All Kalashnikov assault rifles and their tactical and technical characteristics. Kalashnikov assault rifle: history of creation and technical characteristics

The Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle, produced in 1947-1949, was designated “AK-47” in documents of those years, later replaced by “AK”

Kalashnikov AK assault rifle, 1949-1954.

Kalashnikov AK assault rifle, 1954-1959.

Kalashnikov AKS assault rifles (assault rifle with folding stock)

Kalashnikov AKS assault rifle, 1954-1959.

Before moving on to the history of the creation of the Kalashnikov assault rifle and a description of its design, it is necessary to define some points of terminology. In relation to the 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 Haenel automatic carbine designed by Hugo Schmeisser, which was later 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 designate 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” is much more accurately consistent with and describes a certain class of automatic weapons.

Development and production (official version)

The decision to begin design work to create 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 People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR, based on the results of a study of the captured German MKb.42 automatic carbine ( H), which was the prototype of the future Stg.44, chambered for the world's first mass-produced intermediate cartridge 7.92x33 and the American M1 Carbine self-loading carbine chambered for 7.62x33.

The new model was supposed to conduct effective fire at ranges of about 400 meters and shoot a cartridge intermediate, between rifle and pistol in power, which exceeded the corresponding indicator of submachine guns and was not much inferior to weapons for excessively heavy, powerful and expensive rifle-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 Sudayev submachine guns, a Mosin repeating non-automatic rifle and several models of repeating carbines based on it, a Tokarev self-loading rifle, as well as machine guns of various systems.

The first samples of the new cartridge were created by OKB-44 just 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 was 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 7.62x38.5 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 system. 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.

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

As for the development of the automatic carbine itself, it proceeded in several stages and included a number of competitions in which a large number of systems from various designers participated. In 1944, based on test results, the AS-44 designed by A.I. was selected for further development. Sudaeva. It was finalized and released in a small series, military tests of which were carried out in the spring and summer of the following year in 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 weight of the weapon.

The sudden death of Sudaev 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 quite interesting weapon designs, in particular, two pistols - a machine gun, one of which had a very original blowback braking system, a light machine gun and a self-loading carbine fed from cartridge packs, which lost to Simonov’s carbine in the competition. In November of the same year, his project was approved for the production of a prototype, and a month later, the first version of the experimental Kalashnikov automatic carbine, manufactured at the arms factory in the city of Kovrov, now sometimes conventionally designated as AK-46, together with the Bulkin and Dementyev samples, 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. Its cocking handle was located on the left, not on the right; instead of the safety-translator located on the right, there were separate flag-type safety and fire-type switches, and the body of the trigger mechanism was folded down and forward on a pin. 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, in some ways of carrying a weapon or moving across the battlefield crawled against the shooter’s body, and also to combine the safety with the fire types translator into a single unit and place it on the right side to completely rid the left side of the receiver of any noticeable 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 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 based on a number of features it can be concluded that its design widely used elements (including the design of key components) borrowed from other samples submitted to the competition or simply from previously existing ones.

Thus, 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 a guide, the protrusion of which was used to lock the receiver cover, were copied from the experimental Bulkin assault rifle, which also participated in the competition; The trigger (with minor improvements), judging by the design, could have been “spied” on the Kholek rifle (according to another version, it goes back to the design of John Browning, which was also used in the M1 Garand rifle; these versions, however, are not mutually exclusive), the safety switch lever fire, which also serves as a dustproof cover for the bolt window, was very similar to that of the Remington 8 rifle, and a similar “hanging” of the bolt group inside the receiver with minimal friction areas and large gaps was characteristic of the Sudaev assault rifle.

Although formally the terms of the competition prohibited the authors of the systems from familiarizing themselves with the designs of competitors participating in it and making 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), this still cannot be considered something something that goes beyond the norms - firstly, when creating new weapon systems, “quotations” from other models are not uncommon at all, and secondly, such borrowings in the USSR at that time were not only not prohibited, but were even encouraged , which is explained not only by the presence of specific (“socialist”) patent legislation, but also by completely pragmatic considerations of adopting the best model in conditions of constant lack of time and a very real military threat.

There is even an opinion that most of the changes and adopted design decisions of the Kalashnikov assault rifle were almost directly determined by the tactical and technical requirements put forward by the commission based on the results of the earlier stages of the TTT competition (tactical and technical requirements) for the new weapon, that is, in fact, they were imposed as the most acceptable from their military point of view, 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 the borrowing of successful solutions in itself 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 components and design solutions. Moreover, there is an opinion that copying successful and well-proven technical solutions is one of the conditions for creating any successful weapon, in particular, allowing the designer not to “reinvent the wheel.”

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

One way or another, in the winter of 1946-1947, for the next round of the competition, along with the also quite significantly improved, but not undergone such radical changes, samples of Dementyev (KBP-520) and Bulkin (TKB-415), Kalashnikov presented an essentially 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 satisfies the tactical and technical requirements in full: the Kalashnikov assault rifle turned out to be the most reliable, but at the same time had unsatisfactory accuracy of fire, and the TKB-415, on the contrary, met the requirements for accuracy, but had problems with reliability. Ultimately, the commission’s choice was made in favor of the Kalashnikov model, and it was decided to postpone bringing its accuracy to the required values ​​for the future. Taking into account the current situation in the world at that time, such a decision looks quite justified, since it allowed the army to rearm in a real time frame with modern and reliable, although not the most accurate, weapons, which was preferable to a reliable and accurate model, but unknown when. At the end of 1947, Mikhail Timofeevich was seconded to Izhevsk, where it was decided to begin production of the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle.

According to the results military tests The first batches were released in mid-1948; in mid-1949, two variants of the Kalashnikov design were adopted for service under the designations “7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifle” and “7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifle with folding stock” (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) is a variant of the Kalashnikov assault rifle with a folding metal butt, intended for airborne troops. Initially produced with a stamped receiver, and since 1951 - milled due to the high percentage of defects during stamping.

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

The high percentage of defects forced the switch to milling technology in 1953. At the same time, a number of measures made it possible not only to prevent an increase in the weight of the weapon, but also to reduce it relative to samples with a stamped receiver, therefore new sample The AK-47 was designated as a "Lightweight 7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK)". In addition to the modified receiver design, it was also distinguished by the presence of stiffening ribs on the magazines (early magazines had smooth walls), the possibility of attaching a bayonet (the 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, and insufficient performance characteristics” of production samples of early models.

The appearance in the early 1950s of the TKB-517 assault rifle designed by German Korobov, which had less weight, better accuracy, and was also cheaper, led to the development of tactical and technical requirements for a new assault rifle (automatic carbine) and a light machine gun that was maximally unified 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, as well as being sufficiently familiar to the arms industry and the troops, and in 1959, the “7.62-mm modernized Kalashnikov assault rifle” (abbreviated as AKM) was adopted for service.

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

The AKM receiver is stamped, thereby reducing the weight of the weapon. The butt is raised upward to bring the machine's resting point closer to the firing line. 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 virtually no effect on the rate of fire, it only allows the bolt frame to stabilize in the extreme forward position before the next shot. The improvements had a positive effect on accuracy; vertical dispersion was especially reduced (almost by a third) compared to the AK-47 assault rifle.

The muzzle of the AKM barrel has a thread onto which a removable muzzle compensator is installed in the form of a petal (the so-called “tray compensator”), designed to compensate for the “movement” of the aiming point up and to the right when firing in bursts by using the pressure of the powder gases escaping from the barrel on the lower compensator protrusion. On the same thread, instead of a compensator, mufflers PBS or PBS-1 can be installed, 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 under-barrel grenade launcher.

