Typical AK-47
The AK-47 Assault Rifle is a Soviet-made assault rifle used worldwide. It was the Long-Range weapon of the Taliban and the Mid-Range weapon of the Somali Pirates . It evolved into many other guns of today including the RPK, AK74 Carbine and the Type 68 AKM.
Description
Weight: 4.3 kg (9.5 lb) with empty magazine
Length: 870 mm (34.3 inches) with fixed wooden stock
875 mm (34.4 inches) with folding stock extended
645 mm (25.4 inches) with stock folded
Barrel Length: 415 mm (16.3 inches)
Cartridge: 7.62x39mm M43
Action: Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of Fire: 600 rounds/min
Muzzle Velocity: 715 m/s (2,346 feet/second)
Effective Range: 300 meters (330 yards) full automatic
400 meters (440 yards) semi automatic
Feed System: 20 or 30 round detatchable box magazine.
History
The AK-47 design was based on the Nazi assault rifle the StG 44. Although it was one of the first successful assault rifles created, it was introduced too late into the war to help the Nazi army. Soviet troops who faced this weapon were impressed and the Soviets discovered the potential of assault rifles in combat. The Soviets adopted it into the army, but because of censorship it remained unknown for several years until it showed its impact in wars of the early 1950s.
Even almost seven decades after its introduction in 1947, the AK-47's durability, low production costs, and ease of use make it the most widely used and popular assault rifles in the world. Its low cost and accessibility on the black market make it the favorite gun of revolutionaries, terrorists, and criminals worldwide. Many gun experts claim that the gun rarely fails, can operate under any terrain, being covered by water, sand or mud. It takes only a few hours to master the gun and it can function without cleaning, but if it ever did need cleaning, it can be done easily compared to more advanced guns. These qualities make the gun popular with unskilled rebel fighters. It is believed that 1 out of 5 guns in the world are AK-47s or evolved from the AK-47. The large numbers of AK-47s have made them cost only $50-100 in some black markets in undeveloped nations (compared to modern rifles which cost over $2000). While later models of Ak rifles have replaced the Ak-47 in many modernized countries, the AK-47 is still produced for nations with low and undeveloped military budgets.
Users
This weapon is the most effective weapon used by the Taliban and the Somali Pirates. The IRA used the AK-47, but normally perfer to use the more accurate AR-15 ArmaLite. It was commonly used by rebels or undeveloped nations. Saddam owned a AK-47 that's covered in gold.
Trivia
A bayoneted AK-47 appears on the flag of the nation Mozambique in honor of the Mozambican War of Independence, where the AK-47 was used by the rebels. Some rebel, extremist and terrorist groups use AK-47s in their flags as well.