AK-47 Assault Rifle
The Ak-47 is without doubt the worlds most successful assault rifle. Since it was first produced around 10 million have been made. It was the standard rifle of the Soviet bloc during the Cold war and remains the main weapon of its type in Russian service since 1957. It has spread throughout the world being a symbol for many insurgent movements around the world. the AK-47 is the perfect weapon for Guerrilla warfare , sturdy, cheap, small and impressively reliable even when exposed to dirt, sand and abuse. It has a 30 round magazine and fires a 7.62mm round at a velocity of 710m (2329ft) per second, with an effective range of 300 meters (330 yds). It has been manufactured in most former Warsaw Pact countries as well as China (as the type 56), North Korea, and Finland (M62 and M76 variants). There are many variants with plastic, wooden and folding stocks but the best way to determine country of origin is to examine the language of the words on the 'Single shot' and 'Auto' selectors.
How to cite this article:
Dugdale-Pointon, T. (27 May 2001), AK-47 Assault Rifle, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_ak47.html