muzzle The build up of gases inside the gas cylinder drives the long stroke piston and bolt carrier rearward and a cam guide machined into the underside of the bolt carrier along with an ejector spur on the bolt carrier rail guide rotates the bolt approximately 35 and unlocks it from the barrel extension via a camming pin on the bolt The moving assembly has about 5 5 mm 0 2 in of free travel which creates a delay between the initial recoil impulse of the piston and the bolt unlocking sequence allowing gas pressures to drop to a safe level before the seal between the chamber and the bolt is broken The AK 47 does not have a gas valve excess gases are ventilated through a series of radial ports in the gas cylinder Unlike many other rifle platforms such as the AR 15 platform the Kalashnikov platform bolt locking lugs are chamfered allowing for primary extraction upon bolt rotation which aids reliable feeding and extraction albeit not with that much force due to the short distance the bolt carrier travels before acting on the locking lug The Kalashnikov platform then uses an extractor claw to eject the spent cartridge case 51 Barrel nbsp AK 47 barrel and its distinctive gas block with a horizontal row of gas relief portsThe rifle received a barrel with a chrome lined bore and four right hand grooves at a 240 mm 1 in 9 45 in or 31 5 calibers rifling twist rate The gas block contains a gas channel that is installed at a slanted angle with the bore axis The muzzle is threaded for the installation of various muzzle devices such as a muzzle brake or a blank firing adaptor Gas block The gas block of the AK 47 features a cleaning rod capture or sling loop Gas relief ports that alleviate gas pressure are placed horizontally in a row on the gas cylinder Fire selector nbsp Việt Cộng soldier armed with an AK 47 with the fire selector in the safe settingThe 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 52 It is operated by the shooter s right fore fingers and has three settings safe up full auto center and semi auto down 52 The reason for this is that a soldier under stress will push the selector lever down with considerable force bypassing the full auto stage and setting the rifle to semi auto 52 To set the AK 47 to full auto requires the deliberate action of centering the selector lever 52 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 52 This lever is operated by the shooter s right thumb and has three settings safe forward full auto center and semi auto backward 52 Sights nbsp Rear sight of a Chinese Type 56 featuring 100 to 800 m 109 to 875 yd settings and omission of a battle zero settingThe 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 53 The front sight is a post adjustable for elevation in the field Horizontal adjustment requires a special drift tool and is done by the armory before the issue or if the need arises by an armorer after the issue The sight line elements are approximately 48 5 mm 1 9 in over the bore axis The point blank range battle zero setting P standing for postoyannaya constant on the 7 62 39mm AK 47 rear tangent sight element corresponds to a 300 m 328 yd zero 53 54 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 according to Russian and former Soviet doctrine 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 53 Furniture The AK 47 was originally equipped with a buttstock handguard and an upper heat guard made from solid wood With the introduction of the Type 3 receiver the buttstock lower handguard and upper heat guard were manufactured from birch plywood laminates 38 Such engineered woods are stronger and resist warping better than the conventional one piece patterns do not require lengthy maturing and are cheaper The wooden furniture was finished with the Russian amber shellac finishing process 55 AKS and AKMS models featured a downward folding metal butt stock similar to that of the German MP40 submachine gun for use in the restricted space in the BMP infantry combat vehicle as well as by paratroops All 100 series AKs use plastic furniture with side folding stocks Magazines nbsp 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 arsenal mark on the bottom rightThe 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 standard 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 56 57 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 had 1 mm 0 039 in sheet metal bodies and weighed 0 43 kg 0 95 lb empty 42 The later steel AKM 30 round magazines had lighter sheet metal bodies with prominent reinforcing ribs weighing 0 33 kg 0 73 lb empty 42 58 To further reduce weight a lightweight magazine with an aluminum body with a prominent reinforcing waffle rib pattern weighing 0 19 kg 0 42 lb empty was developed for the AKM that proved to be too fragile and the small issued amount of these magazines were quickly withdrawn from service 59 As a replacement steel reinforced 30 round plastic 7 62 39mm box magazines were introduced These rust colored magazines weigh 0 24 kg 0 53 lb empty and are often mistakenly identified as being made of Bakelite a phenolic resin but were fabricated from two parts of AG S4 molding compound a glass reinforced phenol formaldehyde binder impregnated composite assembled using an epoxy resin adhesive 60 61 62 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 