The AK-47 rifle, designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov, is one of the most recognizable and infamous firearms globally. Following World War II, the Soviet government invested in the defense industry, seeking a more efficient and reliable rifle to replace bolt-action models. Kalashnikov, a Soviet tank sergeant, was instrumental in developing a new rifle, initially creating a submachine gun that, although rejected, earned him the respect of Soviet authorities.
In 1944, Kalashnikov designed the 7.62x39mm cartridge, which was groundbreaking due to its low recoil and straight flight path. After Aleksei Sudayev's death, the Soviet government held a competition to develop a full-scale automatic rifle. Kalashnikov's team, which included a woman who helped put his ideas into sketches, entered the competition and won due to the rifle's loose tolerances and ruggedness.
The AK-47 was produced cheaply and rapidly, becoming a symbol of Soviet engineering and a way to support fledgling Communist insurrections. The Soviet Union flooded friendly nations with AK-47 rifles, ensuring interoperability and forcing these countries to rely on the Russians for ammunition and spare parts.
The AK-47's success was further boosted by the formation of the Warsaw Pact, which led to the licensing of local production in other countries. As these countries began exporting arms, the AK-47 became the most common rifle in the hands of soldiers worldwide. Despite upgrades and design changes, the original AK-47 remains widely used, with approximately 75 million units still in circulation today.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. The AK-47 is a recognizable and infamous weapon worldwide.
2. The Soviet government invested heavily in their defense industry after World War II.
3. The Soviets realized the inferiority of bolt-action rifles during World War II.
4. Mikhail Kalashnikov was a Soviet tank sergeant with no formal training or schooling in manufacturing.
5. Kalashnikov designed the 7.62x39mm cartridge for the AK-47 in 1944.
6. The 7.62x39mm cartridge had a low enough charge to not produce too much recoil but had enough weight to give it a fairly straight flight path and medium to long-range.
7. Aleksei Sudayev, a famous Soviet weapon designer, became ill and passed away in 1946.
8. The Soviet authorities held a competition to design a new automatic rifle after Sudayev's death.
9. Kalashnikov entered the competition with a design team behind him.
10. Kalashnikov's design had loose tolerances, which allowed it to work even with foreign debris inside.
11. Kalashnikov combined the bolt carrier and the gas piston into one unit, making manufacturing, repairing, and cleaning easier.
12. The AK-47 was put into mass production for the Soviet army by 1948.
13. The Soviet Union supplied AK-47 rifles to Communist countries and insurgencies as a form of military aid.
14. The AK-47 was designed to be produced cheaply and rapidly.
15. The Soviet Union was the standard-bearer for Communism in the world during the late 1940s and early 1950s.
16. The AK-47 was used by the Soviet Union to claim victory over Western defense industries.
17. The Soviet Union was cautious to continue improving the AK-47 design to keep pace with Western developments.
18. Changes were made to the AK-47 during the first set of Army trials in 1948, including redesigning the ejector and thickening the return spring.
19. The original AK-47 receiver was stamped, but it was later redesigned with the more expensive method of milling due to Soviet technology limitations.
20. The Warsaw Pact was formed in 1955, and member countries were supplied with the AK-47.
21. The Soviet Union granted licenses to Warsaw Pact countries to produce their own local derivatives of the AK-47.
22. The AK-47 is the most common rifle in the hands of soldiers, with over 100 million AK family-style rifles in the world today.
23. The original AK-47 makes up about 75 million of the current 100 million AK family-style rifles in the world today.