AK-47

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The AK-47 (Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947 ; Russian: Автомат Калашникова образца 1947 года) is a gas-operated assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov, produced by Russian manufacturer IZH, and used in many Eastern bloc nations during the Cold War. It was adopted and standardized in 1947. Compared to rifles used in World War II, the AK-47 was generally lighter, more compact, with a shorter range, a smaller 7.62 × 39 mm cartridge, and was capable of selective fire. It was one of the first true assault rifles, and remains the most widespread. The AK-47 and its numerous variants have been produced in greater numbers than any other assault rifle, and it remains in production to this day.

1 History
2 Features
- 2.1 Operating cycle
- 2.2 Ballistics
3 Legal status
- 3.1 In the United States
- 3.2 Illegal trade
4 Cultural influence
5 Variants
- 5.1 Production abroad
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
- 8.1 Video links
- 8.2 Manual

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History

During the Second World War, Germany had developed the concept of the assault rifle. This concept was based on the premise that most military engagements in modern warfare were happening at fairly close range with the majority happening within 100 meters. The power and range of "full-power" rifle cartridges was simply overkill for a vast majority of engagements with small arms. As a result, a cartridge and firearm were sought that would combine the features of a submachine gun (high-capacity magazine and fully-automatic fire capability) with an intermediate power cartridge that would be effective to a range of 300 meters. For the sake of manufacturing, this was done by shortening the 8 mm Mauser cartridge to 33 mm and using a lighter bullet.

The resulting Sturmgewehr 44 (StG44) was not the first rifle to use these features; it was preceded by earlier Italian, and Russian, designs. The Germans were, however, the first to produce and field a sufficient number of the type to properly evaluate its utility. They fielded the weapon in large numbers against the Russians towards the end of the war. This experience deeply influenced Russian doctrine in the years following the war. Image:Young kalashnikov.jpg Mikhail Kalashnikov began imagining his weapon while still in the hospital, after being wounded in the battle of Bryansk. He had been informed that a new weapon was required for the 7.62 × 39 mm cartridge developed by Elisarov and Semin in 1943. Sudayev's PPS43 submachine gun was preferred to Kalashnikov's design. Kalashnikov redesigned his losing design after examining a German StG44 in 1946. It has been suggested that Kalashnikov was chosen to lead a team of designers more for propaganda value due to his war-hero status rather than for his expertise, following Soviet patterns in other industries.

Despite circumstantial evidence, Mikhail Kalashnikov denies that his rifle was based on the German assault rifle. Internally, the AK-47 owes much to the M1 Garand Rifle. The double locking lugs, unlocking raceway, and trigger mechanism are clearly derived from the earlier American design. This is not surprising as millions of Garand rifles had operated reliably in combat around the globe. Though mechanically similar to the Garand, the AK-47 clearly borrows its cartridge concept, weapon layout, gas system, and construction methods from the StG44. Further, the safety is surprisingly similar to the Browning designed Remington Model 8 rifle. Where the Kalashnikov rifle differs from other designs is in its simplification of those contributing designs and adaptation to mass production by relatively unskilled labor. The AK-47 can be seen as a fusion of the best that the M1 Garand offered combined with the best aspects of the StG44 made by the best processes available in the Soviet Union at the time.

There were many difficulties during the initial phase of production. The first production models had stamped sheet metal receivers. Difficulties were encountered welding the guide and ejector rails that were causing high rejection rates. Instead of halting production, a heavy machined receiver was substituted for the sheet metal receiver. This was a more costly process, but the use of machined receivers accelerated production as tooling and labor for the earlier Mosin-Nagant rifle's machined receiver were easily adapted. Partly because of these problems, the Soviets were not able to distribute large numbers of the new rifle to soldiers until 1956. During this time, production of the interim SKS rifle continued.

Once manufacturing difficulties had been overcome, a redesigned version designated the AKM (M for modernized or upgraded) was introduced in 1959. This new model used a stamped sheet metal receiver and featured a slanted device on the end of the barrel to compensate for muzzle rise under recoil. It was also somewhat lighter than baseline AK-47. The AKM was exported around the world to aid in the spread of Communism. Licensed production of the Kalashnikov weapons abroad as well as unlicensed production was almost exclusively of the AKM, and that variant is actually the most commonly encountered one. Despite this, rifles of this pattern are almost universally referred to as AK-47s.