62 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 non reflective surface finish The current issue is a steel reinforced matte true black non reflective surface finished 7 62 39mm 30 round magazine fabricated from ABS plastic weighing 0 25 kg 0 55 lb empty 8 Early steel AK 47 magazines are 9 75 in 248 mm long the later ribbed steel AKM and newer plastic 7 62 39mm magazines are about 1 in 25 mm shorter 63 64 The transition from steel to mainly plastic magazines yields a significant weight reduction and allows a soldier to carry more ammunition for the same weight Rifle Cartridge Weight of empty magazine Weight of loaded magazine Max 10 12 kg 22 3 lb ammunition load AK 47 1949 7 62 39mm slab sided steel430 g 0 95 lb 30 rounds916 g 2 019 lb 42 11 magazines for 330 rounds10 08 kg 22 2 lb AKM 1959 ribbed stamped steel330 g 0 73 lb 30 rounds819 g 1 806 lb 42 58 12 magazines for 360 rounds9 83 kg 21 7 lb AK 103 1994 steel reinforced plastic250 g 0 55 lb 30 rounds739 g 1 629 lb 42 58 13 magazines for 390 rounds9 61 kg 21 2 lb All 7 62 39mm AK magazines are backward compatible with older AK variants 10 12 kg 22 3 lb is the maximum amount of ammo that the average soldier can comfortably carry It also allows for the best comparison of the three most common 7 62 39mm AK magazines citation needed 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 citation needed Accessories nbsp AK 47 6H2 bayonet and scabbard nbsp AK 47 with Kalashnikov grenade launcher mounted on the muzzleAccessories 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 65 All current model AKM 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 meters 66 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 67 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 68 This launcher can also be used to launch tear gas and riot control grenades 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 69 The side rails allow for the 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 CharacteristicsService life The AK 47 and its variants have been and are made in dozens of countries with quality ranging from finely engineered weapons to pieces of questionable workmanship 70 As a result the AK 47 has a service system life of approximately 6 000 71 to 10 000 72 to 15 000 73 rounds The AK 47 was designed to be a cheap simple easy to manufacture rifle 74 perfectly matching Soviet military doctrine that treats equipment and weapons as disposable items 75 As units are often deployed without adequate logistical support and dependent on battlefield cannibalization for resupply it is more cost effective to replace rather than repair weapons 75 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 and 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 53 Variants nbsp 7 62 39mm cartridges from Russia China and PakistanEarly variants 7 62 39mm Issue of 1948 49 Type 1 The very earliest models stamped sheet metal receivers are now very rare Issue of 1951 Type 2 Has a milled receiver The 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 6 AKS AKS 47 Type 1 2 or 3 receivers Featured a downward under folding metal stock similar to that of the MP 40 for use in the restricted space of the BMP infantry combat vehicle as well as for airborne troops AKN AKSN Night sight rail 76 Modernized 7 62 39mm AKM A simplified lighter version of the AK 47 the Type 4 receiver is made from stamped and riveted sheet metal A slanted muzzle device was added to reduce muzzle rise in automatic fire The rifle weight is 3 1 kg 6 8 lb 8 due to the lighter receiver This is the most ubiquitous variant of the AK 47 AKMS Under folding stock version of the AKM intended for airborne troops AKMN AKMSN Night scope rail AKML AKMSL Slotted flash suppressor and night scope rail 77 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 Foreign Variants 7 62 39mm Type 56 Chinese assault rifle based on the AK 47 Type 3 78 Still in production primarily for export markets For the further developed AK models see Kalashnikov rifles ProductionThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources AK 47 news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message Manufacturing countries of AK 47 and its variants in alphabetical order Country Military variant s Albania Automatiku Shqiptar 1978 model 56 ASH 78 Tip 1 made at Polican Arsenal copy of Type 56 based on AKM rifle model 56 Tip 2 copy of RPK model 56 Tip 3 hybrid for multi purpose roles with secondary rifle and grenade launcher capability 1982 model ASH 82 copy of AKMS Several other versions of the AKMS have been produced mainly with short barrels similar to Soviet AKS 74U for special forces tank amp armoured crew and for helicopter pilots and police There have also been modified ASh 82 AKMS with SOPMOD accessories mainly for Albania s special forces RENEA amp exports 79 Armenia K 3 bullpup 5 45 39mm Azerbaijan Khazri AK 74M 80 Bangladesh Chinese Type 56Bulgaria 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 56mm 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 56mm NATO AKS 93SM6 similar to 47M1 cannot use grenade launcher and RKKS RPK AKT 47 22 rimfire training rifle Cambodia Chinese Type 56 Soviet AK 47 and AKMChina Type 56Colombia Galil ACE Galil CordovaCroatia APS 95Cuba AKM 81 East Germany 82 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 