Kalashnikov AK47 Series E-Book

Martin J Brayley

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

Popularly known as the AK47 or just AK, the 7.62mm Avtomat Kalashnikov obrazets 1947g was accepted into service by the Soviet Army in 1947. Despite its widespread use by the Soviet armed forces, the AK only became known in the West during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, when Soviet troops sent to quell the uprising carried the new weapon. Since then it has become probably the most widely recognized firearm of all time, having seen action in most of the conflicts of the past six decades.The Kalashnikov has been produced in many variants and calibres, and this book concentrates on those in the original 7.62mm form. Illustrated with over 350 colour photographs of AK variants produced around the world, including close-ups of the many fascinating detail differences, this work will be an invaluable addition to the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in modern military firearms. The most widely used firearm of the post-war era - the Kalashnikov rifle has become an icon of revolutionary struggle. Covers the principal design features of the AK variants that used the original 7.62x39mm M1943 cartridge. Will be of great interest to militaria enthusiasts, collectors and military historians of modern military firearms. Superbly illustrated with 350 colour photographs showing the different versions produced around the world. Martin J Brayley has a keen interest in military history and is a professional photogapher, author and dedicated militaria researcher and collector.

Leseprobe

Copyright

First published in 2013 by The Crowood Press Ltd, Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book edition first published in 2013

© Martin J. Brayley 2013

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

ISBN 978 1 84797 526 3

Acknowledgements The author would like to acknowledge the following for providing assistance with the production of this book: Toby Brayley, UK; Paul Paxton, UK; John James, UK; WO Ed Storey, Canadian Military Engineers; Terry Moon, USA; Janette Palubicki, UK; Media Image Photography, UK; PDH Enterprises, UK; Antiques Storehouse, UK; AJS Militaria, UK; Hampshire Constabulary, UK; United States Department of Defense; Hungarian Defence Ministry; ISAF Media; Republic of Serbia Ministry of Defence.

Author’s note As the title suggests this book explores the variety of weapon types loosely termed Kalashnikov or AK47 by the masses and the media. This is undoubtedly the most readily recognized weapon type ever produced. However, the generic terms Kalashnikov and AK47 cover a vast number of weapon variants and national production far beyond the original design by Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov. This book sets out to detail the principal design features of the Avtomat Kalashnikov series of weapons using the original 7.62×39mm M1943 cartridge and the licensed and illegal variants produced worldwide. The official Soviet designation of 7.62mm Avtomat Kalashnikov obrazets 1947g was usually abbreviated to 7.62mm AK, with the same designation being applied to the first three variants of the weapon (types 1, 2 and 3 receivers). In the West the incorrect, but generally accepted, designation of the weapon type is AK47. In an effort to provide the correct national designations, however, the term AK has been used throughout this work to apply to the first three variants of the AK rifle. The Soviet designation for the fourth pattern stamped steel receiver was Avtomat Kalashnikov Modernizirovanniy, abbreviated to AKM, and again the official designation is used in this work. At the time of the AK47’s development the country now known as Russia formed part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or Soviet Union. Similarly, references to Yugoslavia cover events before 2003, while references to Serbia cover those after that date or weapons that may be identified with Serbian forces.

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Albania (Republic of)

Bulgaria

China (People’s Republic of)

Egypt

East Germany (German Democratic Republic)

Hungary

Iraq

North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of)

Pakistan

Poland

Romania

Soviet Union (Russia)

Yugoslavia (Serbia)

Index

Introduction

The Great Patriotic War

At the turn of the twentieth century the standard Russian infantry weapon was the 7.62×54mm M1891 Mosin Nagant rifle. This rifle was typical for the period. Wooden stocked, it fired a smokeless cartridge from a five-round integral magazine and had sights graduated in Arshin (a measurement equivalent to 71.12cm/28in). The M1891 bayonet issued with the rifle was a somewhat obsolete design. At a time when the majority of the world’s armies were using knife or sword type bayonets, the Russians introduced a cruciform section socket bayonet that was to be carried fitted to the rifle at all times and was therefore not provided with a scabbard.

