The Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK) was included in the inventory of the USSR in 1949. The model turned out to be so much fitting that afterwards it had been produced without upgrades and modifications for more than 20 years. Later, a group of designers from ‘Izhevmash’ produced a version of this assault rifle with a metal unfolding buttstock, though in the baseline model they kept using the wooden one.
In a classical AK, a 7.62×39 mm round of 1943 is used. The length of the assault rifle together with a bayonet and the buttstock is 1076 mm. Fully equipped, but without ammunition, it weighs 4568 grams.
The development of this assault rifle started back in 1943, when the Soviet government received under Land Lease an American carbine M1 with 7.62 mm rounds. There was a lack of firearms, so the Peopleʼs Commissariat of Defence of the USSR decided to create an own assault rifle on the basis of the imported one. The main criterion was that the rounds are interchangeable, which is why their caliber remained the same, i.e. 7.62 mm.
In 1946, Mikhail Kalashnikov joined the project on the development of the new assault rifle. He already had some successful inventions, including a submachine gun. The model was rearranged almost completely. The experimental prototype was tested in the winter of 1947, but it was not in full compliance with the requirements of the customer. The issue of the accuracy of fire was supposed to be resolved.
Mikhail Kalashnikov performed the fine tuning of the assault rifle at ‘Izhevmash’, where a trial batch of assault rifles in the quantity of 1500 pieces was produced. They passed tests, and serial production of AK assault rifles was launched.
On the basis of the assault rifle, experimental models of firearms with certain technical characteristics have been produced for several decades for the needs of the armed forces as well as for hunting. In total, by the end of the 20th century over 70 million pieces of AK had been manufactured and commissioned in 50 countries of the World.
Since late 1950-ies AK became an unchanging element for taking an oath of enlistment for military service.
Mikhail Kalashnikov said many times that he was creating the assault rifle for the protection rather than for an attack, so in peace time the weapon must be kept under lock and key. He dreamt of living to see the time when his assault rifle is not needed any longer as well as other types of weapons. And, while this time was not coming, he kept on working on modifying his firearm.
AKʼs popularity in the Soviet Army was so high that soldiers themselves treated their assault rifle as a personal friend. Once Mikhail Kalashnikov was told a funny story about a soldier of the first year in service, who lost his way in a forest in Sakhalin. When found and asked if he was alone, the lad replied ‘No’ and pointed to his Kalashnikov assault rifle.
In a classical AK, a 7.62×39 mm round of 1943 is used. The length of the assault rifle together with a bayonet and the buttstock is 1076 mm. Fully equipped, but without ammunition, it weighs 4568 grams.
The development of this assault rifle started back in 1943, when the Soviet government received under Land Lease an American carbine M1 with 7.62 mm rounds. There was a lack of firearms, so the Peopleʼs Commissariat of Defence of the USSR decided to create an own assault rifle on the basis of the imported one. The main criterion was that the rounds are interchangeable, which is why their caliber remained the same, i.e. 7.62 mm.
In 1946, Mikhail Kalashnikov joined the project on the development of the new assault rifle. He already had some successful inventions, including a submachine gun. The model was rearranged almost completely. The experimental prototype was tested in the winter of 1947, but it was not in full compliance with the requirements of the customer. The issue of the accuracy of fire was supposed to be resolved.
Mikhail Kalashnikov performed the fine tuning of the assault rifle at ‘Izhevmash’, where a trial batch of assault rifles in the quantity of 1500 pieces was produced. They passed tests, and serial production of AK assault rifles was launched.
On the basis of the assault rifle, experimental models of firearms with certain technical characteristics have been produced for several decades for the needs of the armed forces as well as for hunting. In total, by the end of the 20th century over 70 million pieces of AK had been manufactured and commissioned in 50 countries of the World.
Since late 1950-ies AK became an unchanging element for taking an oath of enlistment for military service.
Mikhail Kalashnikov said many times that he was creating the assault rifle for the protection rather than for an attack, so in peace time the weapon must be kept under lock and key. He dreamt of living to see the time when his assault rifle is not needed any longer as well as other types of weapons. And, while this time was not coming, he kept on working on modifying his firearm.
AKʼs popularity in the Soviet Army was so high that soldiers themselves treated their assault rifle as a personal friend. Once Mikhail Kalashnikov was told a funny story about a soldier of the first year in service, who lost his way in a forest in Sakhalin. When found and asked if he was alone, the lad replied ‘No’ and pointed to his Kalashnikov assault rifle.