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

In the 1970s, following the NATO countries, the USSR followed the path of transferring small arms to low-impulse cartridges with reduced-caliber bullets to lighten the wearable ammunition (for 8 magazines, a 5.45 mm caliber cartridge saves 1.4 kg) and reduces , was considered to have “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 subsequently (1979) supplemented by a small-sized AKS-74U, created for use in a niche that Western armies were dominated by submachine guns, and in recent years by the so-called PDW. Production of the 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 The Kalashnikov assault rifle on the world stage occurred on November 1, 1956, during the suppression of the uprising in Hungary. Until this moment, the AK-47 assault rifle was hidden from prying eyes in every possible way: soldiers carried it in special cases that concealed the outlines, and after the shooting, all the cartridges were carefully collected. The AK-47 has proven itself well in urban combat.

Design and principle of operation of the AK-47

The AK-47 consists of the following main parts and mechanisms: a barrel with a receiver, sights and a butt; detachable receiver cover; bolt carrier with gas piston; gate; return mechanism; gas tube with receiver lining; trigger mechanism; forend; shop; bayonet. In total 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 working stroke of the gas piston. The barrel bore is locked by rotating the bolt around the longitudinal axis clockwise onto two radial lugs that fit into special cutouts in the receiver, thereby locking the bore before firing. Rotation of the bolt is ensured by the interaction of the protrusion on its body with a shaped groove on the inner surface of the bolt frame.

Barrel and receiver

The AK-47 barrel has 4 rifling, winding from left to top to right, the barrel was made of weapon steel.

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

The barrel is fixedly attached to the receiver, without the possibility of quick change in the field.

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

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 determine the movement of the bolt group - two upper and two lower. The lower left guide also has a reflective protrusion.

In the front part of the receiver there are cutouts through which the bolt is locked, the rear walls of which are thus lugs. The right lug also serves to direct the movement of the cartridge fed from the right row of the AK-47 magazine. On the left is a part with a similar purpose, which is not a combat rest.

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

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

Bolt group

It consists mainly of a bolt frame with a gas piston, the bolt itself, the ejector and the firing pin.

The AK-47 bolt group is located “hung out” in the receiver, moving along the guide protrusions located in its upper part as if on rails. This “suspended” position of the moving parts in the receiver with relatively large gaps ensures reliable operation of the system even when heavily soiled.

The bolt frame serves to activate the bolt and firing 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, ensuring the operation of the weapon’s automation. The weapon's reloading handle is located on the right and is made as a single unit with the bolt frame.

The bolt has a nearly cylindrical shape and two massive lugs, which, when the bolt is turned, fit into special cutouts in the receiver, thereby locking the barrel bore for firing. In addition, the bolt, with its longitudinal movement, feeds the next cartridge from the magazine before firing, for which purpose there is a rammer protrusion in its lower part.

Also attached to the bolt is an ejector mechanism, 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 limiting 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 return spring guide rod fits into the groove of the receiver and serves as a latch for the stamped receiver cover.

The mass of the moving parts of the AK-47 is about 520 grams. Thanks to a powerful gas engine, they come to the extreme rear position with a high speed of about 3.5-4 m/s, which in many ways ensures high reliability of the weapon, but reduces the accuracy of the battle due to the strong shaking of the weapon and powerful impacts of the 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 g are for the bolt frame and 72 g for the bolt. The lightest moving parts in the AK family are those of the shortened AKS-74U: its bolt frame 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

Trigger type, with a trigger rotating on an axis and a U-shaped mainspring made of triple twisted wire.

The trigger mechanism of the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle allows continuous and single fire. A single rotary part performs the functions of a fire mode switch (translator) and a double-action safety lever: in the safety position, it locks the trigger, the sear of single and continuous fire and prevents the rear movement of the bolt frame, 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 travel is not enough to chamber the next cartridge.

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

The “classic” trigger of an AK-shaped weapon has three axes - for the self-timer, for the hammer and for the trigger. Civilian versions that do not fire in bursts usually do not have a self-timer axis.

Shop

The AK magazine is box-shaped, sector-type, double-row, 30 rounds. Consists of a body, a locking bar, a cover, a spring and a feeder.

The AK-47 and AKM had magazines with stamped steel casings. There were also plastic ones. Large taper of the 7.62 mm cartridge cartridge mod. 1943 caused their unusually large bend, which became characteristic feature appearance of the weapon. For the AK-74 family, a plastic magazine was introduced (initially polycarbonate, then glass-filled polyamide), only the bends (“lips”) in its upper part remained metal.

Kalashnikov assault rifle magazines are distinguished by their high reliability of supplying cartridges, even when they are filled to the maximum. Thick metal “jaws” at the top of even plastic magazines ensure reliable feeding and are very durable in rough handling - this design was subsequently copied by a number of foreign companies for their products.

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

The magazine attachment point is characterized by the absence of a developed neck - the magazine is simply inserted into the receiver window, hooking its protrusion onto its front edge, and is secured with a latch.

Sighting device

The AK-47 sighting device consists of a sight and a front sight. The sight is a sector type, with the sighting block located in the middle part of the weapon. The sight is calibrated 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 mane 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, the “wings” of which it is covered from the sides. When bringing the machine gun to normal combat, the front sight can be screwed in/out to raise/lower the average point of impact, and also moved left/right to deviate the average point of impact horizontally.

For 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 an AK-47 assault rifle, or used as a knife. The bayonet-knife is put on a ring on the barrel coupling, attached with protrusions to the gas chamber, and with a latch engages with the ramrod stop. When unlocked from the weapon, the bayonet-knife is worn in a sheath on the waist belt.

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

When the AKM was adopted, a short (150 mm blade) detachable bayonet (type 1) was introduced, which had expanded functionality from the point of view of household use. Instead of a second blade, it received a file, and in combination with a sheath it could be used to cut barbed wire fences, including live ones. Also, the upper part of the handle is made of metal. The bayonet can be inserted with a ring for fastening into the scabbard and used as a hammer. There are two versions of this bayonet that differ mainly in the device.

A later 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 knife is somewhat inferior to foreign analogues of such well-known American companies as SOG, Cold Steel, Gerber.

Of the foreign variants, the Chinese clone of the AK-47 - Type 56 is notable for its use of a fixed folding needle bayonet.

AK-47 affiliation

Designed for disassembling, assembling, cleaning and lubricating the machine. Consists of a cleaning rod, a cleaning cloth, a brush, a screwdriver with a drift, a storage case and an oil can. The case body and cover are used as auxiliary tools for cleaning and lubricating weapons. Stored in a special cavity inside the stock, with the exception of models with a folding frame shoulder rest, where it is carried in a magazine bag.

Combat accuracy and fire efficiency

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

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

AK-47 allows you to hit the following targets with one bullet (for best shooters, lying down, single fire):

head figure - 100 m;

waist figure and running figure - 300 m;

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

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

Assembly and disassembly

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

• separating the magazine and checking that there is no cartridge in the chamber;
• removing a pencil case with an accessory (for an AK-47 - from the butt, for an AKS - from the pocket of a magazine bag);
• cleaning rod compartment;
• separation of the receiver cover;
• removing the return mechanism;
• separation of the bolt frame with the bolt;
• separating the bolt from the bolt frame;
• separation of the gas tube with the barrel lining.

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

Patent status

Izhmash calls all AK-like models produced outside Russia counterfeit, however, there is no data on Kalashnikov registering copyright certificates for his machine gun: some certificates are on display at the Museum and Exhibition Complex of Small Arms named after M. T. Kalashnikov (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 copyright certificate for the AK-47 assault rifle was issued to Kalashnikov, it is worth noting that the patent protection period for the original design developed in the forties has long expired.

