Table of Contents
How many variants of the AK-47 are there?
| AK-47 | |
|---|---|
| Produced | 1948–present |
| No. built | ≈ 75 million AK-47s, 100 million Kalashnikov-family weapons. |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications (AK-47 with Type 3 receiver) |
What is the difference between an AK and an AKM?
The AKM is a gas operated assault rifle using a short stroke gas piston and rotating bolt. The main difference between AK-47 and AKM is the use of stamped sheet metal for the receiver. This makes the AKM both lighter and less costly to produce than the machined receiver of the AK-47.
What is the difference between the AK-47 and AK-74?
The AK-74 is an adaptation of the AK-47, chambered in 5.45x39mm. The design was overseen by Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. The lighter rounds used by the AK-74 allow the operator to carry more ammunition, compared to the larger and heavier 7.62 cartridge. The AK-74 has a flatter trajectory and produces less recoil which promote better accuracy.
Why are there different versions of the AK?
Due to liberal granting of licenses to manufacture, many countries in the Warsaw Pact and around the world produced their own versions of the AK. While most of these were simple derivations of the original design with few notable features of their own, some stand head and shoulders above the rest.
What is the difference between AK and AKM?
AKM is a modernized version, that has a stamped, rectangle shaped reciever, non-vented gas tube, ribbed reciever cover, different handguard, narrower front sight, and different muzzle brake. Many of these parts are interchangeable with older AK variants, so basically only the reciever and front sight are convicting.
Where are AK-47’s made?
What many people call “AK-47” is often AKM, or its copies produced in USA or Egypt. Also Chinese Type 56 is mistaken for genuine AK. Almost all Eastern-European countries have produced its own AK at some point, many of which still do.