Why is it named AK-47 Assault rifle?

| John Anderson | War

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Apparently because the person who gave it its name likes to keep it simple. The AK-47 assault rifle – also known as the Kalashnikov – was first manufactured in 1947, hence its name.

Bonus fact 1: Its newer version, the AK-74, was produced in 1974.

Bonus fact 2: the AK, stands for Automat Kalashnikov. The latter stands for its inventor surname.

Bonus fact 3: The Kalashnikov is the most popular assault rifle in the world, with about 100 million units manufactured. Being a very cheap and easy-to-operate assault rifle certainly helped.

Bonus Fact 4: The Kalashnikov is one of the most reliable and durable rifles ever made. It will shoot anytime anywhere.

Bonus fact 5: When it was first developed in the 1940’s it was lighter and shorter than the period’s other assault rifles. But today its major drawback is its heavy weight. It is also considered not very accurate and suffers from incompatibility with modern Western accessories, as it was not designed to fit.

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And for all of you assault-rifles-enthusiasts, here some more about it and its history:

An assault rifle is a type of modern military rifle that allows for both semi-automatic shooting (single shots) and full automatic firing (shotgun firing).

An assault rifle is different from a sniper in that, that in addition to firing single bullets, it is capable of firing fully automatically as long as the trigger is pressed. That’s why an assault rifle is a private case of an automatic rifle. The need for an assault rifle arose due to the fact that sub-machine guns, pistol rifles were inaccurate at long ranges, and suffered from week firepower.

The first assault rifles were StG 44 and the MP43 DC, which were developed by Germany at the end of World War II. The term “assault rifle”, Sturmgewehr, was set by Hitler.

However, these rifles were manufactured in quantities too small to prevent Germany’s defeat. The StG 44 was the source of inspiration for the Russian AK-4, which became the first assault rifle to be massively marketed.

In the 1980s, a new trend emerged – the bullpup configuration. This is a configuration where the firing and latching mechanism is inside the rifle’s “butt”, while the trigger is located in the middle of the barrel, rather than near the cartridge.

The advantage of this configuration is that it allows a compact rifle with a relatively long range and formidable firepower. The lack of a bullpup configuration is the inconvenience of replacing a cartridge. Bullpup rifles gained popularity in Europe and were adopted by the British armies (SA80), France (FAMAS) and Austria (Steyr AUG).

And for all of you assault-rifles-enthusiasts, here some more about it and its history:

An assault rifle is a type of modern military rifle that allows for both semi-automatic shooting (single shots) and full automatic firing (shotgun firing).

An assault rifle is different from a sniper in that, that in addition to firing single bullets, it is capable of firing fully automatically as long as the trigger is pressed. That’s why an assault rifle is a private case of an automatic rifle. The need for an assault rifle arose due to the fact that sub-machine guns, pistol rifles were inaccurate at long ranges, and suffered from week firepower.

The first assault rifles were StG 44 and the MP43 DC, which were developed by Germany at the end of World War II. The term “assault rifle”, Sturmgewehr, was set by Hitler.

However, these rifles were manufactured in quantities too small to prevent Germany’s defeat. The StG 44 was the source of inspiration for the Russian AK-4, which became the first assault rifle to be massively marketed.

In the 1980s, a new trend emerged – the bullpup configuration. This is a configuration where the firing and latching mechanism is inside the rifle’s “butt”, while the trigger is located in the middle of the barrel, rather than near the cartridge.

The advantage of this configuration is that it allows a compact rifle with a relatively long range and formidable firepower. The lack of a bullpup configuration is the inconvenience of replacing a cartridge. Bullpup rifles gained popularity in Europe and were adopted by the British armies (SA80), France (FAMAS) and Austria (Steyr AUG).

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