In what year did the ak 47 assault rifle appear. Video: Modernized Kalashnikov assault rifle - AKM. Muzzle velocity of the bullet

Kalashnikov assault rifle AK-47, produced in 1947-1949, in the documents of those years had the designation "AK-47", later replaced by "AK"

Kalashnikov assault rifle AK, 1949-1954

Kalashnikov assault rifle AK, 1954-1959

Kalashnikov assault rifles AKS (assault rifle with folding butt)

Kalashnikov assault rifle AKS, 1954-1959

Before moving on to the history of the creation of the Kalashnikov assault rifle and a description of its design, one should decide on some points of terminology. With regard to AK, the most technically correct term would be "automatic carbine", that is, an automatic rifle with reduced weight and dimensions. Or the term "assault rifle" (German Sturmgewehr or English Assault rifle), introduced by Adolf Hitler as the name of the Henel automatic carbine designed by Hugo Schmeisser, which was subsequently given the designation Stg.44. The term "assault rifle" had a propaganda meaning, however, it has become widespread throughout the world in relation to all individual small arms automatic weapons chambered for an intermediate cartridge. The term "automatic", introduced in the USSR and used to refer to the Fedorov automatic rifle and even the PPSh-41 submachine gun, is in circulation only in the Russian Federation and in the so-called "post-Soviet space". At the same time, along with the designation of weapons, in colloquial speech, this term is applied to such electronic-mechanical devices as a coffee machine and a gaming machine, while the term "automatic carbine" corresponds much more accurately and describes a certain class of automatic weapons.

Development and production (official version)

The decision to start design work on the creation of a new weapon-cartridge complex, which resulted in the adoption of the Kalashnikov automatic carbine into service by the USSR, was made on July 15, 1943 at a meeting of the Technical Council under the USSR People's Commissariat of Defense, based on the results of studying the captured German automatic carbine MKb.42 ( H), which was the prototype of the future Stg.44, under the world's first mass intermediate cartridge 7.92x33 and the American self-loading carbine M1 Carbine under 7.62x33.

The new model was supposed to conduct effective fire at ranges of the order of 400 meters and shoot an intermediate, between a rifle and a pistol in terms of power, a cartridge, which exceeded the corresponding indicator of submachine guns and was not much inferior to weapons for excessively heavy, powerful and expensive rifle and machine gun ammunition. This allowed him to successfully replace the entire arsenal of individual small arms in service with the Red Army, which used pistol and rifle cartridges and included Shpagin and Sudaev submachine guns, a Mosin magazine non-automatic rifle and several models of magazine carbines based on it, a Tokarev self-loading rifle, and also machine guns of various systems.

The first samples of the new cartridge were created by OKB-44 already one month after the meeting, and its pilot production began in March 1944. It is noteworthy that neither domestic nor Western researchers found any real confirmation of the version that had been in circulation at one time, which said, that this cartridge was completely or partially copied from earlier German experimental developments (in particular, they called the Geco cartridge of 7.62 × 38.5 mm caliber).

In November 1943, drawings and specifications for a new 7.62 mm intermediate cartridge designed by N.M. Elizarova and B.V. Semin were sent to all organizations involved in the development of a new weapon complex. At this stage, it had a caliber of 7.62x41 mm, but was subsequently redesigned, and quite significantly, during which the caliber was changed to 7.62x39 mm.

A new set of weapons under a single intermediate cartridge was supposed to include a machine gun (automatic carbine), as well as self-loading (non-automatic) magazine carbines and a light machine gun. Subsequently, the development of a magazine carbine was discontinued due to the obvious obsolescence of the concept. However, the SKS self-loading carbine was not produced for long (until the beginning of the 1950s) due to the relatively low manufacturability with lower combat qualities than the machine gun, and the Degtyarev RPD machine gun was subsequently (1961) replaced by a different model, widely unified with a machine gun - RPK.

As for the development of the automatic carbine itself, it went through several stages and included whole line competitions in which a large number of systems of various designers. In 1944, according to the test results, the AC-44 designed by A.I. was selected for further development. Sudayev. It was finalized and released in a small series, military tests of which were carried out in the spring and summer of next year at the GSVG, as well as in a number of units on the territory of the USSR. Despite positive reviews, the army leadership demanded a reduction in the mass of weapons.

The sudden death of Sudayev interrupted the further progress of work on this model, so in 1946 another round of tests was carried out, which, among others, included Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov, who by that time had already created several rather interesting weapon designs - in particular, two pistols - machine gun, one of which had a very original semi-free shutter braking system, a light machine gun and a self-loading carbine powered by cartridge packs, which lost the Simonov carbine in the competition. In November of the same year, his project was approved for the manufacture of a prototype, and a month later, the first version of the Kalashnikov experimental automatic carbine, now sometimes conventionally referred to as the AK-46, was manufactured at an arms factory in the city of Kovrov, along with the samples of Bulkin and Dementiev, was submitted for testing. .

It is curious that this model, developed in 1946, did not have many of the features of the future Kalashnikov assault rifle, which are often criticized in our time. His cocking handle was located on the left, not on the right, instead of the fuse-translator located on the right, there were separate flag fuses and a translator of types of fire, and the body of the firing mechanism was made folding down and forward on a hairpin. However, the military from the selection committee demanded that the cocking handle be placed on the right, since it (the AK cocking handle), located on the left, with some methods of carrying weapons or moving around the battlefield, crawled against the body of the shooter, and also to combine the fuse with the translator of types of fire into a single knot and place it on the right to completely spare left side receiver from any tangible protrusions.

According to the results of the second round of the competition, the first Kalashnikov automatic carbine was declared unsuitable for further development. However, Kalashnikov managed to challenge this decision, obtaining permission to further refine the AK-46, in which he was helped by acquaintance with a number of commission members with whom he had served together since 1943, and received permission to refine the machine gun. For this purpose, he returned to Kovrov, where, together with the designer of the Kovrov Plant No. 2, A. Zaitsev, as soon as possible actually developed a new automatic carbine, and for a number of reasons it can be concluded that elements (including the arrangement of key nodes) borrowed from other samples submitted for the competition or simply pre-existing samples were widely used in its design.

So, the design of the bolt frame with a rigidly attached gas piston, the general layout of the receiver and the placement of the return spring with the guide, the protrusion of which was used to lock the receiver cover, were copied from Bulkin's experimental machine gun that also participated in the competition; USM (with minor improvements), judging by the design, could be “peeped” from the Holek rifle (according to another version, it goes back to the development of John Browning, which was also used in the M1 Garand rifle; these versions, however, are not mutually exclusive), the fuse-mode selector lever fire, which also acts as a dust cover for the shutter window, was very reminiscent of that of the Remington 8 rifle, and a similar “hanging out” of the bolt group inside the receiver with minimal friction areas and large gaps was typical for the Sudaev assault rifle.

Although formally the conditions of the competition did not allow the authors of the systems to familiarize themselves with the designs of competitors participating in it and make significant changes to the design of the submitted samples (that is, theoretically, the commission could not allow the new prototype of the Kalashnikov assault rifle to further participate in the competition), it still cannot be considered something something that goes beyond the norms - firstly, when creating new weapon systems, “quotes” from other samples are not at all uncommon, and secondly, such borrowings in the USSR at that time were not only generally not forbidden, but even encouraged , which is explained not only by the presence of specific ("socialist") patent legislation, but also by quite pragmatic considerations of adopting the best model in conditions of constant lack of time with a very real military threat.

There is even an opinion that most of the changes and adopted constructive solutions Kalashnikov assault rifles were almost directly due to the TTT (tactical and technical requirements) put forward by the commission based on the results of earlier stages of the TTT competition (tactical and technical requirements) for new weapons, that is, in fact, they were imposed as the most acceptable from their point of view by the military, which partly confirms the fact that the systems of Kalashnikov's competitors in their final versions used very similar design solutions.

It is also worth noting that, in itself, borrowing successful solutions cannot guarantee the success of the design as a whole, however, Kalashnikov and Zaitsev managed to create such a design, and in the shortest possible time, which in principle cannot be achieved by any compilation of ready-made units and design solutions. Moreover, there is an opinion that copying successful and well-performed technical solutions is one of the conditions for creating any successful weapon model, in particular, allowing the designer not to "reinvent the wheel".

According to some sources, in the development of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, the AK-47 also took Active participation head of the research range for small arms and mortar weapons of the GAU (where the AK-46 was “rejected”) V.F. Lyuty, who later became the head of the field tests in 1947.

One way or another, in the winter of 1946-1947, for the next round of the competition, along with also quite significantly improved, but not undergoing such radical changes, the samples of Dementiev (KBP-520) and Bulkin (TKB-415) Kalashnikov presented an actually new design (KBP-580 ), which had little in common with the previous version.

As a result of the tests, it was found that not a single sample meets the tactical and technical requirements in full: the Kalashnikov assault rifle turned out to be the most reliable, but at the same time it had unsatisfactory accuracy of fire, and the TKB-415, on the contrary, met the requirements for accuracy, but had problems with reliability. Ultimately, the choice of the commission was made in favor of the Kalashnikov sample, and it was decided to postpone bringing its accuracy to the required values ​​for the future. Given the current situation in the world at that time, such a decision looks quite justified, since it allowed the army to real terms re-equip with modern and reliable, although not the most accurate, weapons, which was preferable to a reliable and accurate model, but it is not known when. At the end of 1947, Mikhail Timofeevich was seconded to Izhevsk, where it was decided to begin production of the AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle.

According to the results military trials the first batches produced in mid-1948, in mid-1949, two versions of the Kalashnikov design were adopted under the designations "7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifle" and "7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifle with a folding butt" (abbreviated designations - AK- 47 and AKS-47, respectively). Thus, the year of manufacture of the AK-47 can be considered 1948. AKS (GRAU Index - 56-A-212M) - a version of the Kalashnikov assault rifle with a folding metal butt, intended for airborne troops. It was originally produced with a stamped receiver, and since 1951 - milled due to the high percentage of marriage during stamping.