The rifle was modified in 1930 to the M1891/30. The minor improvements included a hooded foresight post, reducing the barrel length by 9cm (3.5in) and marking the sight graduation in metres.

In 1938 a short version of the M1891/30 rifle was introduced into service as the M1938 carbine. Essentially little more than an M1891/30 rifle with a reduced barrel length, giving an overall length some 20cm (8in) shorter than the rifle, the carbine was designed for rear echelon troops. It had no provision for the attachment of a bayonet, an unnecessary expense for troops who were unlikely to engage an enemy at bayonet point. However, the experiences of the Great Patriotic War suggested differently and it was soon realized that even rear echelon troops would benefit from having a bayonet. The M1938 carbine was thus modified in 1943 by the provision of a folding spike bayonet permanently fitted at the muzzle. The modified carbine with bayonet entered service as the M1944 carbine, which was to see extensive post-war service with many Soviet satellites and politically allied nations.

While the majority of Russian troops were armed with bolt action rifles, the interwar years saw extensive research into self-loading and fully automatic rifles. A modified self-loading version of the 1891 rifle had been made in 1910 by Fedor Tokarev but it was not taken into service. During the early 1930s Sergei Simonov undertook work that resulted in the adoption in 1936 of the gas-operated Avtomaticheskaya Vintovka Simonova AVS36 rifle. The design was to prove unsatisfactory, however, and production was terminated in 1938 when a Tokarev design was accepted into service. The Samozaryadnaya Vintovka Tokareva SVT38 was an improvement over the AVS36, but it too was not without its problems and was not well received by the troops using it. Therefore in 1940 a modified and improved version was introduced into service as the SVT40. The 7.62×54mm rimmed cartridge had been used in the AVS and SVT rifles, but at best it was unsuited to gas-operated weapons’ magazine feed and it was undoubtedly overpowered. It had been anticipated that a self-loading weapon would eventually replace all bolt action rifles in Soviet service, with early war Soviet tables of organization and equipment showing a scale of 33 per cent of infantry rifles supposedly being self-loading. This figure was not achieved as the gas-operated rifle was expensive and time-consuming to manufacture. Thus production of the SVT40 declined in favour of simpler bolt action rifles and sub machine guns (SMG) as the Great Patriotic War progressed.

Tank Corps Stárshiy Serzhánt (Senior Sergeant) Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov photographed at his drawing board during the Great Patriotic War. Kalashnikov began studying weapon design during a period of convalescence after being wounded during the battle of Bryansk in October 1941 when he was serving as the commander of a T34 tank of the 24th Tank Regiment. Private collection

Russia adopted the bolt-action Mosin Nagant rifle in 1891. Shown above is the slightly modified version of the M1891, the M1891/30 rifle, the mainstay of Soviet infantry weapons during World War II. Below is the Tokarev SVT40, a gas-operated self-loading rifle that had originally been intended to replace the M1891 rifle in Russian service. The outbreak of war and design problems with the SVT rifles resulted in the bolt-action M1891s remaining standard, but with a third of infantry troops supposedly armed with the SVT40. The M1891 rifle was fitted with a quadrangular-bladed socket bayonet but there was no provision for a scabbard as it was intended to be carried on the weapon at all times. The SVT M1940 was provided with a knife bayonet carried on the belt in a steel scabbard. Media Image Photography

The M1891 rifles were excessively long for many users, so a carbine version was produced for rear echelon troops. Above is the Mosin Nagant M1938 carbine. Essentially a shortened M1891/30 rifle, it had no provision for attaching a bayonet. Below is the M1944 carbine, merely an M1938 carbine fitted with a permanently attached folding bayonet. As with many Soviet weapons, the M1944 carbines were produced by other communist nations; at bottom is a Chinese copy, the Type 53 carbine. Media Image Photography

