![]() These receivers can also be identified by the rivets that hold the front trunnion in the receiver. These receivers, with a couple of exceptions (Romanian WASR-10 rifles, Saiga rifles), have two dimples, one on each side of the receiver, that serve as magazine guides. Most modern AKs use stamped sheet metal receivers: this started with the AKM in 1959. ![]() These are known as AK receivers, and were rather expensive to produce. These are identified by two milled out sections, right above the magazine well, one on each side of the receiver. Functional examples of stamped first-production AKs were usually hand-finished via milling.Īs a result, production AKs have milled steel receivers. ![]() The first production AKs were designed to be built with stamped receivers (in line with Schmeisser's expertise in this method of production), but this proved unworkable with Soviet production controls of the era and the rejection rate was very high. In all cases, the selector doubles as a dust cover when the rifle is on SAFE, the selector covers the channel the charging handle travels in. ![]() Most AKs are select-fire rifles some have been converted to only fire semi-automatically. This spoon-like compensator is screwed onto the muzzle and uses the muzzle blast to reduce muzzle climb during bursts of automatic fire.ĪKs are long-stroke gas piston operated rifles. Other changes were effected, including a slightly raised buttstock, the pistol grip, and the addition of the removable muzzle flip compensator. The key changes were the switch from milling back to stamping as Soviet production techniques became precise enough to do this reliably, and improved trigger/ hammer unit that introduced a hammer release delay device (often incorrectly referred to as a rate reducer). Along with the basic version, a folding stock version had been developed for paratroopers and vehicle crews and was named the AKS.ĪKM with border guard presentation green handguards.īy 1959, the AK was modified again, this time more extensively, and was consequently adopted (after trials) as the AKM ( Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovannyj - Kalashnikov Automatic Modernized). This redesign was performed with the assistance of Hugo Schmeisser, with his role specifically to make Kalashnikov's weapon more suited to modern mass production techniques. After extensive field trials it was slightly modified in 1951, but retained the same name. The new prototype was deemed superior to the other competitors and was consequently adopted in 1949 as the "7,62mm Avtomat Kalashnikova, obraztsa 1947 goda" (7.62mm Kalashnikov automatic rifle, model of 1947). Starting with this design, outwardly resembling the German Sturmgewehr 44 though not mechanically based on it, he developed an assault rifle that he submitted for official Soviet Army trials in 1946.ĭuring 1946 and early 1947, he redesigned his initial rifle and submitted it to the second trials, held in 1947. In 1944 he was assigned to the Izhevsk Machinebuilding Plant (IZHMASH), where he developed a semi-automatic, gas-operated carbine. Sergeant Mikhail Kalashnikov, being in the hospital after being wounded, began to develop various small arms during World War II. Many western sources today recognize AK-47 as the weapon's more common but non-official nickname used in western publishing, while Russian sources would universally refer to the weapon as AK, and the AK-47 name only refers to early AK prototypes. More confusingly, a few early Russian documents referred to AK prototypes by the AK-47 designation, which was dropped soon after. The "AK-47" designation was stuck to the AK by western sources, likely because most Russian weapons have a design date in their names. The AK never had a production designation by the name "AK-47", and has been produced by the Izhevsk Mechanical plant under the "Avtomat Kalashnikova AK" designation. The veracity of the "AK-47" name is a source of controversy among firearm historians. The name Kalashnikov rifle is a alternate western name for the general AK series of rifles. AK-47 stands for Автомат Калашникова образца 1947 года ( Avtomat Kalashnikova, obraztsa 1947 goda), literally "Kalashnikov's automaton, model of the year 1947." The name AK can refer to the original AK model or the AK series of rifles based on the original AK model.
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