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

Differences from the basic AK described in the patent include:

• folding stock with locks for combat and traveling position;
• a gas piston rod installed in the bolt frame hole using a thread with a gap;
• a socket for a pencil case with an accessory, formed by stiffening ribs inside the butt and closed with a spring-loaded rotary 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 AK-47 outside Russia

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

In the 1950s, licenses for the production of the AK-47 were transferred by the USSR to 18 countries (mainly Warsaw Pact allies). At the same time, twelve more states began producing 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 in a handicraft manner, cannot be counted. To date, according to Rosoboronexport, the licenses of all states that previously received them have already expired, however, production continues. 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, are especially active in producing clones of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. 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 have been adopted by the armies of 55 countries.

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

Many of the AK-47 copies are in turn also copied (with the purchase of a license or not) with some modifications by other manufacturers, resulting in systems that are quite different from the original model, 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 weapons legislation (primarily in the USA), various versions of the Kalashnikov system are very popular as civilian weapons.

In the United States, all AK-like weapons are known collectively as the 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 ownership of automatic (burst-firing) weapons in the United States was allowed to civilians, many of them were subsequently officially registered in compliance with all necessary formalities.

The Gun Control Act, adopted in 1968, banned the import of civilian automatic weapons, but due to a number of loopholes in the law, the sale of automatic weapons assembled in the United States remained possible. In addition, the import of self-loading AK-based variants was not limited in any way.

In 1986, an amendment to the same resolution (the so-called Firearm Owners Protection Act) prohibited 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 purchased with an appropriate license, and with a Class III Dealer license, can be sold. Thus, in the United States, in the hands of civilians, there is currently a certain number of military-style Kalashnikov assault rifles capable of firing in bursts.

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

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

AK-47 at the moment

As weapons became obsolete, their shortcomings began to become more and more apparent, both those that were characteristic of them initially and those revealed over time due to changes in the requirements for small arms and the nature of combat operations. 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 the weapon 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 their design. At the same time, the Kalashnikov assault rifle itself cannot be called overly heavy, however, any attempts to significantly modernize it - for example, lengthening and weighting the barrel to increase shooting accuracy, not to mention installing additional sighting devices - inevitably take its weight beyond the limits acceptable for army weapons, which is well demonstrated 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 reduction in its service strength, which partly proves negative experience operation of 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, on the AK-47, the bolt is locked using the cutouts of the receiver liner, and not the barrel extension, as in more modern models, which does not allow the receiver to be made from materials that are lighter and more technologically advanced to manufacture, although less durable. Two lugs are also a simple, but not optimal solution - even the bolt of the SVD rifle has three lugs, providing more uniform locking and a smaller angle of rotation of the bolt, not to mention modern Western models, for which we are usually talking about at least six bolt lugs.

A significant drawback in modern conditions is the collapsible receiver with a detachable cover. This design makes it impossible to mount modern types of sights (collimator, optical, night) using Weaver or Picatinny rails: placing a heavy sight on a removable receiver cover is useless due to the presence of significant structural play. As a result, most AK-like weapons allow the installation of only a limited number of sight models 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 butt 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 sighting bar, fixedly attached to the bottom of the receiver, or the South African bullpup Vektor CR21 assault rifle, in which the collimator sight is located on a bar attached to the base of the sight standard for the AK-47 - with this arrangement it ends up right in the area of ​​the shooter’s eyes. The first solution is quite palliative, it significantly complicates the assembly and disassembly of the weapon, and also increases its bulkiness and weight; the second is suitable only for weapons made according to the bullpup design. On the other hand, it is thanks to the presence of a removable receiver cover that the assembly and disassembly of the AK is quick and convenient, which also provides excellent access to the parts of the weapon when cleaning it.

Currently, other, more successful solutions to this problem have emerged. Thus, on the AK-12, as well as on hunting carbines of the Saiga system, the receiver cover is hinged upwards and forwards on a hinge, which allows for the installation of modern sighting bars (on the AK-12 and “tactical” variants 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 firing mechanism (trigger box). By modern standards, this is a disadvantage of weapons, since in more modern systems (and even in the relatively old Soviet SVD and American M16), the trigger is usually made in the form of a separate, easily removable unit, allowing for quick replacement 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 modernization of weapons by installing a new receiver unit on the existing trigger unit (for example, to switch to a new caliber of ammunition), which is a very economical solution.

There is no need to talk about 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.

The high reliability of the Kalashnikov family of assault rifles, or more precisely, the methods used in its design to achieve it, is at the same time the reason for its significant shortcomings. The increased impulse of the gas venting mechanism, coupled with a gas piston fixedly attached to the bolt frame and large gaps between all parts, on the one hand, leads to the fact that the automatic weapon operates flawlessly even with heavy contamination (contamination is literally “blown out” from the receiver when fired), - on the other hand, large gaps when the bolt group moves lead to the appearance of multidirectional lateral impulses that displace the weapon from the aiming line, while the bolt frame comes to the rearmost position at a speed of about 5 m/s (for comparison, in systems with more " soft" operation of the automatic, even at the initial stage of the bolt moving back, this speed usually does not exceed 4 m/s), guarantees severe shaking of the weapon when firing, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of automatic fire. According to some of the available estimates, weapons of the AK family are not at all suitable for conducting effective aimed fire in bursts. This is also the reason for the relatively large bolt overhang, and therefore the longer receiver length, to the detriment of the barrel length while maintaining the overall dimensions of the weapon. On the other hand, the AK bolt runs out completely inside the receiver, without involving the cavity of the butt, which makes it possible to make the latter foldable, reducing the dimensions of the weapon when carried.

Other shortcomings are less radical in nature and can be characterized more as individual characteristics of the sample.

One of the disadvantages of the AK-47 associated with the design of its trigger is the inconvenient location of the safety switch (on the right side of the receiver, under the cutout for the cocking handle) and a clear click when removing the weapon from safety, unmasking the shooter before opening fire. On many foreign versions (Tantal, Valmet, Galil) and on the AEK-971 assault rifle, an additional safety switch has been introduced, conveniently located on the left, which can significantly improve the ergonomics of the weapon. The trigger of an AK is considered to be quite tight, but it is noted that this can be easily corrected with simple skill.

The cocking handle located on the right is often considered a disadvantage of the AK family. This arrangement was at one time adopted based on very practical considerations: the handle located on the left, when carrying the weapon “on the chest” and moving it crawling, would rest against the shooter’s body, causing 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 fire safety switch, to the right. For example, on the foreign version of the Galil, for ease of cocking with the left hand, the handle is bent upward.

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

The ergonomics of all variants of Kalashnikov assault rifles have often become the object of criticism. The AK-47 stock is considered too short, and the handguard is considered too “elegant”. However, this weapon was created for the relatively short military personnel of the 1940s, as well as taking into account its use in winter clothing and gloves. The situation could be partially corrected by a removable rubber butt pad, versions of which are widely offered on the civilian market. IN Russian units for special purposes and in the civilian market, it is very common to use non-serial versions of stocks, pistol grips, and so on on various AKs, which increases the ease of use of weapons, although it does not solve the problem in itself and leads to a significant increase in its cost.

Factory AK sights from a modern point of view should be considered quite rough, and a short sighting line (the distance between the front sight and the rear sight slot) does not contribute to high shooting accuracy. Most of the significantly redesigned foreign versions based on the AK-47 primarily received just more advanced sighting devices, and in most cases - with a completely diopter type located close to the shooter's 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 faster transfer of fire from one target to another and is more convenient when conducting automatic fire, since it covers the target less. It is worth noting that the first versions of the Kalashnikov assault rifle mounting straps optical sights did not have. The ability to install a rail for mounting optical sights appeared only on the AK-74M modification.

