Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
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 [10] and used by the majority of the member states of the Warsaw Pact.
Kalashnikov rifles (Russian: Автоматы Калашникова), also known as the AK platform, AK rifles or simply the AK, are a family of assault rifles based on Mikhail Kalashnikov's original design.
Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov (UK: / k ə ˈ l æ ʃ n ɪ k ɒ f / kə-LASH-nik-off, US: /-ˈ l ɑː ʃ-/- LAHSH-; [4] [5] Russian: Михаил Тимофеевич Калашников, IPA: [mʲɪxɐˈil tʲɪmɐˈfʲejɪvʲɪtɕ kɐˈlaʂnʲɪkəf]; 10 November 1919 – 23 December 2013) was a Soviet and Russian lieutenant general, inventor, military engineer, writer, and small arms ...
The Gun is a nonfiction book written by journalist C. J. Chivers about the AK-47 rifle and its variants, and the impact they have had on the world.It covers the origins of the design, its invention and distribution, and the consequences of the pattern's spread around the world.
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. The M16 entered U.S. service in the mid-1960s. [35] Despite its early failures, the M16 proved to be a revolutionary design and stands as the longest-continuously serving rifle in American military history. [36]
The 7.62×39mm (aka 7.62 Soviet, formerly .30 Russian Short) [5] round is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge of Soviet origin. The cartridge is widely used due to the global proliferation of the AK-47 rifle and related Kalashnikov rifles, the SKS semi automatic rifle, as well as the RPD and RPK light machine guns.
Estimates of production of the Kalashnikov AK-47 and derivative weapons may be exaggerated. Various sources quote figures between 35 and 150 million. [5] In his 2001 book 'The AK-47', Chris McNab claims it is "feasible" that production of the Chinese Type 56 assault rifle – a license-built AK-47 copy – reached 15-20 million. McNab bases ...
AK-74 rifle Kalashnikov rifle family: AK-47, AK-74 and AK-12 (left) as well as rare OTs-14, AN-94, and AEK-971. The AK-74 assault rifle was a Soviet answer to the U.S. M16. [87] [88] [89] The Soviet military realized that the M16 had better range and accuracy over the AKM, and that its lighter cartridge allowed soldiers to carry more ammunition.