82 Egypt AK 47 Misr 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 83 Finland Rk 62 Valmet M76 other names Rk 62 76 M62 76 Valmet M78 light machine gun Rk 95 TpHungary 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 84 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 85 and Trichy Rifle 7 62 mm manufactured by Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli of Ordnance Factories Board 86 Iran KLS KLF AK 47 AKS KLT AKMS Iraq Tabuk Sniper Rifle Tabuk Rifle with fixed or underfolding stock outright clones of Yugoslavian M70 rifles series Tabuk Short Rifle carbine Israel IMI Galil AR battle rifle ARM rifle light machine gun SAR carbine MAR compact carbine Sniper sniper rifle SR 99 sniper rifle and Galil ACEItaly Bernardelli VB STD VB SR Galil AR SAR 87 Nigeria Produced by DICON as OBJ 006 88 89 North Korea Type 58A B Type 3 AK 47 w stamped steel folding stock Type 68A B AKM AKMS Type 88A B 2 AK 74 AKS 74 w top folding stock 90 91 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 92 Poland PmK kbk AK PmKS kbk AKS Kalashnikov SMG name change to Kbk AK Kalashnikov Carbine in 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 93 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 rifle Truvelo Raptor Vektor CR 21 bullpup Sudan MAZ based on the Type 56 94 Ukraine Vepr bullpup 5 45 39mm Malyuk bullpup 95 United States Century Arms C39 AK 47 var RAS47 AKM var and C39v2 AK 47 var InterOrdnance AKM247 AKM var M214 pistol Palmetto State Armory PSAK 47 AKM var Arsenal Inc SA M 7 AK 47 var Destructive Devices Industries DDI 47S AKM var DDI 47M AK 47 var Rifle Dynamics RD700 and other custom build AK AKM gunsVietnam AKM 1 AKM TUL 1 RPK Galil Ace 31 32 STV rifleVenezuela License granted factory under construction 96 Yugoslavia Serbia M64 M70 M72 M76 M77 M80 M82 M85 M90 M91 M92 M99 M21A private company Kalashnikov Concern formerly Izhmash from Russia has repeatedly claimed that the majority of foreign manufacturers are producing AK type rifles without proper licensing 97 98 Accuracy potentialUS military method The AK 47 s accuracy is generally sufficient to hit an adult male torso out to about 300 m 328 yd 99 100 though even experts firing from prone or bench rest positions at this range were observed to have difficulty placing ten consecutive rounds on target 101 Later designs did not significantly improve the rifle s accuracy 101 An AK can fire a 10 shot group of 5 9 in 15 cm at 100 m 109 yd 102 and 17 5 in 44 cm at 300 m 328 yd 101 The newer stamped steel receiver AKM models while more rugged and less prone to metal fatigue are less accurate than the forged milled receivers of their predecessors the milled AK 47s are capable of shooting 3 to 5 in 8 to 13 cm groups at 100 yd 91 m whereas the stamped AKMs are capable of shooting 4 to 6 in 10 to 15 cm groups at 100 yd 91 m 100 The best shooters can hit a man sized target at 800 m 875 yd within five shots firing from a prone or bench rest position or ten shots standing 103 The single shot hit probability on the NATO E type Silhouette Target a human upper body half and head silhouette of the AK 47 and the later developed AK 74 M16A1 and M16A2 rifles were measured by the US military under ideal proving ground conditions in the 1980s as follows nbsp NATO E type Silhouette TargetSingle shot hit probability on Crouching Man NATO E type Silhouette Target 104 Rifle Chambering Hit probability With no range estimation or aiming errors 50 m 100 m 200 m 300 m 400 m 500 m 600 m 700 m 800 mAK 47 1949 7 62 39mm 100 100 99 94 82 67 54 42 31 AK 74 1974 5 45 39mm 100 100 100 99 93 81 66 51 34 M16A1 1967 5 56 45mm NATO M193 100 100 100 100 96 87 73 56 39 M16A2 1982 5 56 45mm NATO SS109 M855 100 100 100 100 98 90 79 63 43 Under worst field exercise circumstances the hit probabilities for all the tested rifles were drastically reduced from 34 at 50m down to 3 4 at 600m with no significant differences between weapons at each range 104 Russian method The following table represents the Russian circular error probable method for determining accuracy which involves drawing two circles on the target one for the maximum vertical dispersion of hits and one for the maximum horizontal dispersion of hits They then disregard the hits on the outer part of the target and only count half of the hits 50 or R50 on the inner part of the circles This significantly reduces the overall diameter of the groups They then use both the vertical and horizontal measurements of the reduced groups to measure accuracy When the R50 results are doubled the hit probability increases to 93 7 nbsp Circular error probable 20 hits distribution exampleAK 47 semi automatic and short burst dispersion with 57 N 231 steel core service ammunition 105 Range Vertical accuracy of fire R50 semi automatic Horizontal accuracy of fire R50 semi automatic Vertical accuracy of fire R50 short burst Horizontal accuracy of fire R50 short burst Remaining bullet energy Remaining bullet velocity0 m 0 yd 0 cm 0 0 in 0 cm 0 0 in 0 cm 0 0 in 0 cm 0 0 in 2 036 J 1 502 ft lbf 718 m s 2 356 ft s 100 m 110 yd 8 cm 3 1 in 4 cm 1 6 in 9 cm 3 5 in 11 cm 4 3 in 1 540 J 1 140 ft lbf 624 m s 2 047 ft s 200 m 219 yd 11 cm 4 3 in 8 cm 3 1 in 18 cm 7 1 in 22 cm 8 7 in 1 147 J 846 ft lbf 539 m s 1 768 ft s 300 m 330 yd 17 cm 6 7 in 12 cm 4 7 in 27 cm 10 6 in 33 