THE KALASHNIKOV (AK-47) CELEBRATES 60 YEARS

[Apoptosis]

Russia’s most popular weapon celebrated its 60th birthday, and it couldn’t come at a better time for Russia’s weapons industry. At a ceremony in Moscow’s Armed Forces Museum, a first model of the Kalashnikov rifle, the AK-47 (the first version was produced in 1947), was unveiled and placed into the hands of its creator, Mikhail Kalashnikov.

The 87-year-old Kalashnikov said he was excited to greet what he called his "first-born," but also said he loves all versions of the Kalashnikov equally – the way a mother loves all her children. He’s not alone in loving Russian weapons. Russia is second in the world in weapons exports, with only the United States selling more. The vast majority of these weapons are sold through the official state arms export agency, Rosoboroexport.

The part that states an estimated 100 million Kalashnikovs are in circulation in the world is amazing!!

http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/ ... 62571.aspx

[vicaphit]

I would have to say that the AK is about the best designed weapon in the world.

Have the size of the guns gotten smaller over the years, or is Mikhail really small? That gun looks gigantic in his hands!

[bubba]

From the movie 'Lord of War'

Of all the weapons in the vast Soviet arsenal, nothing was more profitable than Atvomat Kalashnikova model of 1947. More commonly known as the AK-47 or Kalashnikov. It's the world's most popular assault rifle. A weapon all fighters love. An elegantly simple nine pound algemation of forged steel and plywood. It doesn't break, jam, or overheat. It'll shoot whether it's covered in mud or filled with sand. It's so easy, even a child can use it; and they do. The Soviets put the gun on a coin. Mozambique put it on their flag. Since the end of the Cold War, the Kalashnikov has become the Russian people's greatest export. After that comes vodka, caviar, suicidal novelists. One thing is for sure, no one was lining up to buy their cars.

[Dragon_Cooler]

I have to say its one of my favorite guns...and i have never seen one in real life!!!!!

I know its my fav in CS and BF2.

[prozac26]

Best gun ever made.

Nothing else comes close.

[learning curve]

Close range rapid fire combat one of the best. Accuracy at distance, leaves alot to be desired. Depends on what your goals are as to the value!!!

[Azndude51]

Not that I'm anti-gun, but should we really be celebrating the success of a weapon that has killed millions of people over the years including many innocent women and children?

[vicaphit]

I would say it is more of an engineering celebration than it is celebrating the gun itself.

[TristanM]

I would say it is more of an engineering celebration than it is celebrating the gun itself.

I don't know - I think it's about the gun. Nothing scares the excrement out of people like leaping from the shadows ninja-style brandishing a weapon which sports a banana clip (and another banana clip taped to the first one, so you can just flip it over and jam it back in rather than swapping. (Mmmm...electrical tape.))

As to a gun that killed millions - until someone finds a gun able to think for itself, aim itself, and fire itself, it's still the people wielding the weapon that do the killing.

The AK-47 is, of course, also a piece of engineering genius. Some of the later models (I think AK-74 was one of a few, I could be wrong) with stamped steel parts and plastic bits were not quite so good... but what the heck can you do?

Edit: Actually, did they rename the models every year, or was it just when they changed the manufacturing in some way? I always assumed it was when they changed the manufacturing because I've only heard certain versions (AK-47 and AK-74 being two "real" ones, then some Chinese copy I can't remember the name of and such.)

[Sporg]

I think the chinese SKS is one of the knockoffs of the AK. For some reason I think you're right, the revision year was the last two digits.

OK, just looked at wiki... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AK-47

Towards the bottom are some of the other model numbers. While it is ultra reliable it's worthless at any kind of range.

EDIT - Not to take anything away from the AK, but look up the Browning M2 machine gut - it's still in service today.

[kenc51]

The AK's main use is in Auto mode, if you look at the safety switch, it goes from safe, to auto then single fire. They were designed to spray the target with very powerfull bullets.

I watched a show on this, on Discovery. They compaired it to the M16 when used in Vietnam. The M16 switch goes from safe, to single shot then to Auto.
The M16 has great range and is acurate, but the buttet is small and not very powerfull.
The AK bullet will pass through a tree and might also go through the target too, The M16 hit the tree and the bullet only went in ~2inches.

Sometimes simple is best. If I was ever in combat, I know what I'd chose!

[Sporg]

My understanding regarding the 5.56mm round that the M-16 uses is to inflict more casualties. If that round hits you in the abdomen it just bounces around and causes a lot of internal damage. The result is not an immediate death, and forces the victim's comrades to take care of him. So now you have a unit that is slower because it has to move more wounded and that also takes away some fighters.

I heard this a long time ago and would not be suprised if it were partially true.

And you are correct about the selector switch. Oh and you can get conversion kits for the M16 (AR-15) to use larger rounds. I think an AR-10 is the M-16 look with the 7.62mm setup. Anyway, it's kind of neat to see some things from back then still in use today.

[Apoptosis]

The NATO 5.56 was designed to not tear people up... It's main purpose is to penetrate and come out the other side intact, but there is a lot more involved than just the bullet... (After reading wikipedia I seem to be wrong on this, but that's what i've always been told) One of the major things that determines how bad a bullet f's you up is rifling twist rates. Luckily the US military has spent a small fortune finding out what rifling twist rates do the least damage. An example of this twist rate application is the M-16 used in Viet Nam by the US back in the late 1960's. When the war started out in 1965 or so, (The M16 was first adopted in 1964 by the United States Air Force) the M-16 started out with 1 in 14, or 1 in 12 twist, depending on which report you read from different branches in the military. There were all kinds of reports about the bullet "tumbling", and as a result the 5.56mm round was really tearing people up. The reason for this is because the bullet wasn't stabilized. When the army found the heavier bullet, 63 gr., penetrated body armor better at long range, the twist rate became 1 in 7 as it is found today and the tumbling stopped. When you order a new AR-15 or M-4 or whatever you can pick what twist rate you want the barrel to be. You can get 1x10 twist, 1x6 twist, 1x7 twist and so on depending on what type of bullet you are using and what type of target you are aiming at. I know all this because the last AR-15 I built I picked each part out myself so it's totally a one off.

As for the comment on the bullet not being very powerful -- that's personal taste I guess... I've seen reports of 3100 Fps with an 80 grain and 2700 FPS with a 120 grain. I've also heard 20 Tactical - 33 grain Hornady was reported to hit 42-4300 FPS in a 24" AR 15... This is pretty impressive.

Here is what the pros say about 5.56MM & 7.62 rounds: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... 86/MVT.htm

They conclude:

The 5.56mm will, at best, only be an interim NATO standard. Due to its small size, further improvements of the 5.56mm will be insufficient to keep up with the changing requirements of future battlefields. Overall, the older 7.62mm NATO is a better standard cartridge since it has the capacity and the flexibility to be significantly improved and thereby remain effective.

guess it's a good thing to have both...

[Tyron]

I wouldn't say it is one of the best. One of the most durable? Yeah. One of the most dependable? Definitely. If you want to arm alot of fighters at a cheap cost, it is the gun to get. But there are some pretty impressive weapons out there that put it to shame in regards to accuracy, firing rate etc.

Maybe say for it's time it was one of the best. That I can agree with.