This article is about the weapon. For other uses, see AK-47 (disambiguation).
AK-47[N 1]
AK-47 with 6H2 bayonet
Type
Assault rifle
Place of origin
Soviet Union
Service history
In service
1949–present (worldwide)
1949–1978 (Soviet Union)
Used by
See Users
Wars
Hungarian Revolution of 1956[1]Vietnam WarSee other conflicts and wars
Production history
Designer
Mikhail Kalashnikov
Designed
1946–1948[2]
Manufacturer
Kalashnikov Concern and various others including Norinco
Produced
1949–1959
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)
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]
Length
Fixed wooden stock:
880 mm (35 in)[7]
875 mm (34.4 in) folding stock extended
645 mm (25.4 in) stock folded[5]Barrel lengthOverall length:
415 mm (16.3 in)[7]
Rifled bore length:
369 mm (14.5 in)[7]
Cartridge
7.62×39mm
Action
Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire
Cyclic rate of fire:
600 rds/min[7]
Combat rate of fire:
Semi-auto 40 rds/min[7]
Bursts 100 rds/min[7]
Muzzle velocity
715 m/s (2,350 ft/s)[7]
Effective firing range
350 m (380 yd)[7]
Feed system
30-round detachable box magazine[7]
There are also 5- 10-, 20- and 40-round box and 75- and 100-round drum magazines available
Sights
100–800 m adjustable iron sights
Sight radius:
378 mm (14.9 in)[7]
The AK-47, or AK as it is officially known (also known as the Kalashnikov) is a selective-fire (semi-automatic and automatic), gas-operated 7.62×39 mm assault rifle, developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known in the Soviet documentation as Avtomat Kalashnikova.
Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year of World War II (1945).
In 1946, the AK-47 was presented for official military trials, and 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 metal shoulder stock. In the spring of 1949, the AK-47 was officially accepted by the Soviet Armed Forces[8] and used by the majority of the member states of the Warsaw Pact.