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

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

Technical characteristics of the AK-47

• Caliber: 7.62×39
• Weapon length: 870 mm
• Barrel length: 414 mm
• Weight without cartridges: 3.8 kg.
• Rate of fire: 600 rounds/min
• Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
• Main characteristics of AKS
• Caliber: 7.62×39
• Weapon length: 880/645 mm
• Barrel length: 414 mm
• Weight without cartridges: 3.8 kg.
• Rate of fire: 600 rounds/min
• Magazine capacity: 30 rounds

For almost 70 years, the USSR and Russia have developed several dozen modifications, prototypes and concepts of the most popular small arms in the world - the Kalashnikov assault rifle. The universal base allows you to design “guns” for almost any taste: folding, shortened, with a bayonet, optics or an under-barrel grenade launcher, for special services or individual branches of the military.

In this material we will tell you how to learn to distinguish between the main AK models and what their unique features are.

AK (AK-47)

The classic, very first AK-47 adopted for service is difficult to confuse with anything else. Made of iron and wood, without any bells and whistles, it has long become a symbol of reliability and ease of use in any conditions. At the same time, it didn’t take long for the machine gun to become like this: it took Mikhail Kalashnikov several years to bring his creation to fruition.

In 1946, the military leadership of the USSR announced a competition to create an assault rifle chambered for an intermediate (in terms of destructive power - between a pistol and a rifle) cartridge. The new weapon had to be maneuverable, fast-firing, and have sufficient bullet lethality and shooting accuracy. The competition took place in several stages and was extended more than once, since none of the gunsmiths could give the required result. In particular, the commission sent AK-46 models No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 (with a folding metal stock) for revision.

The improved Kalashnikov assault rifle, which was given the index AK-47, as Sergei Monetchikov writes in the book “The History of the Russian Automatic,” was almost completely redesigned. The best ideas were borrowed from the designs of competitors' weapons, implemented in individual parts and entire assemblies.

The machine gun did not have a classic solid stock. Taking into account the strong receiver, the separate wooden stock and fore-end contributed to holding the weapon during shooting. The design of the receiver was redesigned; it was fundamentally different from the previous ones with a special liner rigidly attached to it, connecting it to the barrel. In particular, a reflector of spent cartridges was attached to the insert.

The reloading handle, made integral with the bolt frame, was moved to the right side. This was demanded by test soldiers; they noted: the left-sided position of the handle interferes with shooting while moving on the move without stopping, touching the stomach. In the same position it is inconvenient to reload the weapon.

The transfer of controls to the right side of the receiver made it possible to create a successful fire switch (from single to automatic), which is also a fuse, made in the form of a single rotating part.

The large mass of the bolt frame and a powerful return spring ensured reliable operation of the mechanisms, including unfavorable conditions: when dusty, dirty, or thickened lubricant. The weapon turned out to be adapted for trouble-free operation in the range of air temperature changes up to 100 degrees Celsius.

The wooden parts of the new weapon - the butt, fore-end and receiver grip, as well as the pistol grip, made from birch blanks - were coated with three layers of varnish, which ensured their sufficient resistance to swelling in damp conditions.

AKS (AKS-47)

Simultaneously with the AK-47, a model with the letter “C”, meaning “folding”, was also adopted. This version of the machine gun was intended for special forces and airborne forces; its difference was in the metal rather than wooden butt, which could also be folded under the receiver.

“Such a stock, consisting of two stamped-welded rods, a shoulder rest and a locking mechanism, ensured ease of handling of the weapon - in the stowed position, when moving on skis, parachuting, as well as its use for firing from tanks, armored personnel carriers, etc. .”, writes Sergei Monetchikov.

The machine gun was supposed to be fired with the butt folded down, but if this was not possible, the weapon could also be fired with the butt folded. True, it was not very comfortable: the butt rods had insufficient rigidity and strength, and the wide shoulder rest did not fit into the hollow of the shoulder and therefore tended to move from there when firing in bursts.

AKM and AKMS

The modernized Kalashnikov assault rifle (AKM) was put into service 10 years after the AK-47 - in 1959. It turned out to be lighter, longer-range and easier to use.

“We, and especially the main customer, were not satisfied with the accuracy when shooting from stable positions, lying down from a rest, standing from a rest. We found a way out by introducing a trigger retarder, which increased the inter-cycle time,” Kalashnikov wrote in the book “Notes of a Gunsmith Designer.” Later, a muzzle compensator was developed, which made it possible to improve the accuracy of combat during automatic shooting from unstable positions, standing, kneeling, lying down from the hand."

The retarder allowed the bolt frame to stabilize in the extreme forward position before the next shot, which affected the accuracy of fire. The muzzle compensator in the form of a petal was installed on the barrel thread, and was one of the obvious distinctive features AKM. Due to the compensator, the trunk cut was not vertical, but diagonal. By the way, mufflers could be attached to the same thread.

Improving the accuracy of fire made it possible to increase it sighting range up to 1000 meters, as a result, the aiming bar also changed, the range scale consisted of numbers from 1 to 10 (on the AK-47 - up to 8).

The butt was raised upward, which brought the resting point closer to the firing line. The external shape of the wooden forend has changed. On the sides it received rests for the fingers. The phosphate-varnish coating, which replaced the oxide coating, increased the anti-corrosion resistance tenfold. Monetchikov notes that the store, made not from steel sheets, but from light alloys, has also undergone radical changes. To increase reliability and protect against deformation, the side walls of its body were reinforced with stiffeners.

The design of the bayonet-knife, attached under the barrel, was also new. A sheath with a rubber tip for electrical insulation allowed the knife to be used for cutting through barbed wire and live wires. The combat power of the AKM increased significantly due to the possibility of installing the GP-25 Koster under-barrel grenade launcher. Like its predecessor, the AKM was also developed in a folding version with the letter “C” in the name.

In the 1960s, the Soviet military leadership decided to develop small arms chambered for the low-impulse 5.45 mm caliber cartridge. The fact is that the AKM failed to achieve high accuracy of fire. The reason was that the cartridge was too powerful, which gave a strong impulse.

In addition, as Monetchikov writes, military trophies from South Vietnam also ended up in the hands of Soviet military specialists - American AR-15 rifles, the automatic version of which was later adopted by the US Army under the designation M-16. Even then, the AKM was inferior in many respects to the AR-15, in particular in terms of combat accuracy and hit probability.

“In terms of the difficulty of development, in terms of finding approaches, the design of an assault rifle chambered for the 5.45-mm caliber can probably only be compared with the birth of the AK-47 - the father of the entire family of our system. At first, when we decided to take the AKM automatic circuit as a basis, one one of the factory managers expressed the idea that there was no need to look for something and invent something here, they say, a simple re-barrel would be enough. I marveled in my soul at the naivety of such a judgment, - Mikhail Kalashnikov recalled about that period. - Of course, change the barrel larger caliber for a smaller one it’s a simple matter. Then, by the way, the popular opinion began to circulate that we just changed the number “47” to “74”.

The main feature of the new machine was a two-chamber muzzle brake, which, when fired, absorbed approximately half the recoil energy. A rail for night sights was mounted on the left side of the receiver. The new rubber-metal design of the butt butt with transverse grooves reduced its sliding along the shoulder when conducting aimed shooting.

The handguard and stock were initially made of wood, but switched to black plastic in the 1980s. The external feature of the butt was grooves on both sides; they were made to lighten the overall weight of the machine. Shops were also made from plastic.

