How the AK-47 Rewrote the Rules of Modern Warfare

quad_red

Interesting Wired article on the AK-47.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/11/ff_ak47/all/1

Wicklowrider

quad_red wrote: »

Interesting Wired article on the AK-47.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/11/ff_ak47/all/1

Thanks for posting. I always thought the story that ex SGT Kalashnikov invented it was true, this article disputes that.

Zambia

STG 44

AK 47

Which came first eh? Basically my viewpiont is the germans came up with an idea and the russians regigged it and made the most prolific small arm worldwide.

Avgas

But isn't it more that the Russians copied the idea of Kurz short 7.92mm round....the receiver action of the AK47 some have argued copies something from the Browning 1911 pistol! There is a book: Michael Hodges. AK47: the story of the people's gun.

Stovepipe

Hi there,
the bolt in the AK is a very clever rotating bolt, ie, as it draws the empty out of the chamber, it rotates and lines up with the ejection stud, which flicks the cartridge out.The bolt also has a very short travel, so it can give a very high rate of fire.The gun can be field-stripped in seconds and is genuinely idiot-proof and rugged.I don't know how anyone claims that it has the same bolt operation as a Browning pistol.
regards
Stovepipe

harmoniums

Avgas wrote: »

But isn't it more that the Russians copied the idea of Kurz short 7.92mm round....the receiver action of the AK47 some have argued copies something from the Browning 1911 pistol! There is a book: Michael Hodges. AK47: the story of the people's gun.

The Tokarev TT33 pistol borrowed heavily from the 1911 design.
The AK? so totally different! A rotating bolt that locks to the trunnion that holds the barrel in place.
I really dont buy the comparisons with the STG44, first off the AK had a milled receiver originally, also the STG had a tilting bolt, more akin to the FAL

Avgas

ehh....yeah...a serving of humble pie is likely in order for Avgas.

I have to admit I think I got it wrong on the claim that he copied a Browning pistol design...what he did do (and what i read) was that sometime in the 1930s he got illegal access to an unspecified Browning pistol ...probably a 1922 or 1903 model/clone...and that is how he 'learned' about firearms.......but I thought the book I mentioned before also made a more specific link in terms of design features...can't find the reference now which suggest I've likely mashed it up....doaghh!:rolleyes:

Anyhow yes the association between a recoil operation pistol and the AK47 do not seem very credible I'll agree.......however, might it be that there is something in the trigger/hammer and safety/exit port that he copied?

He did according to this source copy from a Browning rifle design in part The Remington Model 8 (and weapons guru Tony Williams agrees mostly) and Kalashnikov himself admits he cog bits from the Garand.


http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/july2008/ak47.html

Mikhail Kalashnikov says his rifle was not based on the German StG44 assault rifle. But the AK-47 represents a combination of previous rifle innovations: the double locking lugs and unlocking raceway of the M1 Garand/M1 carbine; the trigger and safety mechanism of the Browning Remington Model 8 rifle; and the gas system and layout of the German StG44.

The relatively simple trigger/hammer mechanism is loosely based on the 1900's period Browning deigns (much like the most other modern assault rifles), and features a hammer with two sears - one main, mounted on the trigger extension, and one for the semi-automatic fire, that intercepts the hammer in the cocking position after the shot is fired and until the trigger is released


the idea of large clearances between bolt group and receiver walls, with minimum friction surfaces, was inspired by the Sudaev's AS-44, the safety / dust cover lever was copied from Browning designed Remington model 8 hunting rifle etc.

And BTW this puts paid to the notion that the AK47 was a simple copy of the Stg44.....it was inspired by that but blends/magpies from a variety of designs.

Apologies. Av.

firefly08

this article disputes that.

...but fails to reference any source whatsoever for this info. Ah...the internet

Avgas

If your interested Firefly, there was a reasonable discussion involving Tony Williams about the origins of the AK47 and whether or not it was a cog job or more original, on this site:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=74141

firefly08

I am interested - thanks for the link.

oregann

i know this is about the ak47, but i seen the stg above and had to say i fired one once, an i gota say its impressive, i mean thank god the germans didn't have that thing in mass production at the start of the war

concussion

Oh the other hand, if they did have that at the start, I wonder what the US/Russians would have developed to combat it!! And where would we be now with weapons design?