One of the main problems faced by the developers during the deployment of mass production of the Kalashnikov assault rifle was the stamping technology used to manufacture the receiver. The first releases of the AK-47 had a receiver made of a fairly large number of sheet forgings and parts milled from forgings.

In 1953, a high rejection rate forced a switch to milling technology. At the same time, a number of measures made it possible not only to prevent an increase in the mass of weapons, but also to reduce it relative to samples with a stamped receiver, so the new AK-47 model was designated as "Lightweight 7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK)". In addition to the modified design of the receiver, it was also distinguished by the presence of stiffeners on the stores (early stores had smooth walls), the possibility of adjoining a bayonet (an early version of the weapon was adopted without a bayonet) and a number of other, smaller details.

In subsequent years, the design of the Kalashnikov assault rifle was also continuously improved. The development team noted "low reliability, weapon failures when used in extreme climatic and extreme conditions, low accuracy of fire, insufficiently high performance" of serial samples of early models.

The appearance in the early 1950s of the TKB-517 submachine gun designed by German Korobov, which had a lower mass, better accuracy, and also cheaper, led to the development of tactical and technical requirements for a new machine gun (automatic carbine) and a light machine gun as unified as possible with it. The corresponding competitive tests, for which Mikhail Timofeevich presented a modernized model of an automatic carbine and a machine gun based on it, took place in 1957-1958. As a result, the commission gave its preference to the Kalashnikov models, as they had greater reliability, and were also sufficiently familiar to the arms industry and the troops, and in 1959 the "7.62-mm modernized Kalashnikov assault rifle" (abbreviated as AKM) was put into service.

AKM (Kalashnikov Modernized, Index GRAU - 6P1) - modernization of the AK-47, adopted in 1959. In AKM, the aiming range has been increased to 1000 m, changes have been made to improve reliability and ease of use.

The AKM receiver is made of stamped, due to which the weight of the weapon is reduced. The butt is raised up to bring the point of emphasis of the machine to the line of fire. Changes have been made to the trigger mechanism - a trigger retarder has been added, thanks to which the trigger is released a few milliseconds later during automatic firing. This delay has practically no effect on the rate of fire, it only allows the bolt carrier to stabilize in the extreme forward position before the next shot. The improvements had a positive effect on accuracy, especially (almost by a third) the vertical dispersion decreased compared to the AK-47 assault rifle.

The muzzle of the AKM barrel has a thread on which a removable muzzle compensator in the form of a petal (the so-called "tray compensator") is installed, designed to compensate for the "pull" of the aiming point up and to the right when firing bursts due to the use of pressure from the powder gases escaping from the barrel to the lower compensator protrusion. Silencers PBS or PBS-1 can be installed on the same thread instead of a compensator, for the use of which it is necessary to use 7.62US cartridges with a subsonic muzzle velocity. Also on the AKM, it became possible to install the GP-25 “Koster” underbarrel grenade launcher.

AKMS (Index GRAU - 6P4) - AKM variant with a folding stock. The butt mounting system was changed relative to the AKS (it folded down and forward, under the receiver). The modification is designed specifically for paratroopers. AKMN (6P1N) - variant with night sight. AKMSN (6P4N) - modification of AKMN with a folding metal butt.

In the 1970s, following the NATO countries, the USSR followed the path of transferring small arms to low-pulse cartridges with reduced-caliber bullets to facilitate portable ammunition (for 8 magazines, a 5.45 mm caliber cartridge saves 1.4 kg in weight) and reduce , as it was believed, "excessive" power of the 7.62-mm cartridge. In 1974, a weapon complex chambered for 5.45 × 39 mm was adopted, consisting of an AK-74 and an RPK-74 light machine gun, and later (1979) supplemented by a small-sized AKS-74U, created for use in a niche, which in Western armies were occupied by submachine guns, and in recent years - by the so-called PDW. The production of AKM in the USSR was curtailed, but this model remains in service to this day.

First combat use of the AK-47

The first case of mass combat use of the Kalashnikov assault rifle on the world stage occurred on November 1, 1956, during the suppression of the uprising in Hungary. Until that moment, the AK-47 assault rifle was hidden from prying eyes in every possible way: the soldiers wore it in special covers that concealed the outlines, and after firing, all the shells were carefully collected. AK-47 has proven itself well in urban combat.

The design and principle of operation of the AK-47

AK-47 consists of the following main parts and mechanisms: barrel with receiver, sights and stock; detachable receiver cover; bolt carrier with gas piston; gate; return mechanism; gas tube with handguard; trigger mechanism; handguard; score; bayonet. There are approximately 95 parts in the AK.

The principle of operation of the AK-47 automation is based on the use of the energy of powder gases discharged through the upper hole in the barrel wall, with a long stroke of the gas piston. The barrel bore is locked by turning the bolt around the longitudinal axis clockwise by two radial lugs included in the special cutouts of the receiver, which achieves the locking of the bore before firing. The rotation of the shutter is provided by the interaction of the protrusion on its body with a figured groove on the inner surface of the shutter frame.

Barrel and receiver

The AK-47 barrel bore has 4 grooves, winding from left-up-right, the barrel was made of gun-grade steel.

In the wall of the barrel, closer to its muzzle, there is a gas outlet. Near the muzzle, the base of the front sight is fixed on the barrel, and on the side of the breech it has a chamber with smooth walls, designed to accommodate the cartridge when fired. The muzzle of the barrel has a left-hand thread for screwing the sleeve when firing blanks.

The stem is attached to receiver motionless, without the possibility of quick change in the field.

The receiver is used to connect the parts and mechanisms of the AK-47 into a single structure, to place the bolt group and set the nature of its movement, to ensure that the barrel bore is closed by the bolt and the bolt is locked; also inside it is placed the trigger mechanism.

The receiver consists of two parts: the receiver itself and a detachable cover located on top, which protects the mechanism from damage and contamination.

Inside the receiver has four guides that set the movement of the bolt group - two upper and two lower. The lower left guide also carries a reflective protrusion.

In front of the receiver there are cutouts for which the bolt is locked, the rear walls of which are, therefore, lugs. The right combat stop also serves to guide the movement of the cartridge fed from the right row of the AK-47 magazine. On the left is a part similar in purpose, which is not a combat stop.

The first batches of AK-47s had, in accordance with the assignment, a stamped receiver with a forged barrel liner. However, the available technology did not allow then to achieve the required rigidity, and the rejection rate was unacceptably high. As a result, in the mass production of the AK-47, cold stamping was initially replaced by milling a box from a solid forging, which caused an increase in the cost of production of weapons. Subsequently, during the transition to AKM, technological issues were resolved, and the receiver again acquired a mixed design.

The massive all-steel receiver gives the weapon high (especially in the early milled version) strength and reliability, especially in comparison with the fragile light-alloy receivers of weapons of the type american rifle M16, but at the same time makes it heavier, making it difficult to upgrade.

bolt group

It consists mainly of a bolt carrier with a gas piston, the bolt itself, an ejector and a striker.

The AK-47 bolt group is located in the receiver "hung", moving along the guides in its upper part as if on rails. Such a “hung” position of moving parts in the receiver with relatively large gaps ensures reliable operation of the system even with heavy contamination.

The bolt frame serves to actuate the bolt and trigger mechanism. It is fixedly connected to the gas piston rod, which is directly affected by the pressure of the powder gases removed from the barrel, which ensures the operation of the weapon's automation. The reloading handle of the weapon is located on the right and is made as a single unit with the bolt carrier.

The shutter has a close to cylindrical shape and two massive lugs, which, when the shutter is turned, enter into special cutouts in the receiver, which locks the barrel bore for firing. In addition, the shutter, with its longitudinal movement, feeds the next cartridge from the magazine before firing, for which there is a protrusion of the rammer in its lower part.

Also, an ejector mechanism is attached to the bolt, designed to remove a spent cartridge case or cartridge from the chamber in the event of a misfire. It consists of an ejector, its axis, a spring and a limiter pin.

To return the bolt group to the extreme forward position, a return mechanism is used, consisting of a return spring and a guide, which in turn consists of a guide tube, a guide rod included in it and a coupling. The rear stop of the guide rod of the return spring enters the groove of the receiver and serves as a latch for the stamped receiver cover.

The mass of moving parts of the AK-47 is about 520 grams. Thanks to a powerful gas engine, they come to the extreme rear position at a high speed of the order of 3.5-4 m / s, which in many respects ensures the high reliability of the weapon, but reduces the accuracy of the battle due to the strong shaking of the weapon and powerful impacts of moving parts in the extreme provisions. The moving parts of the AK-74 are lighter - the bolt carrier and bolt assembly weighs 477 grams, of which 405 grams are for the bolt carrier and 72 grams for the bolt. The lightest moving parts in the AK family are in the shortened AKS-74U: its bolt carrier weighs about 370 grams (due to the shortening of the gas piston), and their combined mass with the bolt is about 440 grams.

trigger mechanism

Hammer type, with a hammer rotating on the axis and a U-shaped mainspring made of triple twisted wire.

The trigger mechanism of the AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle allows continuous and single fire. A single rotary part performs the functions of a fire mode switch (translator) and a double-acting safety lever: in the safety position, it locks the trigger, the sear of single and continuous fire and prevents the bolt frame from moving backwards, partially blocking the longitudinal groove between the receiver and its cover. In this case, the moving parts can be pulled back to check the chamber, but their movement is not enough to send the next cartridge into the chamber.

All parts of the automation and trigger mechanism are compactly assembled inside the receiver, thus playing the role of both the receiver and the trigger housing.

The "classic" USM AK-shaped weapon has three axes - for the self-timer, for the trigger and for the trigger. Civilian variants that do not fire bursts usually do not have a self-timer axis.

Score

Shop AK - box-shaped, sector type, two-row, 30 rounds. It consists of a body, a locking plate, a cover, a spring and a feeder.

The AK-47 and AKM had magazines with stamped steel cases. There were also plastic ones. Large taper of the 7.62 mm cartridge case mod. 1943 of the year led to their unusually large bend, which became a characteristic feature of the appearance of the weapon. For the AK-74 family, a plastic magazine was introduced (originally polycarbonate, then glass-filled polyamide), only the folds ("sponges") in its upper part remained metal.