AKS-74

For the Airborne Forces, a modification with a folding stock was traditionally made, although this time it was retracted to the left along the receiver. It is believed that this decision was not very successful: when folded, the machine gun was wide and rubbed the skin when worn behind the back. When worn on the chest, it became inconvenient if it was necessary to fold back the butt without removing the weapon.

A leather cheek muff appeared on the upper side of the butt; it protected the shooter’s cheek from freezing to a metal part in winter conditions.

AKS-74U

Following the world fashion of the 1960-70s, the USSR decided to develop a small-sized machine gun that could be used in cramped combat conditions, mainly when shooting at close and medium distances. The next announced competition among designers was won by Mikhail Kalashnikov.

Compared to the AKS-74, the barrel was shortened from 415 to 206.5 millimeters, which is why it had to be removed gas chamber back. This, writes Sergei Monetchikov, entailed a change in the design of the front sight. Its base was made in conjunction with the gas chamber. This design also caused the sight to be moved closer to the shooter’s eye, otherwise the aiming line would be very short. Finishing the topic of the sight, we note that the machine guns of this model were equipped with self-luminous attachments for shooting at night and in conditions of limited visibility.

The greater pressure of the powder gases required the installation of a reinforced flame arrester. It was a cylindrical chamber with a bell (an extension in the form of a funnel) at the front. The flame arrester was mounted on the muzzle of the barrel, on a threaded fit.

The shortened machine gun was equipped with a more massive wooden fore-end and a gas tube receiver; it could use either standard 30-round magazines or shortened 20-round magazines.

To more completely unify the shortened machine gun with the AKS-74, it was decided to use the same butt, which folds onto the left side of the receiver.

AK-74M

This machine gun is a deep modernization of the weapon adopted for service in 1974. Having retained all the best qualities inherent in Kalashnikov assault rifles, the AK-74M acquired a number of new ones that significantly improved its combat and operational characteristics.

The main feature of the new model was a folding plastic stock, replacing the metal one. It was lighter than its predecessors and similar in design to the permanent plastic stock of the AK-74 produced in the late 1980s. When worn, it clings less to clothing and does not cause discomfort when shooting in low or high temperature conditions.

The handguard and the barrel lining of the gas tube of the machine gun were made of glass-filled polyamide. By heat transfer new material almost indistinguishable from wood, which eliminated hand burns during prolonged shooting. Longitudinal ribs on the fore-end made it easier and more secure to hold the weapon during aimed fire.

"The hundredth series" (AK 101-109)

These modifications of the Kalashnikov, developed in the 1990s on the basis of the AK-74M, are called the first domestic family of commercial weapons, since they were intended more for export than for domestic consumption. In particular, they were designed for the NATO cartridge of 5.56 by 45 millimeters.

Wooden parts are completely excluded from the designs of the "100th" series assault rifles (similar to the best model of the 5.45 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle - AK74M). The butt and forearm of all are made of impact-resistant glass-filled polyamide in black color, for which this weapon, as Monetchikov writes, received the name “Black Kalashnikov” from the Americans. All models have plastic stocks that fold to the left along the receiver and a rail for mounting sights.

The most original in the “hundredth” series were the AK-102, AK-104 and AK-105 assault rifles. In their design, a breakthrough was made in increasing the level of unification between standard assault rifles and their shortened versions. Due to a slight increase in the overall length (by 100 millimeters compared to the AKS-74U), it became possible to leave the gas chamber in the same place as in the AK-74, thus allowing the use of a unified moving system and sighting devices on all machine guns of the series.

The "hundredth" series assault rifles differ from each other mainly in caliber, barrel length (314 - 415 millimeters), and sector sights designed for different ranges (from 500 to 1000 meters).

This machine gun was also developed on the basis of the AK-74M; it also used developments from the “hundredth” series. Same black color, same polymer folding stock. The main difference from the classic Kalashnikovs can be considered a shortened barrel and a gas exhaust mechanism. Experts call the new pistol grip, which has better ergonomics, an important improvement.

The machine gun was created as a silent, flameless rifle system for covert shooting. It uses subsonic 9x39 mm cartridges, which together with a silencer make the shot almost inaudible. Magazine capacity - 20 rounds.

The forend has a special strip for various removable equipment - flashlights, laser pointers.

Most modern machine gun of the Kalashnikov family, the tests of which have not yet been completed. From external changes The use of Picatinny rails for attaching attachments is striking. Unlike the AK-9, they are both on the forend and on top of the receiver. At the same time, the lower bar does not interfere with the installation of under-barrel grenade launchers - this option is retained. The AK-12 also has two short rails on the sides of the handguard and one on top of the gas chamber.

In addition, the butt of the machine gun is easily removed and can be folded in both directions. On top of that, it is telescopic; the cheekpiece and butt plate are adjustable in height. There is also a variant of the machine gun with a stationary, lighter plastic butt.

The fire switch safety flag is duplicated on the left side; the machine gun can fire single, short series of three shots, and in automatic mode. And in general, all the controls of the machine gun are made in such a way that a soldier can use them with one hand, including changing the magazine and pulling the bolt. By the way, a variety of magazines can be used, up to an experimental drum with 95 rounds.

During World War II, the Soviet defense industry was faced with the task of quickly developing a new firearms system and its accelerated mass production. The specialists showed incredible efficiency and in a short time modernized the equipment of the rifle units. Before the end of the war, these modern models, optimally suited to combat conditions, could already supplement or replace the weapons at the army’s disposal.

This also applied to machine guns. From July 1, 1941 to June 30, 1945, the defense industry supplied the military with more than 6.1 million units of Shpagin PPSh 41 and Sudaev PPS 43 assault rifles, equipped with 7.62x25 Tokarev cartridges. They supplemented the stock of repeating rifles and carbines.

The machine guns provided an effective range of 100 to 200 m, multi-shot rifles - from 400 to 600 m. The massive use of these weapons showed that it was necessary to close, in tactical terms, a fairly significant gap between the firing range of machine guns and multi-shot rifles; the range was supposed to be from 200 up to 400 m. According to expert analyses, this could only be achieved with the help of improved cartridges and more modern weapons.

It was planned that the ballistic power, dimensions and weight of the new cartridge would be in the range between pistol and rifle cartridges. The large effective range and penetrating power of the weapon being developed should not have affected the increase in size and weight. Ammunition developed by N. M. Elizarov and B. V. Semin appeared before the end of the war. New machine, developed by M. T. Kalashnikov, was adopted by the army in 1949. The shortened 7.62x39 cartridges of the M 43 model and the Kalashnikov AK 47 assault rifle became a significant achievement in the USSR defense industry.

Before a version of the Kalashnikov assault rifle suitable for military use appeared, a large number of experimental weapons by Soviet designers S. G. Simonov and A. I. Sudaev were tested. Simonov developed the SKS 45 self-loading carbine, named in his honor, for a new type of ammunition.

The experienced Sudaev assault rifle was equipped with shortened cartridges and could fire single shots and bursts. The operation of automation is based on the use of energy from the dacha. The weapon is equipped with a blowback bolt, a double-row straight long magazine with 30 rounds of ammunition, a wooden butt with a pistol grip and a folding bipod. But the weapon did not meet all the requirements. The second prototype machine, tested in August 1944, was also rejected. It was equipped with new cartridges, had a magazine for 35 rounds and operated on the principle of removing powder gases from the barrel.

But the principle that Sudaev used when working on experimental weapons turned out to be correct. The designer abandoned the automatic action using recoil energy, which was well suited for 7.62x25 pistol cartridges, but not suitable for shortened 7.62x39 rifle cartridges. The use of recoil energy from a massive bolt, which was well suited for the 7.62x25 cartridge, was unacceptable for the more powerful 7.62x39 cartridge, since the bolt of such a weapon would have to be so heavy that it would be neither light nor easy to use. service.

