User blog comment:Callofduty4/Modern Warfare 3 Launch Trailer/@comment-4466065-20111023150031/@comment-4095569-20111023180045

Its probably the "re-textured AK-47" because its easier to most of the community if the one gun is called by the same thing. Kind of like how everyone still calls any M16 the M16 even if its the A1 or A4. Completely different weapons. Same name ingame.