AK-47
|
|
|
| Weapon: | AK-47 |
| Country of Origin: | Russia, Egypt, Pakistan, Iran, China (Type 56), others |
| Original Designed Use: | Anti-personnel |
| Terrorist Use: | Anti-personnel |
| Max Effective Range: | 300 meters (point), 600 meters (area) |
| Destructive Power: | Armor piercing ammo penetrate 14mm mild steel at 25 meters. Standard ammo can penetrate 8mm of mild steel at 50 meters. |
| Caliber: | 7.62mm x 39mm |
| Length: | 870mm with fixed wooden stock |
| Weight: | 4.3 kg with empty magazine |
| Construction Materials: | Steel w/ wood or plastic stock |
| Sighting System: | Iron sights |
| Operating System: | Gas operated, selective fire |
| Rate of Fire: | 600 rounds per minute, standard 30 round magazine |
| Muzzle Velocity: | 715 meters per second / 2346 feet per second |
The AK-47 has become synonymous as the symbol of terrorism. It is the de facto logo of a terrorist group. Osama bi Laden won't be photographed without one by his side. In actuality it is widely used by more professional armies than it is by terrorists...nevertheless, thanks to its criminal popularity, and with the help of international cable news, it has become the most recognized weapon in the world and a symbol of terror.
It is beyond the scope of this webpage to discuss all of the many different variants of the AK-47, so therefore we will leave that discussion for another time and focus on the good old "AK" in its original version.
Simply put, the AK-47 is one of the best assault weapons ever built. Not the most accurate by far, but the best because it will work when others won't...mud, sand, water and grime have little effect on it. I can personally attest to its combat attributes as I carried one and fired one in combat when I served several tours in Afghanistan as a member of the U.S. Special Forces. I dug up an AK-47 that had been buried during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and fired two 30-round magazines that were buried with it on full auto with no malfunction. The weapon was protected only by a plastic tarp for 20+ years...it had not been preserved in oil or grease. I kept the same gun and carried it as a backup for 8 months. Proof enough for me that it is one of the all time best battle weapons ever made. My state-of-the-art U.S. issued M4 could not have done the same under those conditions, the magazines alone would have ceased to work after 20 years of being stored loaded.
"AK" stands for Avtomat Kalashnikov: Automatic Kalashnikov rifle, after Mikhail Kalashnikov. He is the Russian who designed it in 1944 after copying much of the German MP-44 assault rifle's design. The model "47" denotes the date that the Soviets adopted the weapon, but the majority of Soviet soldiers didn't get their hands on it until 1949.
The AK-47 was one of the first true assault rifles and, due to its durability, low production cost and ease of use, the weapon and its numerous variants remain the most widely used assault rifles in the world.