cm 13 0 in 843 J 622 ft lbf 462 m s 1 516 ft s 400 m 440 yd 23 cm 9 1 in 16 cm 6 3 in 31 cm 12 2 in 44 cm 17 3 in 618 J 456 ft lbf 395 m s 1 296 ft s 500 m 550 yd 29 cm 11 4 in 20 cm 7 9 in 46 cm 18 1 in 56 cm 22 0 in 461 J 340 ft lbf 342 m s 1 122 ft s 600 m 656 yd 35 cm 13 8 in 24 cm 9 4 in 56 cm 22 0 in 67 cm 26 4 in 363 J 268 ft lbf 303 m s 994 ft s 700 m 770 yd 42 cm 16 5 in 29 cm 11 4 in 66 cm 26 0 in 78 cm 30 7 in 314 J 232 ft lbf 282 m s 925 ft s 800 m 870 yd 49 cm 19 3 in 34 cm 13 4 in 76 cm 29 9 in 89 cm 35 0 in 284 J 209 ft lbf 268 m s 879 ft s R50 means the closest 50 percent of the shot group will all be within a circle of the mentioned diameter The vertical and horizontal mean R50 deviations with service ammunition at 800 m 875 yd for AK platforms are SKS AK 47 AKM and AK 74 dispersion at 800 m 875 yd 106 Rifle Firing mode Vertical accuracy of fire R50 Horizontal accuracy of fire R50 SKS 1945 semi automatic 38 cm 15 0 in 29 cm 11 4 in AK 47 1949 semi automatic 49 cm 19 3 in 34 cm 13 4 in AK 47 1949 short burst 76 cm 29 9 in 89 cm 35 0 in AKM 1959 short burst 64 cm 25 2 in 90 cm 35 4 in AK 74 1974 short burst 48 cm 18 9 in 64 cm 25 2 in Users nbsp A map of current AK users including derivative and modernized variants in orange and purple nbsp Afghanistan 107 nbsp Albania 108 nbsp Algeria 108 nbsp Angola 108 nbsp Armenia 108 nbsp Azerbaijan 108 nbsp Bangladesh 108 nbsp Belarus 108 nbsp Benin 108 nbsp Bosnia and Herzegovina 108 nbsp Botswana 109 nbsp Bulgaria 108 nbsp Burkina Faso 110 111 nbsp Burundi 112 113 nbsp Cambodia 108 nbsp Cape Verde 108 nbsp Central African Republic 108 nbsp Chad 108 nbsp Chile 114 nbsp China Type 56 variant 115 nbsp Comoros 108 nbsp Congo 108 nbsp Cuba 108 nbsp DR Congo 108 nbsp Djibouti 116 nbsp Donetsk People s Republic Used by pro Russian separatists 117 nbsp Egypt 108 nbsp Equatorial Guinea 108 nbsp Eritrea 108 nbsp Ethiopia 108 nbsp Finland 118 nbsp Gabon 108 nbsp Georgia 108 nbsp Greece EKAM The counter terrorist unit of the Hellenic Police 119 120 nbsp Guinea 108 nbsp Guinea Bissau 108 nbsp Guyana 108 nbsp Hungary 108 nbsp India 108 121 nbsp Indonesia 122 nbsp Iran 108 nbsp Iraq 107 108 nbsp Israel 123 nbsp Kazakhstan 108 nbsp Kyrgyzstan 108 nbsp Laos 108 nbsp Lebanon 108 nbsp Lesotho 108 nbsp Liberia 108 nbsp Libya 108 nbsp Luhansk People s Republic Used by pro Russian separatists 117 nbsp Madagascar 108 nbsp Mali 108 nbsp Moldova 108 nbsp Mongolia 108 nbsp Morocco 108 nbsp Mozambique 108 nbsp Namibia 124 nbsp Nicaragua 125 nbsp North Korea Type 58 variant 108 nbsp North Macedonia 108 126 nbsp Pakistan Locally made as well as being in service with the Army 127 nbsp Peru 108 nbsp Qatar 108 nbsp Romania 108 nbsp Sao Tome and Principe 108 nbsp Saudi Arabia 128 nbsp Serbia 108 nbsp Seychelles 108 nbsp Sierra Leone 108 nbsp Somalia 108 nbsp Sudan 108 nbsp Suriname 108 nbsp Syria 108 nbsp Tajikistan 108 nbsp Tanzania 108 nbsp Thailand Used by Thahan Phran 129 nbsp Togo 108 nbsp Turkey 108 nbsp Turkmenistan 108 nbsp Ukraine 108 nbsp United States 130 131 nbsp Uzbekistan 108 nbsp Vietnam 115 nbsp Yemen 108 nbsp Zambia 108 nbsp Zimbabwe 108 Former users nbsp East Germany MPi K AK 47 and MPi KM AKM 132 nbsp Rhodesia 133 nbsp Russia Replaced by the AKM in 1959 and the AK 74 in 1974 134 nbsp Soviet Union Replaced by the AKM and AK 74 135 nbsp South Vietnam Captured from PAVN and VietcongIllicit trade See also Crime in Russia Arms trafficking nbsp AK 47 copies confiscated from Somali pirates by Finnish mine layer Pohjanmaa during Operation Atalanta photographed in Manege Military Museum The stocks are missing on the top three AKs Throughout the world the AK and its variants are commonly used by governments revolutionaries terrorists criminals and civilians alike In some countries such as Somalia Rwanda Mozambique Congo and Tanzania the prices for Black Market AKs are between 30 and 125 per weapon and prices have fallen in the last few decades due to mass counterfeiting 136 In Kenya an AK 47 fetches five head of cattle about 10 000 Kenya shillings or 100 U S dollars when offered for barter but costs almost half that price when cash is paid 137 There are places around the world where AK type weapons can be purchased on the black market for as little as 6 or traded for a chicken or a sack of grain 138 139 140 The AK 47 has also spawned a cottage industry of sorts and has been copied and manufactured one gun at a time in small shops around the world see Khyber Pass Copy 141 142 The estimated numbers of AK type weapons vary greatly The Small Arms Survey suggests that between 70 and 100 million of these weapons have been produced since 1947 143 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 4 Because AK type weapons have been made in many countries often illicitly it is impossible to know how many exist 144 Conflicts nbsp Burundi peacekeepers prepare for next rotation to Somalia 2006 nbsp Kurdish YPJ fighters in Syria 2014The AK 47 has been used in the following conflicts 1950sHungarian Revolution 1956 145 Vietnam War 1955 1975 Laotian Civil War 1959 1975 1960sCongo Crisis 1960 1965 146 Portuguese Colonial War 1961 1974 Rhodesian Bush War 1964 1979 147 The Troubles late 1960s 1998 Communist insurgency in Thailand 1965 1983 South African Border War 1966 1990 India China clashes 1967 Cambodian Civil