M. T. Kalashnikov was able to achieve the combination of all the necessary technical characteristics of a weapon with the principle of removing powder gases from the barrel.

In September 1941, as a tank commander, he, then a sergeant, was seriously wounded and while on leave for injury he tried himself as a weapons designer, and in 1942 he created his first machine gun. This weapon, equipped with Tokarev cartridges, had a barrel without a casing, a second pistol grip in front of the magazine and a folding metal shoulder rest. This machine gun, like the next one - 9 mm caliber, was not produced.

And yet, Kalashnikov was included in the Moscow design team and focused on developing an assault rifle for new shortened cartridges. The prototype was ready in 1946, and then it was improved and eventually registered for competition. Kalashnikov presented two prototypes and documentation for the project. According to the terms of the competition, he called them a special code: the name consisted of the initial letters of his name and patronymic Mikhtim.

In his memoirs, Kalashnikov describes this competition as follows: “I felt quite confident until such aces as Degtyarev, Simonov and Shpagin appeared... Who did I want to measure my strength with? After the first tests, some samples were completely rejected and not even recommended for improvement. For a designer, this is a heavy blow when the work of many sleepless nights suddenly turns out to be unclaimed. However, this is better than the defeat of a thousand soldiers because of your weapon. My Mikhtim was one of three models that were recommended for appropriate improvement before new tests... The second test was to take place in conditions closest to combat. A loaded machine gun was placed in swamp water, then someone ran with it for a while and opened fire as they ran. The machine was contaminated with sand and dust. However, he shot, and not bad, although he was completely covered in mud. Even after the machine was reset several times high altitude on a cement floor, there were no malfunctions or interference during reloading. This merciless examination ended with an unequivocal conclusion: “The 7.62 mm assault rifle developed by Kalashnikov should be recommended for adoption.”

This is how this machine gun appeared, which became the prototype of a whole generation of weapons. The Soviet armed forces have been equipped with Kalashnikov assault rifles since 1949. Motorized rifle squads, security and service units of the air force and naval forces received a version with a stationary wooden butt; airborne troops, tank crews and special units - a modification with a folding metal shoulder rest. In the Soviet Union, the assault rifle was officially called an automatic weapon of the Kalashnikov system (Kalashnikov assault rifle), in specialized literature the abbreviations AK and AK 47 are used. In the specialized press and literature of other countries, this assault rifle is often called an assault rifle, and the version with a folding metal shoulder rest is often called AKS, or AKS 47.

The Kalashnikov AK 47 assault rifle operates on the principle of removing the energy of powder gases from the barrel. Locking is carried out by the lugs of the bolt rotating around its axis. The pressure of the powder gases that arises after the shot acts through the hole in the barrel on the gas piston and on the bolt, which, during the reverse stroke, is turned out of its locking device in the body.

The barrel rifling pitch length is 240 mm. Even at very high or low temperatures the weapon shoots flawlessly.

To supply ammunition, horn magazines made of steel or light metal with 30 rounds are used. On the right side there is a safety lever, which is also used as a fire switch.

Although the weapon has a fairly short aiming line (378 mm), good accuracy is achieved when shooting: for example, with a single fire from a distance of 300 m it is 25 and 30 cm. Range effective action Kalashnikov assault rifle is 400 m with single fire, 300 m with burst fire, 500 m with group fire, 800 m with group fire, and 400 m with air targets. The bullet retains its penetrating power up to 1500 m. Practical The rate of fire is 40 rds/min with single fire, and 90 to 100 rds/min with automatic fire.

IN sighting device includes a mobile sector sight, mounted at a range from 100 to 800 m, and a front sight with side protection, mounted on a rather high protruding holder. The version with a folding metal stock has a length of 645 mm. with the butt folded down - 880 mm. A bayonet can be used for both versions. A ramrod is attached under the barrel.

A Kalashnikov assault rifle can be disassembled with just a few movements and without special tools.

Since 1959, the Kalashnikov assault rifle has been produced in a modified version: the AKM model - with a stationary wooden or plastic butt and the AKMS model - with a folding metal shoulder rest. The length of both models corresponds to the length of the first versions. Both the barrel length and the length of the aiming line are identical.

But there are also differences. AKM and AKMS assault rifles weigh significantly less. The trigger is equipped with an additional lock for single-fire mode. This ensures that only one cartridge is ignited. The stock, stock and shift lever have also been improved. In addition, a new bayonet was developed that can be used as a saw or as scissors for cutting wire fences. The length of the weapon with a bayonet installed is 1020 mm.

Further improvements were aimed at hitting accuracy. A few years later, the outlet of the Kalashnikov assault rifle barrel began to be equipped with an asymmetrical compensator, which had a positive effect on the stability of the weapon when firing in bursts. Hitting accuracy has been significantly improved. In addition, the weapon of the second version has a larger aiming firing range, can be equipped with an additional sight for shooting in the dark, as well as an active or passive night vision device.

The Kalashnikov assault rifle was the model for the Israeli-developed Galil automatic rifles. Finnish designers also focused on Soviet machine guns, when automatic rifles of models 60,62 and 82 of the Valmet weapon system were developed. The design principle of the Kalashnikov assault rifle decisively influenced small arms development projects in many countries.

According to experts, until mid-1985, more than 50 million Kalashnikov-type assault rifles were produced. Weapons of this system, as experts from many countries are convinced, are one of the most common modern models of small arms in the world. It can be used in any combat and extreme climatic conditions.

This applies not only to machine guns, but also to light and universal machine guns of the same system. AK 47, AKS 47, AKM and AKMS assault rifles have a caliber of 7.62 mm, AK/AKS 74 assault rifles - 5.45 mm, RPK light machine guns - 7.62 mm and RPK 74 - 5.45 mm. Universal machine guns of the PK/PKS and PKM/PKMS models are equipped with 7.62×54 R rifle cartridges.

Characteristics: Kalashnikov AK 47 assault rifle
Caliber, mm - 7.62

Weapon length, mm - 870


Weight when charged, kg - 4.80
Weight in an uncharged state, kg - 4.30
Magazine weight, kg - 3.88
Empty magazine weight, kg - 0.42
Cartridge - 7.62×39
Barrel length, mm - 414
Rifling/direction - 4/p
Sighting range, m — 800
Effective range, m - 400

Characteristics: Kalashnikov AKM assault rifle
Caliber, mm - 7.62
Initial bullet speed (v0), m/s - 715
Weapon length, mm — 876*
Rate of fire, rds/min — 600
Ammo Feed - 30 round arc magazine
Weight with full steel magazine, kg - 3.93
Weight with empty steel magazine, kg - 3.43
Weight without magazine, kg - 3.10
Weight of empty steel magazine, kg - 0.33
Weight of an empty light metal magazine, kg - 0.17
Cartridge - 7.62×39
Barrel length, mm - 414
Rifling/direction - 4/p
Sighting range, m — 1000
Effective range, m - 400
Weight of bayonet with scabbard, kg - 0.45
Weight of bayonet without scabbard, kg - 0.26

Mikhail Kalashnikov is strongly associated with his legendary assault rifle. The 7.62 mm weapon was designed 70 years ago and adopted by the Soviet Army in 1949, including a version with a folding stock.

AK and AKS became the base models for dozens of small arms - machine guns, machine guns and hunting carbines. The name AK-47 was assigned to the Kalashnikov assault rifle, but in the USSR it was not called that.

AK-47 is the official name of a limited batch of prototypes and the designation of a Kalashnikov assault rifle in the NATO classification (AK-47 Type II).