In 1978, the Soviet Union began replacing their AK-47 and AKM rifles with a newer design, the AK-74. This new rifle and cartridge had only started being exported to eastern European nations when the Soviet Union collapsed.

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Features

Image:AK-components.jpg The AK-47 is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and easy to clean and maintain. Its ruggedness and reliability are legendary. The large gas piston, generous clearances between moving parts, and tapered cartridge case design allow the gun to endure large amounts of foreign matter and fouling without failing to cycle. This reliability comes at the cost of accuracy.

The notched rear tangent iron sight is calibrated with each numeral denoting hundreds of meters. The front sight is a post adjustable for elevation in the field. Windage adjustment is done by the armory prior to issue. The battle setting places the round within a few centimeters above or below the point of aim out to approximately 250 meters. This "point-blank range" setting allows the shooter to fire the gun at any close target without adjusting the sights. Longer settings are intended for area suppression. These settings mirror the Mosin-Nagant and SKS rifles which the AK-47 replaced. This eased transition and simplified training.

The bore and chamber, as well as the gas piston and the interior of the gas cylinder, are generally chromium plated. This plating dramatically increases the life of these parts by resisting corrosion and wear. Chrome plating of critical parts is now common on most modern military weapons.

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Operating cycle

To fire, the operator inserts a loaded magazine, moves the selector lever to the lowest position, pulls back and releases the charging handle, and then pulls the trigger. In this setting, the gun fires once requiring the trigger be released and depressed again for the next shot until the magazine is exhausted. With the selector in the middle position, the rifle continues to fire, automatically cycling fresh rounds into the chamber, until the magazine is exhausted or pressure is released from the trigger.

Image:AKAnimation.gif Dismantling the gun involves the operator depressing the magazine catch and removing the magazine. The charging handle is pulled to the rear and the operator inspects the chamber to verify the gun is unloaded. The operator presses forward on the retainer button at the rear of the receiver cover while simultaneously lifting up on the rear of the cover to remove it. He then pushes spring assembly forward and lifts it from its raceway, withdrawing it out of the bolt carrier and to the rear. The operator must then pull the carrier assembly all the way to the rear, lift it and then pull it away. He removes the bolt by pushing it to the rear of the bolt carrier; rotating the bolt so the camming lug clears the raceway on the underside of the bolt carrier and then pulls it forward and free. When cleaning, the operator will pay special attention to the barrel, bolt face, and gas piston, then oil lightly and reassemble.

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Ballistics

The standard AK-47 or AKM fires a 7.62 × 39 mm round with a muzzle velocity of 710 m/s (2,329 ft/s). Muzzle energy is 1,990 joules (1,467 ft·lbf). Cartridge case length is 38.6 mm, weight is 18.21 g. Projectile weight is normally 8 g (123 gr). The AK-47 and AKM, with the 7.62 × 39 mm cartridge, have an effective range of around 300 meters. For comparison, the 7.62 × 54 mm R mm cartridge has a projectile of 12 g (185 gr) at a velocity of 818 m/s (2,683 ft/s) for approximately 4,000 joules (2,950 ft·lbf) of energy.

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Legal status

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In the United States

Image:Misccaparms.jpg Private ownership of fully-automatic AK-47 rifles is tightly regulated by the National Firearms Act of 1934. The Gun Control Act of 1968 ceased import of foreign manufactured fully-automatic firearms for civilian sales and possession effectively halting further importation of civilian accessible AK-47 rifles. In 1986, an amendment to the Firearm Owners Protection Act stopped all future domestic manufacture of fully-automatic weapons for civilian use.

However, machine guns manufactured domestically prior to 1986 and imported prior to 1968 may be transferred between civilians in accordance with federal and state law. Several Soviet and Chinese rifles made it into the U.S. during the mid-1960s when returning Vietnam Veterans brought them home after capture from enemy troops. Many of these were properly registered during the 1968 NFA amnesty. In addition, several states have laws on their books outlawing private possession of fully-automatic firearms even with NFA approval.