Shops of Kalashnikov assault rifles are distinguished by high reliability of feeding cartridges, even when they are filled to the maximum. Thick metal "sponges" at the top of even plastic magazines provide a reliable supply and are very tenacious with rough handling - a design subsequently copied by a number of foreign firms for their products.

In addition to the regular 30-round magazines for an assault rifle, there are also machine-gun magazines, which, if necessary, can also be used for firing from a machine gun: for 40 (sector) or 75 (drum-type) rounds of 7.62 mm caliber and for 45 rounds of 5.45 caliber mm. If we take into account also stores foreign production, created for various variants of the Kalashnikov system (including for the civilian weapons market), then the number of different options will be at least several dozen, with a capacity of 10 to 100 rounds.

The magazine mount is characterized by the absence of a developed neck - the magazine is simply inserted into the receiver window, catching a protrusion behind it Front edge, and secured with a latch.

sighting device

The AK-47 sighting device consists of a sight and a front sight. Sight - sector type, with the location of the aiming block in the middle of the weapon. The sight is calibrated up to 800 m (starting with AKM - up to 1000 m) in increments of 100 m, in addition, it has a division marked with the letter "P", indicating a direct shot and corresponding to a range of 350 m. The rear sight is located on the neck of the sight and has a rectangular slot forms.

The front sight is located at the muzzle of the barrel, on a massive triangular base, with the “wings” of which it is covered from the sides. While bringing the machine to normal combat, the front sight can be screwed in / unscrewed to raise / lower the mid point of impact, and also moved left / right to deviate the mid point of impact horizontally.

On some modifications of Kalashnikov assault rifles, if necessary, it is possible to install an optical or night sight on the side bracket.

Bayonet knife

The bayonet-knife is designed to defeat the enemy in close combat, for which it can be attached to the AK-47 assault rifle, or used as a knife. The bayonet-knife is put on with a ring on the barrel sleeve, fastened with protrusions on the gas chamber, and with a latch it engages with the ramrod stop. Being unlocked from the weapon, the bayonet-knife is worn in a sheath on a waist belt.

Initially, a relatively long (200 mm blade) detachable blade-type bayonet-knife with two blades and a fuller was adopted for the AK-47.

When the AKM was adopted, a short (150 mm blade) detachable bayonet-knife (type 1) was introduced, which had expanded functionality in terms of household use. Instead of a second blade, he received a saw, and in combination with a scabbard, he could be used to cut barbed wire obstacles, including those under tension. Also, the upper part of the handle is made of metal. The bayonet can be inserted into the sheath and used as a hammer. There are two variants of this bayonet that differ mainly in the device.

A late version of the same bayonet (type 2) is also used on weapons of the AK-74 family. The quality of the metal used in the bayonet is somewhat inferior to foreign analogues of such well-known American companies as SOG, Cold Steel, Gerber.

From foreign variants, a Chinese clone of the AK-47 - Type 56 is notable for the use of a non-removable folding needle bayonet.

Belonging to AK-47

Designed for disassembly, assembly, cleaning and lubrication of the machine. Consists of a ramrod, wiping, a brush, a screwdriver with a punch, a storage case and an oil can. The body and cover of the case are used as auxiliary tools for cleaning and lubricating the weapon. It is stored in a special cavity inside the butt, with the exception of models with a folding frame shoulder rest, in which it is worn in a bag for magazines.

The accuracy of the battle and the effectiveness of fire

The accuracy of the battle was not originally a strong point of the AK-47. Already during the military tests of its prototypes, it was noted that with the greatest of the reliability systems submitted for the competition, required by the conditions of accuracy, the design of the Kalashnikov assault rifle did not provide (like all the designs presented to one degree or another). Thus, according to this parameter, even by the standards of the mid-1940s, the AK-47 was clearly not an outstanding example. Nevertheless, reliability (in general, here reliability is a complex performance characteristics: reliability, shot to failure, guaranteed resource, actual resource, resource of individual parts and assemblies, persistence, mechanical strength, etc., according to which the AK-47 assault rifle, by the way, is the best even now) was recognized as paramount at that time, and it was decided to postpone the fine-tuning of accuracy to the required parameters for the future.

Further weapon upgrades, such as the introduction of various muzzle compensators and the transition to a low-impulse cartridge, really had a positive effect on the accuracy (and accuracy) of firing from a machine gun. So, for AKM, the total median deviation at a distance of 800 m is already 64 cm (vertical) and 90 cm (in width), and for AK74 - 48 cm (vertical) and 64 cm (in width). The range of a direct shot at the chest figure is 350 m.

AK-47 allows you to hit with one bullet following goals(for the best shooters, prone from rest, single fire):

head figure - 100 m;

waist figure and running figure - 300 m;

To hit a target of the “running figure” type at a distance of 800 m under the same conditions, 4 rounds are required when firing with a single fire, and 9 rounds when firing in short bursts.

Naturally, these results were obtained during firing at the range, under conditions very different from real combat (however, the test methodology was created by professional military people, which implies confidence in their conclusions).

Assembly and disassembly

Partial disassembly of the AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle is carried out for cleaning, lubrication and inspection in the following order:

• magazine separation and checking the absence of a cartridge in the chamber;
• removal of a pencil case with accessories (for AK-47 - from the butt, for AKS - from the pocket of a shopping bag);
• ramrod compartment;
• separation of the receiver cover;
• extraction of the return mechanism;
• separation of the shutter frame with the shutter;
• separation of the bolt from the bolt carrier;
• branch of the gas tube with a handguard.

Assembly after partial disassembly is carried out in the reverse order.

Patent Status

Izhmash calls all AK-like models produced outside of Russia counterfeit, however, there is no evidence that Kalashnikov registered copyright certificates for his assault rifle: some certificates are exhibited at the M. T. Kalashnikov Museum and Exhibition Complex of Small Arms (Izhevsk) issued to him in different years with the wording "for an invention in the field of military equipment" without any accompanying documents to establish the presence or absence of their connection with the AK-47. Even if the author's certificate for the AK-47 assault rifle was issued to Kalashnikov, it is worth noting that the terms of patent protection for the original design developed in the forties have long expired.

Some of the improvements introduced in the AK-74 and AK "hundredth series" are protected by a Eurasian patent from 1997, owned by Izhmash.

Differences from the basic AK described in the patent include:

• folding butt with locks for combat and traveling position;
• a gas piston rod mounted in a hole in the bolt carrier with a threaded clearance;
• a pocket for a pencil case with accessories, formed by stiffening ribs inside the butt and closed with a spring-loaded swivel lid;
• a gas tube spring-loaded relative to the sight block in the direction of the muzzle;
• changed geometry of the transition from the field to the bottom of the rifling in the rifled part of the barrel.

Production and use of the AK-47 outside of Russia

The government of the USSR willingly supplied machine guns to everyone who, at least in words, declared their commitment to the "cause of socialism." As a result, in some Third World countries, the AK-47 is cheaper than live chicken. It can be seen in reports from almost any hot spot peace. AK-47 is in service with the regular armies of more than fifty countries of the world, as well as many informal groupings including terrorist ones. In addition, "fraternal countries" received licenses for the production of AK-47 free of charge, for example, Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, China, Poland, North Korea and Yugoslavia.

In the 1950s, licenses for the production of AK-47s were transferred by the USSR to 18 countries (mainly the Warsaw Pact allies). At the same time, twelve more states launched the production of Kalashnikov assault rifles without a license. The number of countries in which the AK-47 was produced without a license in small batches, and even more so handicraft, cannot be counted. To date, according to Rosoboronexport, the licenses of all states that previously received them have already expired, however, production continues. Particularly active in producing clones of the Kalashnikov assault rifle are the Polish company Bumar and the Bulgarian company Arsenal, which has now opened a branch in the United States and launched the production of assault rifles there. The production of AK-47 clones is deployed in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. According to very rough estimates, there are from 70 to 105 million copies of various modifications of Kalashnikov assault rifles in the world. They are adopted by the armies of 55 countries of the world.

In some of the states that had previously received licenses for the production of the AK-47, it was manufactured in a slightly modified form. So, in the modification of the AK, produced in Yugoslavia, Romania and some other countries, there was an additional pistol-type grip under the forearm to hold the weapon. Other minor changes were also made - the bayonet mounts, the materials of the forearm and butt, and the finish were changed. There are cases when two machine guns were connected on a special home-made mount, and an installation similar to double-barreled air defense machine guns was obtained. In the GDR, a training modification of the AK chambered for .22LR was produced. In addition, many models of military weapons have been created on the basis of the AK-47 - from carbines to sniper rifles. Some of these designs are factory conversions of the original AK-47s.

Many of the AK-47 copies are in turn also copied (licensed or not) with some modifications by other manufacturers, resulting in quite different systems from the original sample, for example, the Vektor CR-21 - a South African automatic carbine with a bullpup layout, created on the basis of the Vektor R4, which is a copy of the Israeli Galil - a licensed copy of the Finnish Valmet Rk 62, which in turn is a licensed version of the AK-47.

In countries with liberal gun laws (first of all, in the USA), various versions of the Kalashnikov system are very popular as civilian weapons.

In the US, all AK-like weapons are known under common name"AK-47" ("hey-kay-foti-sevn"). The first copies of the Kalashnikov assault rifle came to the United States along with soldiers returning from Vietnam. Since in those years the possession of automatic (firing bursts) weapons in the United States was allowed to civilians, subsequently many of them were officially registered with all the necessary formalities.

The Gun Control Act adopted in 1968 prohibited the import of civilian automatic weapons, but thanks to a number of loopholes in the legislation, the sale of automatic weapons assembled in the United States remained possible. In addition, the import of self-loading variants based on AK was not limited to anything.

In 1986, an amendment to the same decree (the so-called Firearm Owners Protection Act) banned not only the import, but also the sale of automatic weapons to civilians, as well as their production for the purpose of such sale; this regulation, however, does not apply to weapons registered before 1986, which can be legally acquired with an appropriate license, and with an appropriate level dealer license (Class III Dealer) - and sold. Thus, in the United States, there are still a certain number of military-style Kalashnikov assault rifles in the hands of civilians, capable of firing in bursts.