War 1968 1975 Communist insurgency in Malaysia 1968 1989 1970sYom Kippur War 1973 Ethiopian Civil War 1974 1991 148 Western Sahara War 1975 1991 Cambodian Vietnamese War 1978 1989 Chadian Libyan War 1978 1987 Soviet Afghan War 1979 1989 1980sIran Iraq War 1980 1988 Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir 1988 present 149 Sri Lankan Civil War 1983 2009 United States invasion of Grenada 1983 150 Lord s Resistance Army insurgency 1987 present 151 1990sTuareg rebellion 1990 1995 152 Gulf War 1990 1991 Somali Civil War 1991 present Yugoslav Wars 1991 2001 Burundian Civil War 1993 2005 153 Republic of the Congo Civil War 1997 1999 154 Kargil War 1999 2000sWar in Afghanistan 2001 2021 Iraq War 2003 2011 South Thailand insurgency 2004 present Mexican drug war 2006 present 2010sLibyan Civil War 2011 Syrian civil war 2011 present Iraqi insurgency 2011 2013 Central African Republic Civil War 2012 present 155 Russo Ukrainian War 2014 present 2020sSecond Nagorno Karabakh War 2020 Tigray War 2020 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022 present Israel Hamas War 2023 present Cultural influence and impact nbsp The AK 47 on the flag of Mozambique nbsp The AK 47 on the former coat of arms of Burkina Faso nbsp CIA Agent drawing of the alleged first westerner sighting of the AK 47 in 1953 Basically it s the anti Western cachet 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 156 During the Cold War the Soviet Union and the People s Republic of China as well as United States and other NATO nations supplied arms and technical knowledge to numerous countries and rebel forces around the world During this time the Western countries used relatively expensive automatic rifles such as the FN FAL the HK G3 the M14 and the M16 In contrast the Russians and Chinese used the AK 47 its low production cost and ease of manufacture allow them to make AKs in vast numbers In the pro communist states the AK 47 became a symbol of the Third World revolution They were utilized in the Cambodian Civil War and the Cambodian Vietnamese War 157 During the 1980s the Soviet Union became the principal arms dealer to countries embargoed by Western nations including Middle Eastern nations such as Libya and Syria which 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 Al Qaeda ISIL and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Iraq and FARC Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional guerrillas in Colombia 156 In Russia the Kalashnikov is a tremendous source of national pride 158 The family of the inventor of the world s most famous rifle Mikhail Kalashnikov has authorized German engineering company MMI to use the well known Kalashnikov name on a variety of not so deadly goods 159 In recent years Kalashnikov Vodka has been marketed with souvenir bottles in the shape of the AK 47 Kalashnikov 160 161 There are also Kalashnikov watches 162 umbrellas 163 and knives 164 165 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 Kalashnikov s small arms a series of halls and multimedia exhibitions are devoted to the evolution of the AK 47 rifle and attracts 10 000 monthly visitors 166 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 On 19 September 2017 a 9 metres 30 ft monument of Kalashnikov was unveiled in central Moscow A protester later detained by police attempted to unfurl a banner reading a creator of weapons is a creator of death 167 The proliferation of this weapon is reflected by more than just numbers The AK 47 is included on the flag of Mozambique and its emblem an acknowledgment that the country gained its independence in large part through the effective use of their AK 47s 168 It is also found in the coats of arms of East Timor Zimbabwe and the revolution era Burkina Faso as well as in the flags of Hezbollah Syrian Resistance FARC EP the New People s Army TKP TIKKO and the International Revolutionary People s Guerrilla Forces U S and Western Europe countries frequently associate the AK 47 with their enemies both Cold War era and present day For example Western works of fiction movies television novels video games often portray criminals gang members insurgents and terrorists using AK 47s as the weapon of choice Conversely throughout the developing world the AK 47 can be positively attributed with revolutionaries against foreign occupation imperialism or colonialism 156 In Ireland the AK 47 is associated with The Troubles due to its extensive use by republican paramilitaries during this period 169 In 2013 a decommissioned AK 47 was included in the A History of Ireland in 100 Objects collection 170 The AK 47 made an appearance in U S popular culture as a recurring focus in the Nicolas Cage film Lord of War 2005 Numerous monologues in the movie focus on the weapon and its effects on global conflict and the gun running market 171 In Iraq and Afghanistan private military company contractors from the U K and other countries used the AK 47 and its variants along with Western firearms such as the AR 15 172 page needed In 2006 the Colombian musician and peace activist Cesar Lopez 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 173 In Mexico the AK 47 is known as Cuerno de Chivo literally Goat s Horn because of its curved magazine design It is one of the weapons of choice of Mexican drug cartels It is sometimes