AK 47

Type	Assault rifle
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1949–present
Used by	See Users
Production history
Designer	Mikhail Kalashnikov
Designed	1946–1948[1]
Manufacturer	Izhmash and various others including Norinco
Produced	1949–1959[2]
Number built	≈ 75 million AK-47s, 100 million Kalashnikov-family weapons[3][4]
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Weight	Without magazine: 3.47 kg (7.7 lb) AK[5] 2.93 kg (6.5 lb) AKM[6][N 2] Magazine, empty: 0.43 kg (0.95 lb) (early issue)[5] 0.33 kg (0.73 lb) (steel)[6] 0.25 kg (0.55 lb) (plastic)[7] 0.17 kg (0.37 lb) (light alloy)[6] Ammo weight: 16.3 g × 30 = 0.49 kg (1.1 lb)[8]
Length	880 mm (35 in) fixed wooden stock[citation needed] 875 mm (34.4 in) folding stock extended[citation needed] 645 mm (25.4 in) stock folded[5]
Barrel length	415 mm (16.3 in) total[5] 369 mm (14.5 in) rifled[5]
Cartridge	7.62×39mm M43/M67
Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire	Cyclic 600 rounds/min,[5]practical 40 rounds/min semi-automatic[5] 100 rounds/min fully automatic[5]
Muzzle velocity	715 m/s (2,350 ft/s)[5]
Effective firing range	400 metres (440 yd) semi-auto[9] 300 metres (330 yd) full auto[9]
Feed system	Standard magazine capacity is 30 rounds;[5]there are also 5- 10-, 20- and 40-round box and 75- and 100-round drummagazines
Sights	Adjustable iron sights with a 378 mm (14.9 in) sight radius:[5] 100–800 m adjustments (AK)[5] 100–1000 m adjustments (AKM)[7]

The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova (Russian: Автомат Калашникова). It is also known asKalashnikov, AK, or in Russian slang, Kalash.

Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year of World War II (1945). After the war in 1946, the AK-46 was presented for official military trials. In 1948 the fixed-stock version was introduced into active service with selected units of the Soviet Army. An early development of the design was the AKS (S—Skladnoy or "folding"), which was equipped with an underfolding metalshoulder stock. In 1949, the AK-47 was officially accepted by the Soviet Armed Forces and used by the majority of the member states of the Warsaw Pact. The weapon was supplied to Nicaraguan Sandinistas, Viet Cong as well as Middle Eastern and Asian revolutionaries. More recently they have been seen in the hands of Islamic groups such as the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The original AK-47 was one of the first assault rifles of 2nd generation, after the German StG 44. Even after six decades the model and its variants remain the most widely used and popular assault rifles in the world because of their durability, low production cost, availability, and ease of use. It has been manufactured in many countries and has seen service with armed forces as well as irregular forces worldwide. The AK-47 was the basis for developing many other types of individual and crew-served firearms. More AK-type rifles have been produced than all other assault rifles combined.