Subsequently, Mikhail Timofeevich participated in the modernization of his own weapons. In later models, the range and accuracy of fire were improved, and the weight of the structure was lighter. Against the backdrop of the tremendous success of the AK, other Kalashnikov inventions were pushed to the periphery of history.

Gun-machine gun

From September to October 1941, Sergeant Kalashnikov was treated at the 1133rd evacuation hospital in the city of Yelets, Oryol region. At this time, he became interested in the idea of ​​​​creating his own model of automatic weapons.

Based on his army and front-line experience, as well as the advice of his comrades from the hospital, Kalashnikov created a drawing of the Kalashnikov submachine gun (PPK, caliber 7.62 mm, 1942). This type of weapon is the second in the life of Mikhail Timofeevich (the first submachine gun has not survived).

After being discharged from the hospital, Kalashnikov received a six-month leave, which allowed him to begin assembling a prototype PPK. His arrest prevented him from finishing his work. From the point of view of the Soviet authorities, the inventor was involved in the illegal manufacture and storage of weapons.

Thanks to the help of friends, Kalashnikov managed to continue his work. Mikhail Timofeevich was officially allowed to produce the second sample of the PPK at the artillery and small arms department of the Moscow Aviation Institute, which was evacuated at that time to Almaty (Kazakhstan).

• 7.62 mm Kalashnikov submachine gun model 1942
• raigap.livejournal.com

In 1942, Kalashnikov presented a prototype PPK to the head of the Military Engineering Academy named after. Dzerzhinsky, the famous small arms theorist Professor Anatoly Blagonravov, who was then in Samarkand.

From August 1942 to February 1943, the PPK underwent fine-tuning and testing at the Central Research Site for Small Arms and Mortars (TsNIPSMVO). Here Kalashnikov met the famous gunsmith Sergei Simonov.

Based on the test results, the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU) gave the PPK an unsatisfactory review. Designed under the noticeable influence of the American Thompson submachine gun, the PPK was inferior to the standard Red Army submachine guns PPSh-41 and PPS-43 in terms of such criteria as simplicity of design and manufacture.

The official conclusion of the GAU was as follows: “The Kalashnikov submachine gun is more difficult and expensive to manufacture than PPSh-41 and PPS, and requires the use of scarce and slow milling work. Therefore, despite many attractive aspects (light weight, short length, the presence of a single fire, successful combination of translator and fuse, compact cleaning rod, etc.), in its present form it is not of industrial interest.”

Kalashnikov himself was recommended by Professor Blagonravov for further training in the design specialty. The mistakes made in the design of the PPK became an incentive for the young inventor to create simpler and more effective models.

Self-loading carbine

In addition to the PPK, the USSR People's Commissariat of Defense also rejected another prototype of Mikhail Timofeevich's small arms - a self-loading carbine of 7.62 mm caliber (SKK). This weapon is the first Kalashnikov model to use a rotary locking scheme. The carbine had increased strength and reliability.

• Experienced self-loading Kalashnikov carbine 1944
• weaponland.ru

In 1944-1945, Kalashnikov developed two models of self-loading carbines for an experimental intermediate cartridge with a sleeve length of 41 mm. Subsequently, the bullet with a lead core was replaced by a longer one with a steel core, and to maintain the overall length of the cartridge, the length of the cartridge case was reduced to 39 mm. The result was the 7.62mm Model 1943 cartridge, also known as the 7.62x39 cartridge.

The self-loading (the principle is similar to an automatic weapon, but the trigger must be pulled separately for each shot) Kalashnikov carbine was considered a very reliable model. Based on the comments, Mikhail Timofeevich tried to correct the weaknesses of the SKS (Simonov Self-loading Carbine), and in 1945 the carbine entered state testing.

However, by the end of World War II, the idea that the army had a greater need for mass-produced automatic weapons prevailed. In this regard, Kalashnikov decided to focus entirely on creating an assault rifle, which eventually became the most popular in the world.

The Kalashnikov self-loading carbine has been characterized as a weapon with increased strength and reliability when used in difficult conditions. Despite the fact that the carbine itself was not adopted for service, some developments formed the basis of the AK.

In particular, the receiver cover is fixed by the protrusion of the return mechanism rod, which began to be used in many other Kalashnikov models. Mikhail Timofeevich’s assault rifles up to the AK-74M received a silhouette of the front sight base similar to a self-loading carbine.

Sniper rifle

In 1959, Kalashnikov took part in a state competition to create a new sniper weapon for the Soviet army. Mikhail Timofeevich sent a sample of the Kalashnikov self-loading sniper rifle (SVS) for testing. Famous designers Evgeny Dragunov, Alexander Konstantinov, Sergey Simonov took part in the competition.

The Kalashnikov sniper rifle was created in two versions. The second sample, unlike the first, largely repeated the design of the AK, essentially representing its enlarged version chambered for a more powerful 7.62x54 mm cartridge and without the ability to conduct automatic fire.

• Experienced sniper rifle Kalashnikov 1959
• topwar.ru

The Kalashnikov rifle was inferior to the Dragunov model in terms of accuracy of fire, but it turned out to be lighter and smaller. As a result, the Dragunov sniper rifle, SVD, was adopted into service with the troops in 1963, which subsequently underwent many changes.

Automatic pistol

Mikhail Timofeevich tried his hand at various fields, including the development of a pistol Armed Forces THE USSR. In the 1950s, the Soviet army tried to resolve the issue of personal weapons for the crews of tanks, armored vehicles and self-propelled artillery units.

The machine guns were too bulky, and the Makarov pistol that existed at that time was of limited effectiveness. The idea arose to create a pistol with the ability to fire bursts, that is, an automatic pistol.

• Experienced Kalashnikov automatic pistol 1951
• www.arms.ru

In 1951, an automatic pistol of the Kalashnikov system (APK) of 9 mm caliber competed with a similar model by Igor Stechkin. Historians point out that Mikhail Timofeevich did not have enough time to finalize the prototype. As a result, the agro-industrial complex did not reach the field testing stage and the competition was won by the Stechkin automatic pistol (APS).

Machine guns

An extremely successful design decision of Mikhail Timofeevich was the creation of a machine gun for 7.62 mm caliber (PK). Working in emergency mode since 1958, Kalashnikov won the competition. In 1961, the USSR government gave preference to the PC rather than the Tula machine gun designed by Grigory Nikitin and Yuri Sokolov.

• 7.62 mm Kalashnikov machine gun 1961
• huntsmanblog.ru

The Kalashnikov machine gun is still produced in different versions. The PC was used in the Vietnam War, the Cambodian civil conflict, the Afghan campaign, the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, the Yugoslav conflict, and two Chechen campaigns.

The PC was the so-called single machine gun. In various variations, it was used not only in infantry units, but also installed on tanks and armored vehicles. Based on it, they developed modern machine gun"Pecheneg", Chinese Type 80 and Serbian Zastava M84.

Perhaps the most unusual Kalashnikov model was the curved-barreled machine gun (KPK), which was created in the 1960s to defeat " dead zone» near the tank, inaccessible to straight-barreled weapons. In particular, the weapon was intended for the crews of damaged and damaged tanks.

• 7.62 mm curved-barreled machine gun of the Kalashnikov system
• www.arms.ru

The exotic barrel design (curvature of about 90 degrees) of the PDA made it possible to shoot from around the corner. However, the tankers greeted this idea coolly. The development of all types of curved-barreled machine guns was stopped.