Subsequently, a number of regulations were also adopted (1989 Semi-Automatic Rifle Import Ban, 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban), which specifically prohibited the import of any AK-like weapon, with the exception of specifically modified options, such as the Russian "Saiga" of some modifications, with a rifle butt instead of a pistol handles and other design changes. These additional restrictions have now been lifted due to the expiration of these regulations.

In other countries, in the vast majority of cases, civilian possession of automatic weapons, if allowed by law, is only as an exception by special permission, or for the purpose of collecting.

AK-47 at the moment

As the weapon became obsolete, its shortcomings began to appear more and more, both characteristic of it initially and identified over time due to changes in the requirements for small arms and the nature of hostilities. At the present time, even the latest modifications of the AK-47 are generally outdated weapons, with virtually no reserves for significant modernization. The general obsolescence of weapons also determines many of its specific significant shortcomings.

First of all, there is a significant mass of weapons by modern standards, due to the widespread use of steel parts in its design. At the same time, the Kalashnikov assault rifle itself cannot be called unnecessarily heavy, however, any attempts to significantly modernize it - for example, lengthening and weighting the barrel to increase shooting accuracy, not to mention the installation of additional sights - inevitably take its mass beyond the limits acceptable for army weapons , which is well shown by the experience of creating and operating the Saiga and Vepr hunting carbines, as well as RPK machine guns. Attempts to lighten the weapon while maintaining an all-steel structure (that is, the existing production technology) also lead to an unacceptable decrease in its service life, which partly proves the negative experience of operating early batches of AK-74, the rigidity of the receivers of which turned out to be insufficient and required strengthening of the structure - that is , here the limit has already been reached and there are no reserves for modernization. In addition, in the AK-47, the shutter is locked through the cutouts of the receiver liner, and not the barrel process, as in more modern models, which does not allow the receiver to be made of lighter and more technologically advanced, although less durable materials. Two lugs are also a simple, but not optimal solution - even the SVD rifle bolt has three lugs, which provide more uniform locking and a smaller angle of rotation of the bolt, not to mention modern Western designs, for which we are usually talking about at least six bolt lugs.

A significant disadvantage in modern conditions is a collapsible receiver with a detachable lid. This design makes it impossible to mount modern types of sights (collimator, optical, night) that use Weaver or Picatinny rails: placing a heavy sight on a removable receiver cover is useless due to its significant structural play. As a result, AK-like weapons for the most part allow the installation of only a limited number of models of sights that use a dovetail-type side bracket, which also shifts the center of gravity of the weapon to the left and does not allow the stock to be folded on those models where this is provided for by the design. The only exceptions are rare variants such as the Polish Beryl assault rifle, which has a separate pedestal for the aiming bar, which is fixedly attached to the bottom of the receiver, or the South African assault rifle Vektor CR21, which has a collimator sight located on a bar attached to the base of the sight, standard for the AK-47 - with this arrangement, it turns out to be just in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe shooter's eyes. The first decision in enough palliatively, significantly complicates the assembly and disassembly of weapons, and also increases their bulkiness and weight; the second is only suitable for weapons made according to the bullpup scheme. On the other hand, it is precisely due to the presence of a removable receiver cover that the assembly and disassembly of the AK is carried out quickly and conveniently, and this also provides excellent access to the details of the weapon when cleaning it.

At present, there are other, more successful solutions to this problem. So, on the AK-12, as well as on the hunting carbines of the Saiga system, the receiver cover is made leaning up and down on a hinge, which allows the installation of modern sighting bars (on the AK-12 and "tactical" versions of the "Saiga" this solution is already applied) without compromising access to weapon mechanisms.

All parts of the trigger mechanism are compactly assembled inside the receiver, thus playing the role of both the bolt box and the body of the trigger mechanism (trigger box). By modern standards, this is a drawback of the weapon, since in more modern systems (and even in the relatively old Soviet SVD and the American M16), the USM is usually made in the form of a separate easily removable unit that can be quickly replaced to obtain various modifications (self-loading, with the ability to fire in bursts fixed length, and so on), and in the case of the M16 platform, and upgrading weapons by installing a new receiver unit on the existing USM unit (for example, to switch to a new caliber of ammunition), which is a very economical solution.

To speak of a deeper degree of modularity characteristic of many modern small arms systems - for example, the use of quick-change barrels of various lengths - in relation to the AK-47, including even its most recent modifications, all the more so.

The high reliability of the family of Kalashnikov assault rifles, or rather, the methods used in its design to achieve it, is at the same time the cause of its significant drawbacks. The increased momentum of the gas exhaust mechanism, coupled with the gas piston fixed to the bolt frame and large gaps between all parts, on the one hand, leads to the fact that the automatic weapons work flawlessly even with heavy pollution (contamination is literally "blown" out of the receiver when fired), - on the other hand, large gaps during the movement of the bolt group lead to the appearance of multidirectional lateral impulses that displace the weapon from the aiming line, while the bolt carrier, which comes to the extreme rear position at a speed of the order of 5 m / s (for comparison, for systems with more " soft" operation of automation even on initial stage the shutter moving back, this speed usually does not exceed 4 m / s), guarantees the strongest shaking of the weapon during firing, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of automatic fire. According to some of the available estimates, the weapons of the AK family are generally not suitable for effective aimed fire in bursts. This is also the reason for the relatively large slide overrun, and, consequently, the greater length of the receiver, to the detriment of the length of the barrel while maintaining the overall dimensions of the weapon. On the other hand, the AK bolt run-out occurs completely inside the receiver, without using the butt cavity, which allows the latter to be folded, reducing the dimensions of the weapon when carried.

Other shortcomings are less radical, and can be characterized more as individual features of the sample.

As one of the shortcomings of the AK-47 associated with the design of its trigger, the inconvenient location of the translator-fuse is often called (on the right side of the receiver, under the cutout for the cocking handle) and a clear click when the weapon is removed from the protection, unmasking the shooter before opening fire. On many foreign versions (Tantalum, Valmet, Galil) and on the AEK-971 assault rifle, an additional translator-fuse has been introduced, conveniently located on the left, which can significantly improve the ergonomics of the weapon. The AK release is considered to be quite tight, but it is noted that this is completely corrected by a simple skill.

The cocking handle located on the right is often attributed to the shortcomings of the AK family. Such an arrangement of it was at one time adopted on the basis of quite practical considerations: the handle located on the left, when carrying the weapon “on the chest” and crawling, would rest against the body of the shooter, giving him significant discomfort. This was just typical, for example, for the German MP.40 submachine gun. The experimental Kalashnikov assault rifle of 1946 also had a handle located on the left, but the military commission considered it necessary to move it, like the fuse-translator of types of fire, to the right. For example, on the foreign version of "Galil", for the convenience of cocking with the left hand, the handle is bent up.

The AK-47 magazine receiver without a developed neck was also often criticized as not ergonomic - sometimes there are claims that it increases the magazine change time by almost 2-3 times compared to a system with a neck.

Ergonomics of all variants of Kalashnikov assault rifles has often been criticized. The stock of the AK-47 is considered to be too short, and the fore-end is considered to be too "elegant". However, this weapon was created for the relatively undersized military personnel of the 1940s, as well as taking into account its use in winter clothes and gloves. The situation could be partially corrected by a removable rubber butt pad, variants of which are widely offered on the civilian market. In Russian special forces and on the civilian market, it is very common to use non-serial variants of butts, pistol grips, and so on on various AKs, which increases the usability of weapons, although it does not solve the problem in itself and leads to a significant increase in its cost.

Factory sights ak s modern point vision should be recognized as rather rough, and a short sighting line (the distance between the front sight and the rear sight slot) does not contribute to high accuracy. Most of the significantly revised foreign variants based on the AK-47 in the first place received just more advanced sights, and in most cases - with an entirely diopter-type shooter located close to the eye. On the other hand, compared to the diopter, which has real advantages only when shooting at medium-long ranges, the “open” AK sight provides a faster transfer of fire from one target to another and is more convenient when conducting automatic fire, as it covers the target less. It is worth noting that the first versions of the Kalashnikov assault rifle did not have rails for mounting optical sights. The ability to install a bar for mounting optical sights appeared only on the AK-74M modification.

Accuracy of weapon fire was not its strong point from the very moment it was put into service, and, despite the constant increase in this characteristic during upgrades, remained at a lower level than that of similar foreign models. However, in general and in general, it can be considered acceptable for military weapons chambered for such a cartridge. For example, according to data obtained abroad, AKs with a milled receiver (that is, an early modification of 7.62 mm) with single shots regularly showed groups of hits with a diameter of 2-3-3.5 inches (~ 5-9 cm) at 100 yards ( 90 m). The effective range in the hands of an experienced shooter at the same time was up to 400 yards (about 350 m), and at this distance the dispersion diameter was about 7 inches (about 18 cm), that is, a value quite acceptable for hitting a single person. Weapons for low-impulse cartridges have even better characteristics.

In general and in general, although the AK certainly has numerous positive qualities and will be suitable for weapons for a long time armed forces countries in which they are used to it, there is an obvious need to replace it with more modern models, moreover, having radical differences in design that would allow not to repeat the fundamental shortcomings of the outdated system described above.

Specifications AK-47

• Caliber: 7.62x39
• Weapon length: 870 mm
• Barrel length: 414 mm
• Weight without cartridges: 3.8 kg.
• Rate of fire: 600 rds / min
• Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
• Main characteristics of AKS
• Caliber: 7.62x39
• Weapon length: 880/645 mm
• Barrel length: 414 mm
• Weight without cartridges: 3.8 kg.
• Rate of fire: 600 rds / min
• Magazine capacity: 30 rounds

The first machines AK-47 differed in the complexity of manufacturing and a huge waste of material during production, because there was no technology applicable to the then realities of the arms industry, and the technology embedded in the AK involved production on new equipment. There was also a fairly large percentage of marriage. For the production of new machines, they did not build new factories and production lines, the series was launched on the already existing outdated equipment, having allocated the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant (IZHMASH) for this business. The most important thing for the then authorities was the speedy production of the maximum possible number of samples of new weapons. But in the process, production facilities improved, and new equipment appeared. For example, the receiver was machined from a solid forged blank of high-quality weapon steel, tons of chips went to waste, although the receiver was originally planned as stamped, the production technology was crude, as a result of which the machine was heavy and required huge resources, both material and human. And this is just one of many examples of the failure of the AK as an engineering solution at that time, and the responsibility for this lies entirely with those who decided to make these machines without the introduction of appropriate new production technologies.

