In 1949, the United States, Canada, and some European countries created the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO), one of the tasks of which was to prevent a Soviet invasion of Europe. In response, in 1955, the countries of the socialist commonwealth concluded the Warsaw Pact, which cemented commitments of joint defense.
The tense situation required weapons modernization, so Soviet designers developed a unified firearms system — the assault rifle and machine gun for the common caliber of 7.62 millimeters.
The caliber is the inside diameter of the bore of a firearm. In Russia, it is measured by the fields of grooves, and in some countries by the bottom, so the caliber and the actual size of a suitable cartridge sometimes diverge.
In March 1953, tactical and technical requirements for such unified models were formulated. The new assault rifle had to be lighter, easier and cheaper to produce than the popular AK-47, but at the same time not inferior to it in tactical and operational characteristics.
In 1955-1956, the designers German Korobov, Alexey Konstantinov, Sergey Simonov, Vladimir Degtyaryov, Georgy Garanin, and Mikhail Kalashnikov participated in the competition to design a new light assault rifle.
The Izhevsk machine-building plant upgraded the structural basis of the AK-47. The upgraded assault rifle received a stamped receiver. Its weight was reduced by about one kilogram compared to the AK-47. To improve the fire stability and accuracy, a trigger retarder and a compensator reducing recoil were added to the design. The weapon was equipped with a box magazine, and the Kalashnikov light machine gun additionally received a round one for 75 cartridges. All components, which could be assembled and disassembled in the army conditions, were made interchangeable: they could be switched from assault rifle to machine gun and back.
The first comparative tests were conducted at the end of 1956, and the second ones in summer 1957. The Konstantinov, Garanin, Simonov, and Degtyaryov samples dropped out of the competition at various stages. Korobov’s rifle proved to be more accurate, and Kalashnikov’s rifle proved to be more rugged and robust. In the fall of 1957, the lightweight Kalashnikov assault rifle was selected for the first production batch.
The design team presented a unified system that included an assault rifle and a light machine gun in several modifications, including those with folding stocks and the ability to install night vision scopes. On April 8, 1959, the Soviet Army adopted the AKM-based system.
The tense situation required weapons modernization, so Soviet designers developed a unified firearms system — the assault rifle and machine gun for the common caliber of 7.62 millimeters.
The caliber is the inside diameter of the bore of a firearm. In Russia, it is measured by the fields of grooves, and in some countries by the bottom, so the caliber and the actual size of a suitable cartridge sometimes diverge.
In March 1953, tactical and technical requirements for such unified models were formulated. The new assault rifle had to be lighter, easier and cheaper to produce than the popular AK-47, but at the same time not inferior to it in tactical and operational characteristics.
In 1955-1956, the designers German Korobov, Alexey Konstantinov, Sergey Simonov, Vladimir Degtyaryov, Georgy Garanin, and Mikhail Kalashnikov participated in the competition to design a new light assault rifle.
The Izhevsk machine-building plant upgraded the structural basis of the AK-47. The upgraded assault rifle received a stamped receiver. Its weight was reduced by about one kilogram compared to the AK-47. To improve the fire stability and accuracy, a trigger retarder and a compensator reducing recoil were added to the design. The weapon was equipped with a box magazine, and the Kalashnikov light machine gun additionally received a round one for 75 cartridges. All components, which could be assembled and disassembled in the army conditions, were made interchangeable: they could be switched from assault rifle to machine gun and back.
The first comparative tests were conducted at the end of 1956, and the second ones in summer 1957. The Konstantinov, Garanin, Simonov, and Degtyaryov samples dropped out of the competition at various stages. Korobov’s rifle proved to be more accurate, and Kalashnikov’s rifle proved to be more rugged and robust. In the fall of 1957, the lightweight Kalashnikov assault rifle was selected for the first production batch.
The design team presented a unified system that included an assault rifle and a light machine gun in several modifications, including those with folding stocks and the ability to install night vision scopes. On April 8, 1959, the Soviet Army adopted the AKM-based system.
