What does AK-47 mean when it comes to the weapon? What does AK stand for and why 47? 47 rounds of ammo? AK46 did not sell that well? Why?
The AK-47 was developed by a man by the name of Kalashnikov. The russian word for an automatic rifle is “avtomat”. The rifle was adopted by the Soviets in 1947. Hence, "Avtomat Kalashikova-47.
Here is a biography of Mikhail Kalashinikov.
Incidentally, the AK-47 was redesigned in 1959. The new design had a stamped steel receiver instead of the milled one, which made it lighter and cheaper. I’d have to look up the other modifications. (I think one other was going to laminated stocks instead of “solid” wood.) The modernized version was called the Avtomat Klashikova Modernizirovanyi (pardon my spelling), or AKM.
The current Russian military rifle is now the AK-74. Essentially the AK-47 at heart but in caliber 5.34x39mm rather than the 7.62x39mm of the '47. The easiest way to tell them apart is that the magazines for the newer rifle aren’t curved as much because there the cartridge has less body taper.
The AK and it’s numerous copies and near-clone derivatives like the Israeli Galil, Finnish Valmet and others are so successful because the basic design is incredlly robust and trouble free and inexpensive to manufacture. As is very typical with Russian military hardware the Kalashnikov threw out elegance and precision in favor of reliability. The parts are bigger than need to be, particularly the gas port and piston and there are loose tolerances where the bolt carrier rides in the reciever. This makes the AK heavier and gives it more rattles than an M-16 but a little bit of dirt won’t foul things up. Being buried in mud won’t foul things up. You have to seriously **** up an AK so that it won’t go bang every time you pull the trigger.
The AK is, as has already been established, the initials of the dude who created it. He did it in 1947. Creative guy in some ways, not so in others. Good rifle though.
This problem with the M16 (there’s no dash BTW) was only early on and due in part to poor quality ammunition used in it. Most mass-produced AK-47 clones are junk compared to an M16.
Perhaps you should have read the thread yourself. The designer’s name is Mikhail T. Kalashnakov.
Dangerously close to IMHO territory but if you’ve had much chance to shoot both rifles you may not say that. Junk is as junk does and no one ever claimed the AK was pretty or elegant, just that they work all the time. I own versions of both but don’t take my word for it. Take a tactical carbine course and see which rifles work and which have malfunctions even under good conditions.
The early formula ball powder did cause problems but changing it did not cure all the M16’s ills. The direct impigement gas system puts hot carbon and gas fouling directly into the reciever. This builds up coke deposits at the gas ring, keeping it from rotating freely. This is an area where the high precision and tight tolerances of the M16 work against it. I’m not aware of any other current military weapon that used a direct impingement gas system and only one that ever did. Every other gas operated rifle I’m aware of used a gas piston and operating rod that keep barrel gasses out of the reciever.
I like my “M-4gery” for its light weight and ergonomics but even the cheapest Chinese AK clone beats it hands down for reliability.
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- Yes, and most Kia cars are junk compared to a Mercedes. In 1998, IIRC the contract price on a US-mil M16 was $97. The cost to make a Soviet AK-variant rifle was less than one-fourth that amount.
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- Also, we note that there are considerably more rifles built worldwide derived from the AK family than the M16…
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I’ll second what padeye said about taking a tactical carbine class to see for yourself. At almost every black rifle shoot I’ve been to, someone had trouble with their AR-15.
Heck, as an engineer, even if I had NO previous interest or info about guns I could tell you from the blueprints which one is going to be more reliable.
The AK has a loose gas system that’s meant to leak like a sieve and works fine that way. The AR/M16 needs an o-ring sealed system to do the same thing.
The AK gas tube is as big as your finger. Only the short hole in the gas block can possibly get plugged, and that is easy to clean out with a bit of wire or something. The AR gas tube is long and very narrow and can’t be cleaned without major disassembly.
The AR brings all the dirty gas back to the bolt area, the AK doesn’t.
The AK has a real charging handle, so most failures, especially a simple ‘failure to go into battery’ is easily cured. If that doesn’t do it, the whole top of the reciever pops off, and the gun is fully functional without it.
A full magazine often will not seat properly in an AR, especially with the bolt closed. It is standard proceedure to only load 26 or so rounds in a 30 round mag, and to tug on the mag after insertion to make sure its seated. AKs don’t have this problem. Mag changes require just a little more practice to be fast at, but when it clicks into place, you KNOW its in right.