AK-47

The AK-47, which stands for the Russian Автомат Калашникова образца 1947 года; (Kalashnikov automatic rifle, 1947 model), is an assault rifle originally manufactured by Izhmash but now manufactured by various companies all over the world and has become both an icon and the most prolific firearm across the globe.

History
Mikhail Kalashnikov, a Russian, was injured in the Battle of Bryansk, in which German soldiers were armed with StG44s. He was inspired to conceive a new weapon that would help his comrades in similar battles after seeing the efficiency of assault rifles. Soon after working with other designs, Kalashnikov entered a competition for a new firearm that would use the 7.62x39mm Soviet cartridge which was developed by Elisarov and Semin in 1943. One requirement in the competition was that the weapon was reliable in the muddy, wet, and frozen conditions of the Soviet front lines. Using the design of the PPS-43, Kalashnikov designed the "Mikhtim" which won after it was dragged through mud, sand, and dust and still was able to fire without jamming. The "Mikhtim" was the prototype for the development of a family of firearms which culminated in the AK-47, produced in 1947 and adopted by the Soviet Army two years later, which has now become the most produced firearm model in history. In 1956, the Soviet union began mass production of the AKM ("M" standing for modernized). This new rifle was to utilize a stamped receiver, 1,000 meter rear sight (unlike the AK-47 which used a 800 m rear sight), straighter buttstock, lower handguard with a rectangular palm swell, and new bayonet lug. The weapon still used the 7.62x39mm Soviet cartridge and was the first AK to use a muzzle device designed to reduce muzzle climb.

In 1978, the Soviet Union began replacing the AKM with a newer design, called the AK-74, a 5.45x39.5 mm assault rifle, which was sent to the Eastern European nations East Germany and Poland (though other nations manufactured their own variants of the AK-74 without license). In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, slowing the production of many Russian weapons, including the AK-47 and variants. The AKM and later models (AKMS, AK-74, AKS-74) are still being used by front-line troops in Russia in mass numbers, but are being replaced by the AK-74M (essentially, it is the same AK-74 rifle with folding composite-materials stock).

The original AK-47 is a rugged rifle with a reputation for great reliability in bad conditions and good accuracy. However, it is also a very heavy rifle, which makes it much harder to shoot quickly and accurately, in particular when standing. This same weight contributes to diminishing the recoil.

Despite this, the AK-47 and all its derivatives are still used and produced by 55 national armies and countless insurgent and guerrilla groups. The AK design has also been recently modernized with the AK-100 series (for export and use by special units only), offering rifles of various sizes from 5.56x45mm, 5.45x39mm, and 7.62x39mm.World War II

This AK has been updated to the point that it takes the AK-74's effective range of 500m to 800m. There are also many rifles influenced by the Kalashnikov design, such as the Swedish 62/76, Israeli Galil, and Finnish RK92 among others. Because of this, the AK is likely to be a partaker in the battlefield well into the foreseeable future.

The AK-47 is also a symbol in popular culture. It is seen on both the flag and coat of arms of Mozambique and is also on the coat of arms of East Timor and Zimbabwe. It is also on the flag of the Shi'a Muslum political and paramilitary group Hezbollah. The motto for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is Kalash, a shortened form of "Kalashnikov" and is also a nickname for boys in some African Countries. It is also frequently used as a symbol of the criminal culture and portrayed as a "bad guy" weapon in movies and literature and as a status symbol in the hip-hop culture. After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, U.S forces secured a palace owned by Saddam Hussein and discovered a gold-plated AK-47 and SVD. The AK-47's reputation for reliability and stopping power makes it a favorerd choice as a backup weapon by NATO special forces such as the US Army Rangers, Delta Force, Marine Corps, and British.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
In Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the AK-47 can be picked up by the player in single player mode and is the most frequently used enemy weapon of the game by loyalist forces (though this is generally incorrect in case of Loyalists as the AK-74 and its variants are used by the Russian Army in real life). It is superior in terms of firepower and penetration when compared to most other rifles in the game, and it keeps an open field of view for spotting other targets nearby, although it suffers more in terms of recoil. It is important to note that the AK-47's recoil is purely visual (as it resets right back on the target before the next shot).

The AK-47 is effective at medium range. In single player, the player may occasionally encounter a variant of the AK-47 called the "AK-47 Grenadier", a standard AK-47 modified with an under-mounted GP-25 grenade launcher, functioning similarly to the M4A1 with an attached M203 grenade launcher. For some reason, the AK-47 Grenadier has a max ammo of 308 instead of 300. In Multiplayer, the AK-47 can be modified with the red dot sight, ACOG scope, GP-25 Grenade Launcher, and suppressor. One of the flaws of this gun is that attaching a silencer or Red Dot Sight reduces the damage from 30-40 to 20-40, making it considerably worse than other silenced and RDS automatics. Also, the AK-47 has the same sway amount as the M4 and same sway speed as the G36c. Its sway is further reduced when going prone (ACOG not included).