mentioned in Mexican folk music lyrics 174 Gallery nbsp An AK 47 Type 1 top and 2 bottom on display The Type 1 features a stamped receiver while the Type 2 receiver is milled nbsp A U S Army M P inspects a Chinese AK 47 recovered in Vietnam 1968 nbsp AK 47s of the PAIGC liberation movement ready to be transported from Senegal to Guinea Bissau 1973 nbsp A Soviet Spetsnaz special operations group prepares for a mission in Afghanistan 1988 nbsp During the Soviet Afghan War in the 1980s several sources simultaneously armed both sides of the Afghan conflict filling the country with AK 47s and their derivatives 175 See alsoComparison of the AK 47 and M16 AK 12 PK machine gun DracoNotes 2 6 lb milled from 6 lb stock This was about 2 2 lb heavier than the stamped receiver References Monetchikov 2005 chpts 6 and 7 if AK 46 and AK 47 are to be seen as separate designs a b Ezell Edward Clinton 1986 The AK47 Story Evolution of the Kalashnikov Weapons Stackpole Books p 112 ISBN 978 0 811 70916 3 Joe Poyer 2004 The AK 47 and AK 74 Kalashnikov Rifles and Their Variations North Cape Publications Inc p 8 ISBN 1 882391 33 0 a b c Killicoat Phillip April 2007 Weaponomics The Global Market for Rifles PDF World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 4202 Post Conflict Transitions Working Paper No 10 University of Oxford p 3 Archived PDF from the original on 12 January 2012 Retrieved 3 April 2010 a b AK 47 Inventor Doesn t Lose Sleep Over Havoc Wrought With His Invention Fox News Channel USA 6 July 2007 OCLC 36334372 Archived from the original on 3 June 2010 Retrieved 3 April 2010 a b c NSD 7 62 mm avtomat AK 1967 pp 161 162 a b NSD 7 62 mm avtomat AKM AKMS 1983 pp 149 150 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n AKM AK 47 Kalashnikov modernized rifle caliber 7 62mm Izhmash Archived from the original on 6 October 2014 a b Monetchikov 2005 p 67 Bolotin 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2009 Jane s Infantry Weapons 2009 2010 35th ed Jane s Information Group ISBN 978 0 7106 2869 5 Menges Werner 18 December 2002 Namibia Soldier Claims Ignorance About AK 47 Used to Murder Farmer The Namibian Windhoek Archived from the original on 1 January 2003 Retrieved 13 July 2017 Jurado Carlos Caballero 1990 Central American Wars 1959 89 Men at Arms 221 London Osprey Publishing pp 20 45 ISBN 978 0 85045 945 6 Nikolovski Zoran 12 October 2006 Macedonian military police US National Guard conduct joint manoeuvres Southeast European Times United States European Command OCLC 731936128 Archived from the original on 25 January 2011 Retrieved 14 March 2011 Hashim Asad 4 February 2019 Darra Adam Khel Pakistan s dying gun bazaar Al Jazeera Archived from the original on 1 May 2023 UAE Saudi Arabia Dispatch Troops to Syria Syrian Observer 22 November 2018 Archived from the original on 22 November 2018 Retrieved 28 March 2019 Newly recruited Rangers practice with their AK 47 rifles during a training session at a military camp in Thailand s restive southern Narathiwat province Getty Images 21 May 2009 AKs among U S Police Departments The Firearm Blog 12 April 2016 Archived from the original on 23 April 2023 Why U S Commandos Loved the AK 47 Rifle The National Interest 18 February 2019 Archived from the original on 13 August 2020 AK 47 AKM Modern Firearms 24 January 2011 Archived from the original on 6 March 2008 Retrieved 14 March 2011 Wells Rod 2011 Part Time War Fern House p 155 ISBN 978 1 902702 25 4 Mizokami Kyle 3 May 2018 The Russian Military Is Getting New Assault Rifles Popular Mechanics Archived from the original on 18 April 2023 Retrieved 13 January 2022 Miller D M O 31 August 2001 Illustrated Directory of Twentieth Century Guns Salamander ISBN 978 1 84065 245 1 Sprague Oliver amp Griffiths Hugh 26 June 2006 Control Arms Briefing Note The AK 47 The World s Favourite Killing Machine PDF Oxfam Archived PDF from the original on 9 August 2014 van Schendel Willem amp Abraham Itty 4 November 2005 Illicit Flows and Criminal Things States Borders and the Other Side of Globalization Indiana University Press p 217 ISBN 978 0 25321 811 7 Fleshman Michael December 2001 Small arms in Africa Counting the cost of gun violence Africa Recovery Vol 15 no 4 United Nations Archived from the original on 5 January 2006 Human Rights Watch 31 May 2002 Playing with Fire Weapons Proliferation Political Violence and Human Rights in Kenya Archived from the original on 20 November 2012 via UNHCR Refworld Kabbani Khaldoun 2013 Intelligence and Historical Background on the AK 47 and AK Variants PDF AFTE Journal 45 3 Archived from the original PDF on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 25 November 2015 Santos Soliman M Jr Santos Paz Verdades M April 2010 Rodriguez Diana ed Primed and Purposeful Armed Groups and Human Security Efforts in the Philippines PDF Quezon City Philippines Geneva Switzerland South South Network for Non State Armed Group Engagement Small Arms Survey ISBN 978 2 940415 29 8 Archived from the original PDF on 24 September 2015 Berman Eric G March 2011 Craft Production of Small Arms PDF Research Notes 3 Small Arms Survey 1 2 Archived from the original PDF on 24 September 2015 Continuity and Change Products And Producers PDF Small Arms Survey 2004 Archived from the original PDF on 14 May 2012 Graves Brown P November 2007 Avtomat