For the new weapon, the main parameter was precisely automatic fire, firing bursts, but just in this AK47 was an order of magnitude worse than most competitors. The accuracy of the machine gun battle, even with single shots, was below all reasonable limits, the main reason for this was the most severe cupping of the barrel. Conditions of the competition in which he participated Kalashnikov 47 assault rifle and in which he won for unclear reasons, they demanded a barrel length of at least 500 mm. But the AK47 passed the tests with a barrel length of 420 mm, because with the layout of the weapon chosen by Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov, the barrel longer than 420 mm would not fit into the standards for the total length of the weapon, and all these changes were made during the testing process. Initially, the AK barrel was just the right length, but in that case, the machine was not suitable for normal use. Be that as it may, the members of the commission chose, in their opinion, the lesser of two evils and bet on the fastest and simplest option, otherwise it is impossible to explain such indulgences. But they lost, the option turned out to be far from fast in practice, very costly to manufacture and ineffective as an automatic weapon.

Reliability AK-47 also left much to be desired, at first the machine wedged. But at that time, the main parameter was the speed of adopting and launching advanced weapons into a series, and AK-47, according to the officials of the selection committee and other authorized persons, fit these requirements in the best way possible, in comparison with the other applicants it was the most reliable, and it was planned to eliminate the flaws, including the accuracy of the battle, during the production process, introducing new design and technological solutions. Improvements made the machine better every year, new ideas were constantly introduced into production, this was done by the best gunsmiths in the country, who were tasked with: by all means to establish mass production advanced machine gun, which at that time was assigned to the AK47. And the merit of M.T. Kalashnikov himself in this process was very insignificant, entire design bureaus, a lot of specialists from all over the country, worked on the problem of improvement. As a result, it was possible to achieve a more or less suitable automatic small arms for use by the army, which the whole world recognized under the name "AK47".

Now it is worth paying attention to the spelling of the name of the machine, so that in the future there will be no doubts about the correct spelling of the name of the machine. In this material, it is not by chance and not by mistake of the author that the name of the machine is written exactly like this: AK-47, because on most Internet resources and in most printed publications of a weapons orientation, the name of the machine gun looks different, namely AK-47, the number is written with a hyphen after the abbreviation "AK" (Kalashnikov assault rifle), as in the case of AK74, it is written almost everywhere - AK-74. The spelling of the names of these weapons should be without a hyphen, that is, it will be correct exactly like this: AK47 and AK74. Although it may be easier for the reader to perceive the name of the machine with numbers through a hyphen, but here we will, if possible, adhere to the correct terminology and correct spelling of the names. The work of automation in AK47 was carried out as follows. When the trigger is pressed, the cocked hammer hits the striker located in the center of the bolt (along its axis), the striker, in turn, transmits a point impact to the igniter primer of the cartridge located in the chamber. The striker pierces the primer, from which the charge of the primer is detonated, which entails the ignition of the gunpowder in the sleeve. The powder gases formed by the combustion of the powder charge push the bullet forward from the case. While the bullet goes down the barrel, accelerated by expanding powder gases, the shutter is locked and no movement occurs in the machine until the bullet reaches the gas outlet. When the bullet passes through the vent hole inside the barrel, powder gases immediately burst into this very hole and push back the gas piston rod located in the vent tube above the barrel. This rod is rigidly fastened to the bolt frame, therefore, under the influence of powder gases, along with the beginning of the rod moving back, the entire bolt group begins to move back. The backward movement of the bolt frame rotates the rotary bolt of the machine gun, which until that moment locked the barrel, as a result of this rotation, the bolt opens and moves back along with the bolt frame, at this moment the spent cartridge case is ejected by means of a reflector.

The bolt group moves back by inertia and cocks the trigger, reaches the stop, to the rear edge of the receiver, as a result of which there is a relatively swipe, because a rather heavy part hits the back of the receiver, which is a bolt, bolt carrier and gas piston. Looking ahead, it should be noted that it was precisely because of these blows of the heavy bolt group to the back of the receiver that the machine gun was strongly swayed when firing in bursts, which was one of the main reasons for the unsatisfactory accuracy of the AK47 battle in automatic fire mode. The same drawback was inherent in the entire subsequent family of Kalashnikov assault rifles. But back to the description of the operation of automation. Reaching back to the stop, the bolt group stops, after which it begins to move forward under the influence of a return spring, which was previously compressed when the bolt group moved back. Passing over the magazine, the bolt engages the next cartridge from it and sends it into the chamber, after which the bolt rotates and locks the barrel of the machine gun. If the shooting is carried out in the single-fire mode, this cycle of the automation ends and for the next shot, release the trigger and press it again. In automatic fire mode, with the trigger pressed, immediately after sending a new cartridge from the magazine into the chamber, after the shutter returns to its original position and locks the barrel bore, the self-timer is triggered, from which the trigger hits the striker again and the process starts anew. The automation cycle does not stop until the trigger is pressed or until the cartridges in the magazine run out. As soon as the trigger is released, the automation cycle will stop at the moment when the bore with the new cartridge is locked by the bolt, and the hammer stops in the cocked position, waiting for the next trigger pull.

The bolt frame moves in the receiver along two guides as if on skids, being in a suspended state, from which the area of ​​​​contact between the bolt frame and the receiver during movement is minimal, respectively, the friction force is minimal. The moving parts are made with relatively large gaps, which ensures the operation of automation even with heavy pollution, which is why the machine shoots even if sand is poured into it, the size of these gaps allows the bolt frame to move without noticing small grains of sand.

Automatic Ak-74M is an individual weapon and is designed to destroy manpower and destroy enemy fire weapons.
For shooting in natural night light conditions, the NSPUM sight is attached.
The machine gun can be used in combination with the GP-25 grenade launcher.
To defeat the enemy in hand-to-hand combat, a bayonet-knife is attached to the machine gun.

Tactical and technical characteristics

Caliber: 5.45mm
Cartridge type: 5.45x39
Mass of unloaded machine gun: 3.07 kg
Weight with loaded magazine: 3.8 kg
Weight with equipped magazine and bayonet: 4.1 kg
Length: 940 mm
Length with bayonet: 1089 mm
Barrel length: 415 mm
Right hand cuts: 4 pieces, step - 200 mm
Muzzle velocity: 900 m/s
muzzle energy: 1377 J
Fire mode: single/continuous
Rate of fire: 600 rounds/min
Combat rate of fire (single): 40 rounds/min
Combat rate of fire (bursts): 100 rounds/min
Sighting range: 1000 m
Range of a direct shot at a growth figure: 625 m
Range of a direct shot on the chest figure: 440 m
The range up to which the lethal effect of the bullet is maintained: 1350 m
Maximum range of a bullet: 3000 m
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
Effective firing range: 650 m

7.62 mm AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle

General information and characteristics

After the development in 1943 of the intermediate cartridge 7.62 × 39, the development of self-loading and automatic weapons for it began. As a result of the competitions, the self-loading carbine Simonov SKS and the Kalashnikov assault rifle, which was adopted under the symbol AK-47, became the winners.

The surprisingly successful design of the AK-47 allowed him to gain immense popularity in the world. The Kalashnikov assault rifle is considered one of the best examples of individual automatic weapons. It is in service in more than 55 countries. In many countries, the production of the Kalashnikov assault rifle is carried out. The basic principles of constructive construction and operation of mechanisms, embodied in the AK-47 assault rifle, formed the basis of a large family of machine guns and machine guns developed later by M. T. Kalashnikov. In 1959, the assault rifle was upgraded to reduce weight and increase the accuracy of the battle and was named AKM (modernized Kalashnikov assault rifle). In the early 1950s work began on the creation of a unified system of small arms based on uniform pattern. The candidates were AK, SKS and RPD (Degtyarev light machine gun). The winner was the Kalashnikov scheme, on the basis of which it was developed:

• AKM - modernized Kalashnikov assault rifle;
• AKS - modernized Kalashnikov assault rifle with a folding butt;
• AKMSU - modernized Kalashnikov assault rifle with a shortened folding butt;
• AKMN and AKMSN - machine guns that allow you to install night sights: illuminated NSP-2; non-illuminated NSP-3, NSPU, NSPUM, NSPU-3.
• RPK - Kalashnikov light machine gun;
• RPKS - Kalashnikov light machine gun with a folding butt;
• AKMB - for silent shooting;
• RPKN and SSBN - light machine guns, allowing you to install night sights;
• PKT - Kalashnikov tank machine gun.

In the early 1970s, after the 5.56 mm M16 rifle appeared in service in the United States, the 5.45 × 39 cartridge was developed in Russia.

Based on AKM, Kalashnikov developed his own assault rifle under the new cartridge, which was put into service under the symbol AK-74 (Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974). On its basis, Kalashnikov created:

• AKS-74 - Kalashnikov assault rifle with a folding butt;
• AK-74N and AKS-74N - assault rifles that allow you to install night sights;
• AKS-74U - shortened Kalashnikov assault rifle with a folding stock.

The main characteristics of the AK-74

In the early 1990s a new modification of the AK-74M appeared, which embodied the idea of ​​​​a "universal" machine gun capable of replacing machine guns: AK-74, AK-74N, AKS-74 and AKS-74N.

On the basis of the AK-74M assault rifle, the AK-101-5.6 and AK-102 assault rifles chambered for NATO 5.56 × 45 were developed for the external market, and for the domestic market, self-loading carbines AK-103 and AK-104 chambered for 7.62 ×39. In addition, for "internal" use, instead of the AKS-74U assault rifle, a 5.45-mm small-sized AK-105 assault rifle was developed, which has all the possible advantages of export modifications.

