AK-47

AK-47
AK-47 Type 2A
Type	Assault rifle
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1949–1974 (Soviet Union) 1949–present (other countries)
Used by	See Users
Wars	See Conflicts
Production history
Designer	Mikhail Kalashnikov
Designed	1947[1][2]
Manufacturer	Kalashnikov Concern and various others including Norinco
Produced	1948–present[3][4]
No. built	~75 million AK-47s, 100 million Kalashnikov-family weapons[5][6]
Variants	See Variants
Specifications (AK-47 with Type 3 receiver)
Mass	Without magazine: 3.47 kg (7.7 lb) Magazine, empty: 0.43 kg (0.95 lb) (early issue)[7] 0.33 kg (0.73 lb) (steel)[8] 0.25 kg (0.55 lb) (plastic)[9] 0.17 kg (0.37 lb) (light alloy)[8]
Length	Fixed wooden stock: 880 mm (35 in)[9] 875 mm (34.4 in) (folding stock extended) 645 mm (25.4 in) (stock folded)[7]
Barrel length	Overall length: 415 mm (16.3 in)[9] Rifled bore length: 369 mm (14.5 in)[9]
Cartridge	7.62×39mm
Action	Gas-operated, long-stroke piston, closed rotating bolt
Rate of fire	Cyclic rate: 600 rounds/min[9] Practical rate: Semi-automatic: 40 rounds/min[9] Bursts/ Fully automatic: 100 rounds/min[9]
Muzzle velocity	715 m/s (2,350 ft/s)[9]
Effective firing range	350 m (380 yd)[9]
Feed system	20-round, 30-round, 50-round detachable box magazine,[9] 40-round, 75-round drum magazines also available
Sights	100–800 m adjustable iron sights Sight radius: 378 mm (14.9 in)[9]

The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (Russian: Автомат Калашникова, lit. 'Kalashnikov's automatic [rifle]'; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, it is the originating firearm of the Kalashnikov (or "AK") family of rifles. After more than seven decades since its creation, the AK-47 model and its variants remain one of the most popular and widely used firearms in the world.

Design work on the AK-47 began in 1945. It was presented for official military trials in 1947, and, in 1948, the fixed-stock version was introduced into active service for selected units of the Soviet Army. In early 1949, the AK was officially accepted by the Soviet Armed Forces^[10] and used by the majority of the member states of the Warsaw Pact.

The model and its variants owe their global popularity to their reliability under harsh conditions, low production cost (compared to contemporary weapons), availability in virtually every geographic region, and ease of use. The AK has been manufactured in many countries and has seen service with armed forces as well as irregular forces and insurgencies throughout the world. As of 2004^[update], "of the estimated 500 million firearms worldwide, approximately 100 million belong to the Kalashnikov family, three-quarters of which are AK-47s".^[5] The model is the basis for the development of many other types of individual, crew-served, and specialized firearms.