Kalashnikova Journal of Material Culture 12 3 285 307 doi 10 1177 1359183507081896 S2CID 220192559 Hastings Max 10 February 2011 The Most Influential Weapon of Our Time The New York Review of Books Archived from the original on 11 August 2017 Jozsef Tibor Fejes a young Hungarian identified by C J Chivers in The Gun as the first known insurgent to carry an AK 47 According to Chivers Fejes obtained his prize after Soviet soldiers dropped their rifles during their attack on revolutionaries in Budapest in 1956 The Hungarian Revolution marked the AK 47 s true battlefield debut Simba uprising 1964 1965 mercenary with captured AK 47 December 1964 AKG Images Abbott Peter Botham Philip 15 June 1986 Modern African Wars 1 Rhodesia 1965 80 Men at Arms 183 Osprey Publishing p 10 ISBN 978 0 85045 728 5 Scarlata Paul 1 March 2009 Ethiopian Military Rifle Cartridges Part 2 from Mauser to Kalashnikov Shotgun News Archived from the original on 24 November 2018 Retrieved 24 November 2018 Kanwal Gurmeet April 1999 Proxy War in Kashmir Jehad or State Sponsored Terrorism Strategic Analysis A Monthly Journal of the IDSA XXIII 1 04 via Proxy War in Kashmir Jehad or State Sponsored Terrorism Soviet made AK 47 assault rifles seized during Operation URGENT FURY On the top of the pile of weapons is the barrel attachment to a 7 62 mm machine gun The U S National Archives 25 October 1983 Small Arms Survey 2007 Persistent Instability Armed Violence and Insecurity in South Sudan PDF The Small Arms Survey 2007 Guns and the City Cambridge University Press p 325 ISBN 978 0 521 88039 8 Archived from the original on 27 August 2018 Retrieved 29 August 2018 Small Arms Survey 2005 Sourcing the Tools of War Small Arms Supplies to Conflict Zones Small Arms Survey 2005 Weapons at War Oxford University Press p 166 ISBN 978 0 19 928085 8 Archived from the original PDF on 30 August 2018 Retrieved 29 August 2018 Small Arms Survey 2007 Armed Violence in Burundi Conflict and Post Conflict Bujumbura PDF The Small Arms Survey 2007 Guns and the City Cambridge University Press p 204 ISBN 978 0 521 88039 8 Archived from the original on 27 August 2018 Retrieved 29 August 2018 Small Arms Survey 2003 Making the Difference Weapon Collection and Small Arms Availability in the Republic of Congo Small Arms Survey 2003 Development Denied Oxford University Press p 268 ISBN 0199251754 Archived from the original PDF on 29 August 2018 Retrieved 29 August 2018 Touchard Laurent 17 December 2013 Centrafrique le Soudan a t il arme les ex Seleka Jeune Afrique in French Archived from the original on 30 January 2019 Retrieved 29 January 2019 a b c Seabrook Andrea 26 November 2006 AK 47 The Weapon Changed the Face of War NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Archived from the original on 30 July 2014 Jones Christopher 20 December 1981 In The Land Of The Khmer Rouge The New York Times Magazine Archived from the original on 11 December 2017 Solovyov Dmitry 24 December 2013 AK 47 rifle inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov dies at 94 Reuters UK Archived from the original on 14 June 2015 Retrieved 13 June 2015 Abdullaev Nabi 21 February 2003 Care for a Kalashnikov Umbrella The Moscow Times Archived from the original on 10 June 2014 The AK 47 Kalashnikov Vodka Souvenir Bottle Kalashnikov Vodka Archived from the original on 27 February 2015 Retrieved 25 November 2015 Hodge Nathan 31 December 2009 Celebrate 2010 with a Kalashnikov Wired Archived from the original on 5 July 2017 Retrieved 4 March 2017 Kalashnikov Watches Swiss Made Kalashnikov Uhren Kalashnikov Watches Ultralux Marketing AG Archived from the original on 15 June 2015 Retrieved 13 June 2015 Coming soon the Kalashnikov brolly BBC News 17 February 2003 Archived from the original on 14 June 2015 Retrieved 13 June 2015 EDC for CCW Boker Kalashnikov Anniversary Knife The Truth About Knives June 2013 Archived from the original on 15 June 2015 Retrieved 13 June 2015 Boker Kalashnikov Knives BladeHQ com Archived from the original on 15 June 2015 Retrieved 13 June 2015 Chivers C J 18 February 2007 AK 47 Museum Homage to the Gun That Won the East The New York Times Archived from the original on 22 June 2007 Bennetts Marc 19 September 2017 30ft high statue of Mikhail Kalashnikov unveiled in Moscow The Guardian Archived from the original on 19 September 2017 Retrieved 19 September 2017 Gordon Michael R 13 March 1997 Burst of Pride for a Staccato Executioner AK 47 The New York Times Archived from the original on 23 June 2017 Oppenheimer A R 2009 IRA The Bombs and The Bullets A History of Deadly Ingenuity Newbridge County Kildare Irish Academic Press ISBN 978 0 7165 2895 1 O Toole Fintan A History of Ireland in 100 Objects Decommissioned AK 47 assault rifle 2005 The Irish Times Retrieved 12 May 2020 Lord of War 2005 memorable quotes Internet Movie Database Archived from the original on 24 April 2022 Retrieved 29 October 2012 Palou Loverdos Jordi amp Armendariz Leticia The Privatization of Warfare Violence and Private Military amp Security Companies PDF The International Institute for Nonviolent Action Archived PDF from the original on 9 October 2022 Retrieved 25 June 2021 Latorre Hector 24 January 2006 Escopetarras disparando musica BBC Mundo in Spanish Archived from the original on 22 February 2007 Retrieved 31 January 2007 