On the basis of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, a number of samples of hunting weapons were also developed:

• carbine "Saiga" chambered for 7.62-9.2 (expansive bullet) and 7.62-8 (shell bullet);
• smooth-bore self-loading guns: "Saiga-310", "Saiga-410s", "Saiga-410K", "Saiga-20", "Saiga-20S", "Saiga-20K", "Saiga-12K", "Saiga-308" and etc.;
• self-loading carbines "Vepr" and "Vepr-308";
• Kalashnikov's sports and training gas-cylinder assault rifle.

On the basis of the main components of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, many types of weapons were developed, starting with the Dragunov SVD sniper rifle. Of the entire numerous family of Kalashnikov assault rifles, we will consider the AK-47 assault rifle.

Automation works due to the energy of powder gases discharged through a side hole in the barrel bore.

The barrel bore is locked by the lugs of the bolt, rotated around its axis to the right.

The trigger mechanism of the trigger type allows both single and continuous fire.

Translator fuse flag type.

Sights are open type and consist of a sector sight and a height-adjustable front sight.

Shop sector box-type with a double-row staggered arrangement of 30 rounds.

AK-47 assault rifle

AKS assault rifle - modification of the AK-47 with a folding butt

AKM assault rifle grenade launcher GP-25

AK-74 assault rifle with underbarrel grenade launcher

Automatic AKS-74

Automatic AKS-74U

AK-101 assault rifle chambered for 5.56 mm NATO

AK-103 assault rifles

Shortened AK-104 chambered for 7.62 × 39

Small-sized AK-105 assault rifle chambered for 5.45 × 39

Hunting rifle "Saiga-308-1"

Smoothbore gun "Saiga-410K"

Hunting carbine "Vepr"

Design of parts and mechanisms

Trunk

The barrel inside has a channel with four rifling, winding from left to right, a chamber with a bullet entry and a side hole for removing part of the powder gases. Outside, the barrel has: a cutout for the ejector tooth; rifled breech for connection with the receiver: a rifled section on the muzzle of the barrel for screwing the sleeve when firing blanks; a gas chamber directing gas from the barrel to the piston; coupling with a contactor for attaching the forearm to the barrel; sight block with a cavity for the bolt carrier and a gas tube lock.

Barrel (above - breech section): 1 - chamber; 2 - threaded part; 3 - pool entrance; 4 - thread for screwing muzzle nozzles; 5 - front sight base; 6 - emphasis for a ramrod; 7 - hole for the front sight; 8 - fuse fuse; 9 - latch; 10 - gas chamber; 11 - branch pipe; 12 - eye for a ramrod; 13 - coupling; 14 - forend lock; 15 - sight block; 16 - gas tube contactor; 17 - aiming bar with collar; 18 - thread for connection with the receiver

Receiver

The receiver has: cutouts for the lugs of the bolt; sleeve reflector protrusion; guides for the bolt carrier and bolt; longitudinal groove for the guide tube of the return mechanism; transverse groove for the cover of the receiver tube; shop window; trigger slot; two fixing recesses and a cutout for setting the type of fire by the translator and setting the fuse; holes for the axes of the firing mechanism and the translator of fire.

Receiver: 1 - cutouts; 2 - reflective protrusion; 3 - guides; 4 - longitudinal groove for the heel of the guide tube of the return mechanism; 5 - transverse groove for the cover of the receiver; 6 - butt; 7 - pistol grip; eight - trigger guard; 9 - store latch

receiver cover

The receiver cover has: stepped cutout for removal spent cartridges; hole for the protrusion of the guide tube of the return mechanism.

Receiver cover: 1 - stepped cutout; 2 - hole for the protrusion of the guide tube of the return mechanism

Cartridge feed mechanism

It includes the following details:

• bolt carrier with gas piston;
• gate;
• score.

Bolt carrier with gas piston has: a channel for a return mechanism; shutter channel; a safety protrusion that prevents the hammer from hitting the striker when the bolt does not reach and ensures that the trigger is retracted when the bolt frame moves back; guide grooves; a protrusion affecting the self-timer after the shutter is locked; reload handle; figured cutout for the leading lug of the shutter; groove for the passage of the reflector.

Bolt frame with gas piston: 1 - channel for the shutter; 2 - safety ledge; 3 - groove for the guide ledge of the receiver; 4 - protrusion for retracting the self-timer lever; 5 - handle; 6 - curly cut; 7 - groove for the reflective protrusion of the receiver; 8 - piston

Gate

• shutter frame;
• drummer;
• ejector with axle and spring.

Shutter parts: 1 - frame; 2 - drummer; 3 - ejector; 4 - ejector spring; 5 - axis of the ejector; 6 - hairpin

shutter frame has: a cylindrical cutout for the bottom of the sleeve (cup); cylindrical cutout for the ejector; two lugs for locking the bore; a leading protrusion that provides rotation of the shutter; longitudinal groove for the reflector; channel for drummer; holes for the axle and ejector pins.

The frame of the shutter: 1 - cutout for the bottom of the sleeve; 2 - cutout for the ejector; 3 - combat ledge; 4 - leading ledge; 5 - longitudinal groove for a reflective protrusion; 6 - hole for ejector axis

Drummer has: a striker for hitting the primer; guide ribs; pin hole.

Ejector- this is a cylindrical part, which has: a hook for capturing the sleeve; spring socket; axle socket.

Ejector spring

Score includes the following details:

• store building;
• lid;
• locking bar;
• spring;
• feeder.

Store body has: bends to hold cartridges; hook for fixing in the machine; protrusion for attaching to the receiver; control hole for determining the end of the equipment; stiffening rib; folds for contact with the cover.

magazine cover has a hole for the protrusion of the locking bar and bends for contact with the body.

Feeder has: a bend for connection with a spring; a protrusion providing a staggered arrangement of cartridges; guide folds.

Feeder spring It is a twisted rectangular spring.

lock bar has a locking ledge and is integrally attached to the lower end of the feeder spring.

Store: 1 - body; 2 - cover; 3 - locking bar; 4 - spring; 5 - feeder; 6 - bends; 7 - hooks; 8 - support ledge

Return mechanism

• return spring;
• guide tube;
• guide rod;
• clutch.

return spring is a coil spring working in compression.

guide tube has: an emphasis for a return spring; heel with protrusions for connection with the receiver; ledge to hold the cover of the receiver; annular protrusion inside for connection with the guide rod.

guide rod has: collar for engagement with the guide tube; cutout for putting on the clutch.

Coupling has cylindrical protrusions on both sides, allowing you to put it on the rod with either side.

Return mechanism: 1 - return spring; 2 - guide tube; 3 - guide rod; 4 - clutch

trigger mechanism

It includes the following details:

• trigger;
• action spring;
• the whisper of a single fire;
• the spring whispered;
• self-timer spring;
• fire mode translator.

trigger has: combat platoon; self-timer platoon; two trunnions for the mainspring; axle hole.

Trigger: 1 - combat platoon; 2 - self-timer platoon

Action spring- this is a twisted multi-stranded cylindrical double-sided spring with a connecting loop between the sections and elongated ends with bends, working in torsion.

Mainspring: 1 - loop; 2 - curved ends

Trigger has: a head with curly protrusions to hold the trigger on the cocking and rectangular protrusions for contact with the bent ends of the mainspring; tail for contact with the arrow's finger.

Trigger: 1 - curly ledges; 2 - rectangular ledges; 3 - tail (top)

The sear of a single fire and its spring: 1 - cutout; 2 - spring

Single Fire Whisper has: a cutout on the tail section for contact with the interpreter-fuse sector, which limits the rotation of the interpreter upwards during single firing, and with automatic, the interpreter sector enters it and turns off the sear from work; socket for its spring; hole for the axis of the trigger; a head with a hook to hold the trigger on the cocking when the trigger is pressed.

spring whispered is a coiled coil spring.

Self-timer has: a protrusion (sear) to hold the trigger on the cocked; a lever for contact with the projection of the bolt carrier in its forward position; axle hole.

Self-timer spring- this is a coiled coil spring with a very long end in the form of a loop, which provides locking from falling out of the axes of the self-timer, trigger and hammer, and a short end that is connected to the self-timer.

Self-timer and its spring: 1 - protrusion (sear); 2 - lever; 3 - self-timer spring

Fire Mode Translator has: two trunnions with a hole for the axle; a shield covering the slots of the receiver in the protection position; sector to block the trigger and hammer.

Translator: 1 - pins; 2 - shield; 3 - sector

Automatic reload mechanism

It includes the following details:

• gas tube;
• gas piston;
• gas chamber;
• shutter frame;
• gate;
• ejector;
• reflector (reflective protrusion).

gas chamber has: an inclined channel for the passage of gases from the barrel to the piston; branch pipe with a channel for the gas piston; eye for ramrod; swivel.

gas piston is part of the bolt frame and has: ablation grooves to reduce the breakthrough of powder gases and a cylindrical rod with a thickened part.

gas tube on the front part it has holes for the exit of powder gases moving after the gas piston.

Gas tube with handguard: 1 - gas tube; 2 - hook; 3 - holes for the exit of gases; 4 - handguard; 5 - front coupling; 6 - rear coupling

Sighting devices

They consist of a front sight and a sector sight.

front sight is a short cylindrical rod with a threaded end for screwing into a skid fixed at the base of the front sight.

Sector sight consists of the following parts:

• sight block;
• lamellar bar;
• aiming bar;
• collar;
• clamp latch;
• clamp latch spring.

Sector sights have already been described earlier. We note only the features.

Sight block has: a cavity for the bolt carrier; two sectors to give the aiming bar a certain height; holes for attaching the aiming bar.

aiming bar has: mane with a slot for aiming; cutouts for fixing the collar; a scale with divisions from 1 to 8, indicating the firing range and the letter P, indicating a constant sight, corresponding to 3 on the scale.