Automatic AK-47 (AKS-47)

After the 7.62-mm intermediate cartridge designed by N. M. Elizarov and B.V. Semin was adopted into service in 1943, work began on creating a new small arms system for this cartridge. To replace submachine guns, a new individual automatic weapon was developed - an assault rifle with a replaceable magazine and a fire mode switch; repeating carbine - a self-loading carbine with a permanent magazine; rifle-caliber light machine gun - a lightweight light machine gun with magazine or belt feed. Work on the machine gun was started by A.I. Sudaev, who created a number of original designs in 1944, then other designers became involved. In 1946, the novice designer Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov presented his model. The assault rifle he developed successfully passed tests and surpassed V.A. Degtyarev, S.G. Simonov, N.V. Rukavishnikov, K.A. Baryshev and others in terms of the totality of design indicators. At the end of the 40s, the assault rifle was adopted for service under designation AK-47 (Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1947) or simply AK.

AK automatics operate by removing powder gases through a side hole in the wall of the barrel bore. A gas piston with a rod is rigidly connected to the bolt frame. After the bolt frame moves away to the required distance under the action of gas pressure, the exhaust gases escape into the atmosphere through holes in the gas tube. The barrel bore is locked by turning the bolt, while the two lugs of the bolt fit into the corresponding grooves of the receiver. The shutter is rotated by bevelling the bolt frame. The bolt frame is the leading element of the automation: it sets the direction of movement of the moving parts, absorbs most shock loads, and a return spring is placed in the longitudinal channel of the bolt frame (by analogy with submachine guns, it is sometimes not entirely correctly called “return-combat”).

The reloading handle is located on the right and is integral with the bolt frame. When the bolt is unlocked by the bolt frame moving backwards, the cartridge case in the chamber is pre-displaced (“disturbed”). This helps relieve pressure in the chamber and prevents the case from rupturing during subsequent removal, even if the chamber is very dirty. The ejection of the spent cartridge case to the right through the receiver window is ensured by a spring-loaded ejector mounted on the bolt and a rigid receiver reflector. The “hung” position of the moving parts in the receiver with relatively large gaps ensured reliable operation of the system even with heavy contamination.

The impact mechanism is a trigger type with a trigger rotating on an axis and a U-shaped mainspring made of double twisted wire. The trigger mechanism allows for continuous and single fire. A single rotary part performs the functions of a fire mode switch (translator) and a double-action safety lever: in the safety position, it locks the trigger, the sear of single and continuous fire and prevents the rear movement of the bolt frame, partially blocking the longitudinal groove between the receiver and its cover. In this case, the bolt can be pulled back to check the chamber, but its travel is not enough to chamber the next cartridge.

All parts of the automation and trigger mechanism are compactly assembled in the receiver, thus playing the role of both the bolt box and the body of the trigger mechanism. The first batches of AK-47 had, in accordance with the instructions, a stamped receiver with a forged barrel insert. However, the available technology did not allow the required rigidity of the box to be achieved at that time, and in mass production cold stamping was replaced by milling the box from a solid forging, which caused an increase in the weight of the weapon.

The rear stop of the recoil spring guide rod fits into the groove of the receiver and serves as a latch for the stamped receiver cover.

The machine gun has a traditional sector sight with an aiming block located in the middle part of the weapon and a front sight located at the muzzle of the barrel, on a triangular base. The front sight is adjustable in height, covered on the sides with “post wings”, the sight is notched up to 800 m.

For ease of holding, the pistol grip, fore-end and barrel guard (connected to the gas tube) are made of wood. The AK-47 was produced with a permanent wooden or folding (forward and downward) metal (AKS-47 or AKS) buttstock. The AKS was supplied to airborne and special forces. During the production process, wooden parts made from birch blanks were gradually replaced: the stock was made of plywood board, the receiver was made of glued veneer, the pistol grip was made of plastic. A small Kalashnikov design group, together with technologists from the Izhevsk plant, somewhat reduced the weight of the machine gun through the introduction of new steel grades.

The machine was attached to a straight flat bayonet with a blade length of 200 mm and a width of 22 mm (on prototypes - a cleaver bayonet of the SVT-40 rifle).

Fire from a machine gun can be carried out with several types of bullets: ordinary, tracer, armor-piercing incendiary and incendiary. The magazine is steel (later supplemented with a light alloy magazine), box-shaped, sector-shaped with a staggered arrangement of 30 rounds.

In the socket of the AK-47 butt there was a pencil case with accessories for caring for the weapon. The ramrod was attached under the barrel and held in the fore-end channel due to its own elasticity.

Deep thought, careful fine-tuning, comparative simplicity and peculiar elegance of the design with the widespread use of the principle of multifunctionality of parts determined the high reliability of the weapon in any conditions. This was greatly facilitated by the careful selection of materials - in particular, weapons-grade steel for the manufacture of the barrel and the most critical parts of the weapon. The survivability of a machine gun barrel is 15-18 thousand shots. The well-thought-out and refined shape of the machine gun made it compact, convenient to shoot and carry. Equally important is the ease of disassembling the machine and maintaining it.

Disassembly:
1. Disconnect the magazine. Turn off the safety, pull back the bolt and make sure there is no cartridge in the chamber, pull the trigger, turn on the safety.
2. Pull down the head of the cleaning rod and separate it from the machine.
3. Press the guide rod of the return spring and remove the receiver cover.
4. Remove the return spring with the guide rod.
5. Pull the cocking handle back and remove the bolt carrier and bolt.
6. Turn over the bolt carrier. Rotate the bolt and remove it from the bolt frame.
7. Raise the gas tube locking flag and disconnect the gas tube from the receiver lining.
Reassemble in reverse order.

TACTICAL - TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Caliber, mm
Cartridge used
Length, mm
Length with attached bayonet, mm
Barrel length, mm
Sighting line length, mm
Magazine, cartridges
Unladen weight, kg
Weight with loaded magazine, kg
Weight with loaded magazine and bayonet, kg
Effective firing range, m
Sighting range, m
Initial bullet speed, m/s
Fire modes	single/continuous
Muzzle energy, J.
Rate of fire, v/m
Combat rate of fire, v/m
Direct shot range at a tall figure, m
Right-hand rifling, pcs.	Share this article: Views Kazan Federal University Naberezhnye Chelny branch of KFU admissions committee Vladimir State University Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Far Eastern Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Federal State Educational Institution of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia Modern Humanitarian Academy Modern Humanitarian Academy of Nou VPO SGA Free education: how to assess your chances of enrolling on a budget Understanding Regression to the Mean Application in the World of Finance Popular Linguistic universities: list, admission conditions Who is a collector? I understand that when applying for a job as a collector UVC - a compromise option Latest articles Methods for measuring the distance from the earth to the moon in kilometers and meters and how long it takes to fly What is the difference between an applied bachelor's degree and an academic one: main features A person’s readiness to receive education independently Properties of natural logarithms: graph, base, functions, limit, formulas and domain of definition Location of niobium. Properties of niobium. Applications in electrodes and alloys The best Accounting statements: forms Balance sheet of an enterprise sample Balance sheet (form 1): form - 2015 No later than March 31, the Inspectorate of the Federal Tax Service and the statistics departments are waiting for the companies’ financial statements for 2015.... Separate accounting and distribution of VAT when exporting goods VAT, like any other tax, entails a lot of nuances. carried out in the presence of non-taxable and taxable transactions in the activity.... Ready-made accounting policy - sample for an organization Accounting policy for public sector employees The obligation of autonomous institutions to develop accounting policies is established by Art. 8 of the Law on Accounting, paragraph 6 of Instruction No. 157n. In the article... New Year Style Hairstyles rokkit.ru- About fashion, clothes, hairstyles, manicure, makeup Makeup Manicure Cloth Shoes