Muessig Ben 10 August 2010 Narcocorridos The Songs of Mexico s Drug War AOL News Archived from the original on 14 August 2012 Chivers C J 24 December 2013 How did the AK 47 become the most abundant weapon on earth The Independent Archived from the original on 25 September 2015 Retrieved 21 August 2017 BibliographyBolotin David Naumovich 1995 Istoriya sovetskogo strelkovogo oruzhiya i patronov The History of Soviet Small Arms and Ammunition PDF Voyenno Istoricheskaya Biblioteka in Russian Saint Petersburg Poligon ISBN 5 85503 072 5 Archived PDF from the original on 9 October 2022 Bolotin David Naumovich 1995a Walter John Pohjolainen Heikki eds Soviet Small Arms and Ammunition Translated by Igor F Naftul eff Hyvinkaa Finnish Arms Museum Foundation Suomen asemuseosaatio ISBN 9519718419 Gulevich I D ed 1967 NSD 7 62 mm avtomat AK 7 62 mm AK in Russian 3rd ed Moscow Voenizdat Monetchikov Sergei Borisovich 2005 Istoriya russkogo avtomata The History of Russian Assault Rifle Entsiklopediya Russkoi Armii in Russian Izdatel stvo Atlant 44 ISBN 5 98655 006 4 Archived from the original on 16 May 2013 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 Rottman Gordon 24 May 2011 The AK 47 Kalashnikov series assault rifles Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 84908 835 0 Archived from the original on 26 September 2013 Vilchinsky I K ed 1983 NSD 7 62 mm avtomat AKM AKMS 7 62 mm AKM AKMS PDF in Russian 3rd ed Moscow Voenizdat Archived from the original PDF on 7 May 2023 Further readingChivers C J October 2010 The Gun Simon amp Schuster p 459 ISBN 978 0 7432 7076 2 Chivers C J 1 November 2010 How the AK 47 Rewrote the Rules of Modern Warfare Wired Archived from the original on 21 April 2023 Dewey William J November 1994 AK 47S for the Ancestors Journal of Religion in Africa 24 4 358 374 doi 10 1163 157006694X00200 JSTOR 1581342 Ezell Edward Clinton Stevens R Blake 1 December 2001 Kalashnikov The Arms and the Man Cobourg ON Collector Grade Publications ISBN 978 0 88935 267 4 Fackler Martin L Surinchak John S Malinowski John A Bowen Robert E 1984 Wounding potential of the Russian AK 74 assault rifle Journal of Trauma Injury Infection amp Critical Care 24 3 263 6 doi 10 1097 00005373 198403000 00014 PMID 6708147 Hodges Michael January 2007 AK47 The Story of the People s Gun Hodder amp Stoughton ISBN 978 0 340 92104 3 Honeycutt Fred L Jr amp Anthony F Patt 1996 Military Rifles of Japan 5th ed Palm Beach Gardens FL Julin Books ISBN 0 9623208 7 0 Kahaner Larry 2007 AK 47 The Weapon That Changed the Face of War John Wiley amp Sons ISBN 978 0 471 72641 8 Kalashnikov Mikhail Timofeevich Joly Elena 2006 The Gun That Changed the World Polity Press ISBN 978 0 7456 3691 7 permanent dead link 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 Walter John 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 Ruzhe Oruzhie i amuniciya 1999 3 pp 18 21 has an article about the AK 47 prototypes Kalashnikov M T 2002 Kto avtor AK 47 Who is the author of AK 47 PDF Kalashnikov in Russian No 2 pp 4 7 Archived PDF from the original on 9 October 2022 An article rejecting some of the alternative theories as to the authorship of the AK 47 Degtyaryov M 2009 Neochevidnoe ochevidnoe Kalashnikov in Russian No 4 pp 18 23 Archived from the original on 29 September 2007 An article comparing the internals of the StG 44 and AK 47 V preddverii yubileya Kalashnikov in Russian No 8 2009 pp 18 23 Archived from the original on 29 September 2007 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 Putyovka v zhizn Kalashnikov in Russian No 9 2009 pp 16 22 Archived from the original on 29 September 2007 Report letter on the final round of testing 27 December 1947 declaring Kalashnikov s design the winner Pervyj V Dinastii First In The Dynasty PDF Kalashnikov in Russian No 11 2009 pp 8 13 Archived PDF from the original on 9 October 2022 Articles on the 1948 military trials External linksAK 47 at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Definitions from Wiktionary nbsp Media from Commons nbsp News from Wikinews nbsp Quotations from Wikiquote nbsp Texts from Wikisource nbsp Textbooks from Wikibooks nbsp Resources from Wikiversity US Army Operator s Manual for the AK 47 Assault Rifle Kalashnikov AK Archived from the original on 29 September 2007 AK 47 Operator s Manual PDF U S Army Archived from the original on 14 February 2006 Retrieved 9 November 2005 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link The Timeless Ubiquitous AK 47 Time Archived from the original on 25 February 2010 Legendary Kalashnikov Story of AK 47 Rifle RT Archived from the original on 8 August 2021 AK 47 The Weapon Changed the Face of War NPR Archived from the original on 17 February 2023 The AK 47 The Gun That Changed The Battlefield NPR Archived from the original on 26 March 2023 AK 47 Documentary Part 1 YouTube Archived from the original on 27 December 2021 amp Part 2 Al Jazeera English Archived from the original on 21 April 2023 AK 47 Full Auto U S Army in Iraq Years of the Gun A political history of the AK 47 in Pakistan Dawn News 26 December 2013 Archived from the original on 23 April 2023 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title AK 47 amp oldid 1215908807, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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