Front sight: 1 - front sight; 2 - skid; 3 - front sight base; 4 - risks (above)
Sight: 1 - sight block; 2 - aiming bar; 3 - clamp; 4 - clamp latch; 5 - mane with a slot; 6 - sector; 7 - holes for pins of the aiming bar

Butt

The butt can be either wooden or metal.

Wooden butt has: socket for accessories; metal butt plate with a cover over the socket; a spring that pushes out the pencil case with accessories.

metal stock has: two traction; shoulder rest; retainer; retainer spring; connecting sleeve; washer with a swivel for a belt.

Metal stock and its parts: 1 - rods; 2 - shoulder rest; 3 - butt lock; 4 - cap; 5 - retainer spring; 6 - connecting sleeve butt; 7 - cutouts for latch protrusions; 8 - washer with swivel; 9 - nut; 10 - studs; 11 - limiter; 12 - rear of the receiver; 13 - hole for the connecting sleeve of the butt; 14 - holes for latch protrusions

handguard

The forearm has: a connecting pad; protrusion for connection with the receiver; chute for placing the trunk; metal gasket for barrel support; half-window cutouts and barrel lining cutouts, which serve to cool the barrel and gas tube.

Forearm: 1 - connecting pad; 2 - ledge; 3 - gasket

barrel pad

It has: a groove for the gas piston rod; a latch that squeezes the lining from the gas pipe; couplings; half-window cutouts; hook for connection with the receiver.

Bayonet

The bayonet consists of a handle and a blade.

Lever has: a ring for putting on the barrel sleeve; protrusions for mounting on the gas chamber; latch; latch spring.

Bayonet and scabbard: 1 - blade; 2 - handle; 3 - ring; 4 - ledges; 5 - latch; 6 - scabbard

Work of parts and mechanisms

Starting position

Before loading the machine, parts and mechanisms take the following positions.

The shutter and the shutter frame under the action of the return spring are in the extreme forward position.

The shutter is turned, and its lugs are within the receiver, locking the bore.

The gas piston is located in the gas chamber pipe.

The return spring has the smallest degree of preload.

The self-timer lever, under the action of the bolt carrier protrusion, takes the lower position, and its protrusion is on the cocked trigger.

The self-timer spring has the highest preload.

The trigger head rests against the drummer, sinking it.

The mainspring has the smallest degree of twisting.

The drummer, under the action of the trigger, occupies the extreme forward position, and its striker is located in the bolt cup.

The trigger, under the action of the mainspring, rotates around its axis in such a way that its curly protrusions occupy the rear position, and the tail - the front.

The fuse translator is set to the "Protection" position.

The shield of the translator closes the cutout in the receiver for the bolt handle.

The translator sector with its lower end is located in the cutout of the single-fire sear and above the right rectangular ledge of the trigger, blocking them.

The magazine feeder, under the action of its spring, occupies the upper position, resting against lower part shutter frame.

The position of the parts and mechanisms of the AK-47 assault rifle before loading: 1 - barrel; 2 - piston tube; 3 - gas piston; 4 - gas tube; 5 - handguard; 6 - clamp; 7 - sight; 8 - chamber; 9 - shutter; 10 - lock; 11 - body; 12 - drummer; 13 - store latch; 14 - trigger; 15 - mainspring; 16 - reciprocating mainspring; 17 - whispered; 18 - axis of the fire mode translator; 19 - receiver; 20 - butt; 21 - butt plate; 22 - belt ring; 23 - a case with accessories for cleaning weapons; 24 - trigger; 25 - store latch lever; 26 - store; 27 - feeder; 28 - handguard; 29 - ring-forging; 30 - ramrod; 31 - compensator

Loading

In order to charge the machine, you must perform the following operations:

• separate the magazine from the machine by pressing the magazine latch;
• equip the magazine with cartridges;
• attach the equipped store to the machine;
• set the type of fire by setting the translator to the position OD - single fire, or AB - automatic fire;
• pull the bolt carrier back by the reloading handle to failure and release it.

At the moment of loading the machine, the parts and mechanisms perform the following actions.

When the magazine is attached to the machine, the upper cartridge rests against the lower part of the bolt carrier, lowers, lowering all the cartridges, and additionally compresses the feeder spring.

The fuse translator goes down with its shield and opens a cutout in the receiver cover for the bolt carrier handle, and its sector, depending on the type of fire setting, occupies the following positions:

• when set to automatic fire, the sector becomes in the middle position, without completely leaving the cutout of the sear of a single fire;
• when installed on a single fire, the sector retreats to its rearmost position, leaving completely from the cutout of the single fire sear.

The bolt, when the bolt carrier moves back, slides with its protrusion along the guide groove of the bolt carrier, rotates and exits the receiver cutouts with its lugs and unlocks the barrel bore.

The return spring under the action of the bolt carrier receives the greatest degree of preload.

The guide rod of the return spring enters the channel of the guide tube.

The trigger, under the action of the bolt frame, rotates around its axis, twists the mainspring and, with its cocking protrusions, jumps over the curly trigger protrusions and stands on the cocking.

The mainspring receives a degree of twisting.

The self-timer after the passage of the protrusion of the bolt frame of the lever, under the action of its spring, turns back, with a protrusion (sear) it jumps under the cocking of the self-timer of the trigger, and the lever rises.

The feeder, under the action of its spring, lifts the cartridges up until it stops in the bends. The upper cartridge is on the ramming line.

After releasing the reloading handle of the bolt carrier, the following occurs.

The shutter frame, together with the shutter, moves forward under the action of the return spring and, with its protrusion, turns the self-timer lever forward and down.

The bolt, moving forward, pushes the upper cartridge out of the magazine and sends it into the chamber (under the action of the bevel of the left receiver cutout on the left bevel of the bolt lug, and then the curly groove of the bolt frame - on the leading lug of the bolt), rotates around its axis, combat protrusions enters the cutouts of the receiver and locks the bore.

The self-timer under the action of the bolt frame on the lever turns forward, and its protrusion (sear) comes out from under the self-timer protrusion of the trigger.

The trigger, held by the curly protrusions of the trigger, remains only on the cocked.

The ejector with its hook jumps over the annular groove of the cartridge and removes its spring.

The ejector spring receives the highest compression ratio.

The return spring receives the least amount of compression.

The magazine feeder, under the action of its spring, raises the cartridges until the upper cartridge stops against the bolt carrier.

The drummer with his striker rests on the primer of the cartridge and moves back.

Shot

In order to make a shot from a machine gun, you must:

• set the fire mode with the help of a fuse translator;
• pull the trigger.

If the shutter has not reached the extreme forward position for any reason, the shutter frame will not press the self-timer lever with its protrusion, the trigger will be held on the self-timer cocking, and when the trigger is pressed, the shot will not occur.

Automatic shooting

In order to carry out automatic shooting from a machine gun, you must:

• put the translator-fuse in position AB;
• pull the trigger.

In this case, the parts and mechanisms of the machine will perform the following actions.

The translator-fuse with the lower end of its sector remains in the cutout of the sear of a single fire, preventing it from turning along with the trigger.

The trigger, when the tail is pressed, rotates around its axis, its head moves forward and the curly protrusions disengage from the cocking of the trigger.

The trigger under the action of the mainspring, turning around its axis, strikes the drummer.

The mainspring receives the least degree of twisting.

The drummer, after hitting the trigger, rushes forward, breaks the primer with a striker. There is a shot.

Gases through the side hole in the wall of the barrel bore rush into the gas chamber, put pressure on the piston of the bolt carrier and throw it into the rear position. All parts and mechanisms work in the same way as when the bolt carrier is manually retracted to the rear position, except for the following points.

The ejector with its hook removes the sleeve from the chamber (gases pressing on the bottom of the sleeve help it in this) and holds it in the bolt cup until it meets the reflective protrusion of the receiver.

The sleeve, having received a blow from the reflector, flies out of the machine.

The cocked trigger is held only by the self-timer, since the trigger is pressed and the single-shot sear is blocked by the fire translator.

The mainspring has a small degree of twisting.

The bolt carrier, moving along with the bolt under the action of a return spring, after the bolt sends the next cartridge into the chamber and locks the barrel bore with its lower protrusion, presses the self-timer lever and lowers it down.

The self-timer, turning around its axis, removes its sear from the protrusion of the trigger self-timer and releases the trigger.

The trigger under the action of the mainspring turns and strikes the drummer.

There is another shot. The cycle of parts is repeated as long as there are cartridges in the magazine or the trigger is pressed. To cease fire, you need to release the trigger.

The trigger after removing the pressure under the action of the mainspring turns its head back, and its curly protrusions rise up.

The trigger turns back, compresses the mainspring and with its cocking protrusions jumps over the curly trigger protrusions and stands on the cocking.

The mainspring receives the greatest degree of twisting.

Shooting stops, but the machine is ready for further automatic firing.

The position of the parts of the trigger mechanism before loading with the fuse on and the trigger released (A), before firing (B), after firing with the translator set to single fire (C): 1 - trigger; 2 - trigger; 3 - mainspring; 4 - translator's sector; 5 - whisper of a single fire; 6 - shaped protrusions of the trigger; 7 - protrusion (sear) of the self-timer; 8 - self-timer lever; 9 - bolt carrier

Shooting single shots

For the production of single firing from a machine gun, you must:

• move the translator-fuse to the OD position;
• pull the trigger.

fuse translator when switching to a single fire with its sector, it releases the rectangular ledge of the trigger (unlocks the trigger), completely leaves the cutout of the single fire sear, removing all restrictions from its movements. The remaining parts and mechanisms of the machine do the same work as in automatic shooting, except that the shot will be fired once. This is due to the fact that when the bolt frame moves back, the cock with its combat platoon enters into engagement with the sear of a single fire and rises to the combat platoon.

In order to make the next shot, you need to release the trigger and pull it again.

Trigger after the pressure is removed, under the action of the mainspring, it turns around its axis, and its curly protrusions will interlock with the lugs of the trigger, holding the trigger on the cocking.

Whispered single fire, turning simultaneously with the trigger, moves back and disengages from the cocking of the trigger.

trigger in the cocked position, it is held only by the curly protrusions of the trigger.

To fire the next shot, you must press the trigger.