The AK-47 is one of six weapons with a Gold skin available, the other five being the M60E4, the Desert Eagle, the Dragunov, the Mini-Uzi, and the M1014.

One thing noteworthy is that it features the AKM's ribbed receiver cover, while the gun itself is presumably an original AK-47 of either Type 1/Type 3 receiver, thus making it a combination gun.

Call of Duty 4 DS
Apart from graphics the DS version has the same performance as the PS3, PC and 360 versions.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the AK-47 is heavily modified with new furniture. Originally it was believed to be a modernized AK variant, the AK-103, but lacks some features that current production Kalashnikov rifles possess. It has a new synthetic handguard, crane stock, and RIS Rails along the base of the handguard and the top of the gun. It also has a unique spiral flash hider/muzzle brake but is otherwise the same AK-47 model. The sights have been improved by the addition of white dot sights, similar to handguns; Also, the firing of the gun sounds different to that in Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The Ultranationalists still commonly use the AK-47, though they are now supplemented by a wide variety of NATO firearms as well.

In multiplayer, the AK-47 is unlocked at level 70, the last level of experience for MP players and the beginning of Prestige Mode, so it may not see much use before players (if they choose to) Prestige. It is strange that the AK-47 is unlocked as such a high level weapon on Modern Warfare 2 as in the game's prequel it was one of the first unlocked. This is most likely due to the low recoil, high power, automatic fire, and quick reload of this rifle. Another possibility is how widely recognized the rifle is, making it sort of a trophy piece like the MP44 was in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The gun is very effective overall, when used with most attachments. However, most of the sights like the ACOG Scope, Red Dot Sight, and Holographic Sight have part of the "iron sight" blocking an overall clear view. It is also very effective with a Silencer, killing just as fast as using the gun without one in regular matches. This is strange because the range and power of the gun should be reduced, but for some reason is not (confirmation please?). Also, the need for the Masterkey Shotgun Attachment is not needed in most matches when The Perk Steady Aim is used, due to the fact it's hipfire accuracy becomes very good. The rifle is incredibly accurate (similar to the SCAR) for the first 2-3 shots while ADS, with the shot resetting back almost precisely, however it becomes less accurate with small shifts to the side, but mostly vertical climb. Therefore, firing in bursts is advised while fighting at long range. 2-3 shots is enough to down an enemy at any range with Stopping Power. This is inapplicable to short and medium range encounters, as the rifle can kill in 2 shots anyway.

Interestingly, it should be noted that the AK-47 is the only assault rifle in multiplayer Modern Warfare 2 that has idle sway with the ironsights, and RDS/Holographic/ACOG. It's hardly noticeable, and is non-existent while prone. This was probably done to balance the incredible burst accuracy of the rifle. Some people believe the AK-47 does not have enough benefits to overcome the urge of prestiging, and there is much reason to that, as the SCAR is somewhat similar to the AK-47.

Weapon Attachments

 * Grenade Launcher (Marksman I)
 * Shotgun (20 kills with the Grenade Launcher)
 * Red Dot Sight (Marksman II)
 * EOTech Holographic Weapon Sight(60 kills while aiming down the Red Dot Sight)
 * Silencer (Marksman III)
 * Heartbeat Sensor (15 kills with the silencer attached)
 * ACOG Scope (Marksman IV)
 * Thermal Scope (20 kills while aiming down ACOG)
 * FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) (Marksman V)
 * Extended Mags (40 kills with Bullet Penetration while using FMJ)

Trivia

 * Drawings of the AK-47 can be found throughout the OpFor-based Single-player and Multiplayer levels on the walls of certain buildings.


 * The reload time and the reloading animation are about half a second off, meaning you actually reload before the magazine is even inserted. Players can utilize this fact to reload slightly faster through Reload Canceling.


 * In Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, if player has an AK-47 equipped with only an ACOG sight and Steady Aim, the AK-47 will have no barrel sway.
 * The AK-47 has a different fire sound in Modern Warfare 2 and different fire rate compared to the one in Call of Duty 4.
 * In real life the AK-47 has heavy recoil and and relatively poor accuracy (especially when fired in automatic bursts) compared to other assault rifles as it was not designed for accuracy but for firepower and reliability. The recoil can be ignored if fired on semi-automatic, and the effective range is 400 meters, but it is still substantially less range than the M16 or a sniper rifle.
 * The appearance of the AK-47 in the Russian forces in 2016 is odd, as the Russian military does not use the AK-47, but the AK-74 and the various models, such as the AK-103. Some Spetsnaz forces use the AN-94 and the AK-103.
 * The AK-47 may be still used in 2016 if some small militias can't buy new items on the black market. But they may be supplied newer equipment by Russia or any other countries who "officially" use new AKs.