Certain semi-automatic AK-47 models were banned by the now-expired Federal assault weapons ban of 1994–2004. A semi-automatic rifle, similar externally to the AK-47 but operably identical to many hunting rifles, was used in a much publicized 1989 shooting in a Stockton, California, schoolyard, and in the 1993 murders outside of the Langley, Virginia, headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency (see Mir Amir Kansi). Another much-publicized use of the AK-47 in the United States happened when bank robbers exchanged fire with police after a botched robbery. The North Hollywood shootout involved AK-47's that were illegally modified to fully-automatic and thus were illegal to possess.

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Illegal trade

Troughout the world, the AK-47 and variants are the most smuggled and illegaly sold weapons. These weapons are commonly sold to rebels and faulty regimes in countries where the demand of rifles has gone up due to war. The AK-47 is considered particularly cheap for an assault rifle.

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Cultural influence

Image:Coat of arms of Mozambique.png The AK-47 and its derivatives are favored by many non-Western powers because of their ease of use, robustness, simplicity, and manufacturing cost effectiveness. Estimates for production range over 100 million units. During most of the Cold War, the Soviet Union and China followed a military assistance program, supplying their arms and technical knowledge to numerous countries. In addition, another policy saw the supply of weapons, free of charge, to pro-communist fighters such as the Nicaraguan Sandinistas and Viet-Cong. This policy was mirrored in the West, with the United States providing small arms of all types to such groups as the Afghan Mujahideen and Nicaraguan Contras.

The proliferation of this weapon is reflected by more than just numbers. The AK-47 is included in the flag of Mozambique and coat of arms (formerly also in Burkina Faso coat of arms) and the Hezbollah flag. "Kalash", a shortened form of "Kalashnikov", is used as a name for boys in some African countries.

In the U.S., rap artists reference AK-47s and moviemakers who arm cinema terrorists, gang members (e.g. films like Boyz N The Hood), and "bad guys" in general with AK-47s add much to the weapon's cultural mystique. Numerous computer and video games feature AK-47s.

The sheer ubiquity of the AK-47, its iconography, the fact that it possesses easily the most distinguishable weapon outline, and its nefarious association with violent conflict will ensure a significant and conspicuous impact on society.

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Variants

Image:LCpl Cheema on the AK-47.JPG Kalashnikov variants include:

AK-47 1948–51, 7.62 × 39 mm— the very earliest models had a stamped sheet metal receiver; now rare.
AK-47 1952, 7.62 × 39 mm— has a milled receiver and wooden buttstock and handguard. Barrel and chamber are chrome plated to resist corrosion. Rifle weight 4.2 kg.
AKS-47— featured a downward-folding metal stock similar to that of the German MP40, for use in the restricted space in the BMP infantry combat vehicle.
RPK, 7.62 × 39 mm— squad automatic rifle version with longer barrel and bipod.
AKM, 7.62 × 39 mm— a simplified, lighter version of the AK-47; receiver is made from stamped and riveted sheet metal. A slanted muzzle device was added to counter climb in automatic fire. Rifle weight 3.61 kg.
AKMS, 7.62 × 39 mm— folding-stock version of the AKM intended for airborne troops.
AK-74 series, 5.45 × 39 mm— see main article for details.

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Production abroad

The AK-47 and its descendants are or have been manufactured in the following countries: Egypt, China, North Korea, East Germany, Poland, Yugoslavia (as the M70 and M80 series), Romania, Hungary (as AMD-63 and AMD-65), Iraq, Albania and Bulgaria. Certainly more have been produced elsewhere, but the above list represents major producers. An updated AKM design is still produced in Russia.

The basic design of the AK-47 has been used as the basis for other successful rifle designs such as the Finnish Valmet 62/76, the Israeli Galil, the Indian INSAS and the Yugoslav Zastava M76 and M77/82 (not to be confused with the Barrett M82) rifles. Several bullpup designs have surfaced, although none have been produced in quantity.

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References

Fackler et al. (1984). "Wounding potential of the Russian AK-74 assault rifle", Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care. 24, 263-6.
Ezell, Edward Clinton (1986). The AK-47 Story: Evolution of the Kalashnikov Weapons. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0811709167. (Prior to his death, Ezell was the curator of military history at the Smithsonian Museum.)
Ezell, Edward Clinton & R. Blake Stevens(2001). Kalashnikov: The Arms and the Man. Ontario: Collector Grade Publications. ISBN 0889352674
Guinness World Records 2005. ISBN 1892051222.