Trigger rotates around its axis, its protrusions will disengage from the cocking of the trigger and release it.

trigger under the action of the mainspring, it strikes the striker, the striker breaks the primer, and the next shot occurs.

The position of the parts of the firing mechanism during automatic firing at the moment when the bolt carrier with the bolt are in the rear position

Disassembly and assembly of the machine

Partial disassembly

1. Separate the magazine from the machine while pressing the magazine latch.

2. Separate the cleaning rod.

This article will discuss weapons with a worldwide reputation, the development of which marked the beginning of a whole era in the field of domestic weapons design. TTX machine Kalashnikovs improved from one model to another, but the principle of operation remained unchanged. The traditions laid down by the creator himself in his model remained inviolable: quality, reliability, simplicity and long service life.

History of creation...

The prerequisites for the development of a new weapon model were the results of a meeting of the technical council at the USSR People's Commissariat in July 1943, where the captured prototype of the German StG-44 and the American M1 Carbine carbine were dismantled.

About a month later, a new experimental cartridge of 7.62 x 41 mm caliber was created, subsequently the cartridge was adjusted, as a result, the caliber was converted to 7.62 x 39 mm.

Later, a number of design competitions were announced, as a result of which the famous machine gun was developed.

In 1947, it was decided to start the production of the machine gun in Izhevsk. And two years later, two samples were put into service: a standard AK with a caliber of 7.62 mm and a model with a folding stock - AKS - of the same caliber.

1959 was marked by the release of a modernized version of the machine. The flaws identified during operation were corrected, on the basis of the already used TKB-517 assault rifle, new performance characteristics of the Kalashnikov assault rifle were compiled and the first machine gun based on AKM was released.

Machine

The Kalashnikov assault rifle, performance characteristics and main parts were refined from one version of the product to another to increase efficiency, reliability and improve quality. However, the design features remained unchanged.

From the moment it entered service, the performance characteristics established at that time became the starting point for the unstoppable development of design ideas. The types and forms of butts, the shape of the handle, the length of the barrel changed. Models of the hundredth series (in addition to the protrusions for mounting the bayonet-knife) have a socket for mounting. The fifth generation machine gun (for example, AK-12) has different kind equipment, such as optical or collimator sights, laser designators or a flashlight. The quality, purpose, performance characteristics of the Kalashnikov assault rifle are constantly improving.

Purpose of the main parts of the product

Now you should dwell directly on each component in order to make out which part serves what.

Trunk- is intended to set the direction of the bullet's flight directly when fired.

Receiver- acts as a connector for all parts and mechanisms of the machine, ensures that the barrel is closed with a bolt and the latter is locked.

receiver cover- contributes to the protection of the internal parts of the product (placed in the receiver) from contamination and penetration of foreign objects.

sighting device- consists of a front sight and a sight. Designed to point the barrel of the machine gun at the target to produce the most effective shooting.

Butt- Provides comfortable shooting along with the handle.

Bolt frame - actuates the bolt and trigger mechanism. The shutter, in turn, sends the cartridge into the chamber, locks the bore, breaks the capsule shell, removes the sleeve.

Return mechanism- brings the bolt carrier and the bolt to its original (front) position.

Gas tube and handguard- protect the hands of the shooter from burns, and also set the direction of movement of the gas piston.

trigger mechanism- pulls the trigger, which is in the cocked (combat) position. Strikes the striker, thereby providing automatic fire bursts or single shooting. Serves to stop firing, set the safety lock, and also prevents shots when the shutter is locked.

handguard- serves for a convenient girth of the body of the machine gun when firing. Together with gas pipe protects the shooter's hand from burns.

Score- serves for storage and transportation of machine gun cartridges, as well as feeding into the chamber for firing in a different position.

Bayonet knife- in a position attached to the machine gun, it is used in a bayonet attack or any other form of close contact combat. Can be used as a knife, saw and wire cutter.

TTX of the Kalashnikov AK-74 and not only

The modern model of the Kalashnikov assault rifle AK-74M has the following characteristics: the weight of the product is 3.6 kg without cartridges, 3.9 kg - equipped, 5.8 kg - without cartridges, but with the NSPUM model installed, the sight of the NSPU-3 type is slightly lighter - only 0.1 kg.

An empty magazine weighs 0.23 kg, and a bayonet-knife without a scabbard weighs only 0.32 kg.

The length of the machine is 940 millimeters, and with an attached bayonet - 1089 mm. With the stock unfolded, this figure already has a value of 943, and with the stock folded - 704 millimeters. With the advent of new models, the performance characteristics of the Kalashnikov assault rifle are undergoing changes.

The barrel length is 415 mm with the installed muzzle brake compensator and only 372 mm without it.

Width is also essential part of performance characteristics Kalashnikov assault rifle. It is 70 millimeters for a standard product. Height - 195 mm.

The principle of operation for all models is the same - the system for removing gases of burnt gunpowder and the rotary shutter - despite the performance characteristics of the Kalashnikov assault rifle changing from one model to another.

5.45 is the caliber of the modern AK-74M.

TTX of the Kalashnikov assault rifle AKS-74U and some interesting things

Folding shortened Kalashnikov assault rifle - this is how the abbreviation of the name of this weapon is deciphered. It is a shortened version of the standard AK-74, designed to conduct combat missions in a small enclosed space: to equip military transport crews in peaceful or combat conditions (for example, BTR-80), crews of various guns, as well as landing units. It is in service in security structures, has established itself in those due to its compactness and low weight.

It weighs about 3 kg with cartridges and 2.7 kg without them. The weight of the magazine is 0.21 kg, the mounting of the NSPUM sight weighing 2.2 kg is provided.

The length of the product is 730 millimeters with the butt unfolded, 490 - respectively, with the folded. The length of the barrel itself is 206 mm.

The rate of fire varies from 600 to 700 rounds per second. The effective range is 500 meters, but the effective range is only 300.

A bullet fired from the AKS-74U is capable of developing an initial velocity of 735 m/s.

Features of AKS-74U

In view of the worldwide trend towards the creation of shortened versions of existing assault rifles, the designers of the USSR in the 70s also took care of creating a compact sample of an existing machine gun.

Compared to the original version, "drying" (sometimes there are versions with the letter "h" instead of "w") has the following features:

• a significantly shortened barrel with a mounted muzzle, which in turn serves as a flame arrester;
• the gas-piston rod is shortened by almost half;
• removed the system of slowing down the rate of fire;
• improved bullet flight stabilization system with a shortened barrel.

Advantages

The main feature is the relatively high firing range for this type of weapon. But this is far from the only plus. It should also be mentioned:

• due to its small dimensions, concealed carrying is possible;
• reliable, easy to disassemble, clean and reassemble;
• high penetration.

Flaws

Despite the high popularity of the AKS-74U, the product also has a number of disadvantages. Some of them lead to the refusal to use this weapon, some require getting used to. It all depends on the desire and capabilities of the owner.

• First of all, a significantly lower accuracy is noticeable to the naked eye compared to the original version of the product.
• Sighting range is similarly low when compared with the classic version of the machine.
• Low stopping power. This term refers to the parameter of the bullet, which determines the ability of the enemy to take any further actions after being hit by a bullet. In this case, the low rate of this parameter is associated with the use of caliber 5.45.
• The model quickly overheats due to its small size.

Kalashnikov assault rifle in popular culture

In a number of African countries, newborn boys are given the name "Kalash". There are many versions of this term.

One theory says that it is named after the hero of the movie "22 Minutes" - a Somali pirate who helped the main character.

According to another version, it is argued that the name has no semantic link to the Kalashnikov assault rifle, but means something in local dialects.

And there is also a religious interpretation, rooted in totemic religions based on the cult of patron ancestors. Such views are held by about 16% of the population of all of Africa.

According to this interpretation, the Kalashnikov assault rifle is so famous all over the world that it is difficult to name a country that it would not have influenced. In particular, this weapon was also used in a number of armed conflicts and in Africa.

In the end, it got to the point that a number of African tribes who used the famous Kalash identified this weapon with the spirit of a great ancestor, capable of both harming and protecting. Therefore, when a boy was born, and, consequently, a warrior, he was called "Kalash", thus implying that the future protector, support and hope of the whole family is growing.

But this is just one of the theories.

On the albums of many musical groups of different directions, images of the Kalashnikov assault rifle are used.

The song "Dragunov" by the Swedish Industrial band Raubtier mentions a Kalashnikov assault rifle in the following context:

Dragunov and Stolichnaya

Smirnoff and Kalashnikoff.

Here is such an unusual application found a Kalashnikov assault rifle. The device, purpose, performance characteristics are not involved in any way.

"Kalashnikov" on the coats of arms of the countries of the world

The famous automaton is present or was present at different times on the coats of arms of a number of countries. For example, it is used on the coat of arms and (with an attached bayonet-knife) in the heraldry of the state of Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso from 1987 to 1997.

Since 2007, the outline of "Kalash" has been used on the coat of arms of East Timor.

Also used in the emblem of the "Vanguard of the Red Youth" - a communist Bolshevik organization, common in the states of the former USSR.

The coat of arms of the Ukrainian volunteer paramilitary association, formed to eliminate a local conflict on the territory of Donbass, also includes a Kalashnikov assault rifle.

It will be a little difficult to answer the question of what speed a bullet fired from a machine gun has, since there is no exact data from which machine the bullet was fired from and the caliber of the machine. But despite this complex issue, we will try to give a detailed answer to it in this topic ..

BULLET FLIGHT FROM AK-74 CALIBER 5.45X39

FLIGHT SPEED OF A BULLET FROM AUTOMATIC AKS-74U CALIBER 5.45X39

Since this model of the machine has a shortened barrel length, the speed of a bullet fired from such a machine will be much less than from a machine with a normal barrel. In this case, the bullet speed of the AKS-74U assault rifle will be in the region of 740 meters per second

BULLET SPEED OF AK-101 SERIES 100

AK-47 BULLET SPEED

BULLET SPEED OF OTHER AUTOMATOMS

In every specific case the speed of the automatic bullet will be different depending on the model of the automatic rifle and its caliber.