Ak-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova (Russian: Автомат Калашникова). It is also known as Kalashnikov, AK, or in Russian slang, Kalash.
Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year of World War II (1945). After the war in 1946, the AK-46 was presented for official military trials. In 1948 the fixed-stock version was introduced into active service with selected units of the Soviet Army. An early development of the design was the AKS (S—Skladnoy or "folding"), which was equipped with an underfolding metal shoulder stock. In 1949, the AK-47 was officially accepted by the Soviet Armed Forces[10] and used by the majority of the member states of the Warsaw Pact.
The original AK-47 was one of the first assault rifles of 2nd generation, after the German StG 44.[11] Even after six decades the model and its variants remain the most widely used and popular assault rifles in the world because of their durability, low production cost, availability, and ease of use. It has been manufactured in many countries and has seen service with armed forces as well as irregular forces worldwide. The AK-47 was the basis for developing many other types of individual and crew-served firearms. More AK-type rifles have been produced than all other assault rifles combined.
During World War II, the Germans introduced the StG 44 (Sturmgewehr) in large numbers—about half a million were built. This gun, from which the English terminology "assault rifle" originates, was chambered in a new intermediate cartridge, the 7.92×33mm Kurz.[22] The Soviets captured an early prototype of the StG 44, a Mkb 42(H), and they were also given samples of the U.S. M1 Carbine, which was also developed for a less powerful round. Based on these developments, on July 15, 1943, the People's Commissariat for Armaments decided to introduce a Soviet intermediate cartridge. A team led by NM Elizarov (Н.М. Елизаров) was charged with the development of what eventually became the 7.62×39mm M43; the new cartridge went into mass production in March 1944.[23][24] At the same meeting that adopted the new cartridge, the Soviet planners decided that a whole range of new small arms should use it, including a semi-automatic carbine, a fully automatic rifle, and a light machine gun. Design contests for these new weapons began in earnest in 1944.[23]
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The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova (Russian: Автомат Калашникова). It is also known as Kalashnikov, AK, or in Russian slang, Kalash.
Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year of World War II (1945). After the war in 1946, the AK-46 was presented for official military trials. In 1948 the fixed-stock version was introduced into active service with selected units of the Soviet Army. An early development of the design was the AKS (S—Skladnoy or "folding"), which was equipped with an underfolding metal shoulder stock. In 1949, the AK-47 was officially accepted by the Soviet Armed Forces[10] and used by the majority of the member states of the Warsaw Pact.
The original AK-47 was one of the first assault rifles of 2nd generation, after the German StG 44.[11] Even after six decades the model and its variants remain the most widely used and popular assault rifles in the world because of their durability, low production cost, availability, and ease of use. It has been manufactured in many countries and has seen service with armed forces as well as irregular forces worldwide. The AK-47 was the basis for developing many other types of individual and crew-served firearms. More AK-type rifles have been produced than all other assault rifles combined.
Pre-history
In the field of firearms, the Russian word "avtomat" was introduced around 1919 to describe an automatic rifle designed in 1916 by Vladimir Fyodorov as an emergency adaptation of his semi-automatic rifle designs, with the intent of providing a firearm capable of automatic fire that was more portable than the light machine guns then in service.[12] The Fedorov Avtomat saw very limited action in World War I, but was used in larger numbers during the Russian Civil War, with about 3,200 having been built, the vast majority of them after 1919. The Fedorov Avtomat was chambered in 6.5×50mmSR Arisaka, one of the more common cartridges at the time.[N 3][13][14][15][16] Some historians argue that in consequence, the Fedorov Avtomat was the first assault rifle to see combat;[16][17][18] others have argued however that "this was more a case of accident than intention".[19] The Fedorov Avtomat was withdrawn from service between 1925 and 1928 owing to its use of foreign ammunition, which the Soviet Union could not easily procure, although the stockpiled Fedorov Avtomats would be rushed back into service during the 1939-1940 war with Finland because of the general penury of individual automatic weapons in the Red Army.[20][21] During World War II, it was replaced in Soviet service mostly by sub-machine guns, like the ubiquitous PPSh-41. Soviet attempts at creating a fully automatic rifle chambered in their powerful 7.62×54mmR rifle cartridge, like the AVS-36 or AVT-40 were basically unsuccessful.During World War II, the Germans introduced the StG 44 (Sturmgewehr) in large numbers—about half a million were built. This gun, from which the English terminology "assault rifle" originates, was chambered in a new intermediate cartridge, the 7.92×33mm Kurz.[22] The Soviets captured an early prototype of the StG 44, a Mkb 42(H), and they were also given samples of the U.S. M1 Carbine, which was also developed for a less powerful round. Based on these developments, on July 15, 1943, the People's Commissariat for Armaments decided to introduce a Soviet intermediate cartridge. A team led by NM Elizarov (Н.М. Елизаров) was charged with the development of what eventually became the 7.62×39mm M43; the new cartridge went into mass production in March 1944.[23][24] At the same meeting that adopted the new cartridge, the Soviet planners decided that a whole range of new small arms should use it, including a semi-automatic carbine, a fully automatic rifle, and a light machine gun. Design contests for these new weapons began in earnest in 1944.[23]
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