AK-47

The AK-47, which is short for the Russian word for Автомат Калашникова образца 1947 года; (Kalashnikov model automatic rifle of 1947), 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
During World War II, the Germans created the basic assault rifle concept after noticing that most infantry engagements took place with the combatants within 600 meters of each other or less. The sturmgewehr, or assault rifle, was designed to replace the standard bolt-action rifles of the day which, with ranges of 2000 meters or more, were excessive for the standards of fighting seen in World War II. The aim was to produce an intermediate range weapon with selective-fire capabilities firing a bullet with less powder charge (and therefore less felt recoil and range) than a standard rifle cartridge. The result was the MP44, later called the StG44.

The Russian Mikhail Kalashnikov was injured in the Battle of Bryansk, in which German soldiers were armed with StG44s, which inspired him to conceive a new assault rifle. 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 condition 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.

There were difficulties in the beginning of the production of the AK-47 because the first models had stamped sheet metal receivers and difficulties were encountered in welding the guide and ejector rails. But instead of halting the production, a heavy machined receiver substituted for the original receiver. Because of these problems, the Soviet Union could not distribute a large number of the weapon to its soldiers.

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).

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.

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 name 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 western movies and literature, portrayed 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.

In Game
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 or by loyalist forces (though this is incorrect as the AK-74M and it's variants are used in real life). It is superior in terms of firepower and penetration when compared to most other rifles in the game, although it suffers more in terms of recoil, and it keeps an open field of view for spotting other targets nearby. 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 reduces the damage from 30-40 to 20-40, making it considerably worse than other silenced automatics. Also, the red dot sight is currently glitched and does the same thing, but because the red dot does not decrease range, it is not as big a problem as it is with the silencer. 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). Also, the AK-47 has a high amount of sway (4 degrees), the same amount as the M4. However, unlike the M4, its sway is much slower and it is reduced by crouching and going prone.

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

Golden AK-47
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