Russian sub machine guns were essential tools in Soviet infantry doctrine and were to prove invaluable in the close-quarter battles typified by the actions fought in Stalingrad and Leningrad. Above is the ubiquitous PPSh M1941 shown with the 35-round box magazine and the 71-round drum magazine that were issued with the weapon. The drum magazine was the more popular of the two. Below is the PPS M1943, which was introduced as a lighter and cheaper alternative to the PPSh. The PPS was only provided with a 35-round box magazine. Media Image Photography

The SKS M1945 carbine was originally conceived in 1943 and used the new 7.62×39mm ‘intermediate’ cartridge. It had an integral 10-round magazine and a permanently attached folding knife bayonet. The SKS was short lived as it was soon made obsolete by the Kalashnikov. Above is a Soviet-made SKS, below is the Yugoslav M1959/66 with integral grenade launcher (the M1959 version had no grenade launcher) and at bottom is the Chinese version, the Type 56 carbine (not to be confused with the Type 56 rifle). Media Image Photography

While the rifle was the standard infantry arm of all nation’s armies, the close-quarter fighting experienced in the dense forests of Finland during the ‘Winter War’ showed that the powerful 7.62×54mm cartridge was over-ranged and a long bayonet was often unwieldy, with the M1891 rifle not being best suited to that type of warfare. Indeed, the SMG was an ideal weapon for such combat. Having a high rate of fire, large magazine capacity and a lighter cartridge with a shorter effective range (150m/500ft for an SMG against 500m/1,600ft for the M1891/30), the SMG was ideal for fighting in dense woodland or urban areas where visibility was greatly reduced by obstructions and contact ranges were therefore close. The Pistolet-Pulemyot Degtyaryova (PPD) SMG was in limited service with Russian forces as the PPD34, PPD34/38 and PPD40 variants but it was expensive to produce and had not been issued in great numbers. The PPD had proved highly effective in the invasion of Poland and the ‘Winter War’ against Finland. Although the PPD was expensive and time-consuming to produce, it did provide the inspiration for an SMG designed by Georgi Shpagin, the Pistolet-Pulemyot Shpagina (PPSh41). The PPSh41 used the same 7.62×25mm cartridge as the PPD but was simpler and cheaper to produce, using fewer parts and taking almost half the manufacturing time. The PPSh41 was a selective fire weapon with a heavy wooden stock. It could be used with a 35-round box magazine or a 71-round drum magazine, providing the infantryman with excellent close-range firepower. However, Operation Barbarossa, Hitler’s surprise invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, rapidly led to severe pressure on Soviet manufacturing plants with a spiralling demand for armaments of all types. The drain on resources was immense. Although some six million PPSh41s were made during World War II, the Soviets needed an even simpler and cheaper SMG. The requirement was met by the Pistolet-Pulemjot Sudaeva PPS, designed by Alexei Sudayev. The PPS was an ideal design for mass production with little use of machining and a reliance on sheet steel stampings. It used the standard 7.62×25mm cartridge, the wooden stock was discarded in favour of a folding steel skeleton pattern and it used only half of the steel required for the PPSh41. Machining time was reduced to a little over 2.7 hours compared to 7.3 hours for the PPSh41 or 13.7 for the PPD40. Added to this, the reduction in the number of labourers required and the overall labour time provided for a theoretically massive increase in output. The PPS was originally adopted as the PPS42, but manufacturing refinements and even further simplification of the weapon led to it being re-designated the PPS43 in 1943. The PPS43 could only be fired full automatic and was only provided with a 35-round box magazine with no provision for a drum magazine. More than two million PPS43s were manufactured during World War II.

Kurdish Peshmerga fighters pose with a Russian AKS and an AMD65 in northern Iraq in 1991. The fighters’ magazines are carried in individual leather pockets on US-supplied webbing belts (this type of magazine pouch is shown in detail in the Iraqi section on page 75). While serving with 3 Commando Brigade in Iraq during 1991 the author observed a variety of Kalashnikov type weapons in use with the Peshmerga, including examples of Russian, Hungarian and Chinese manufacture. Author’s photograph

A young Nicaraguan army soldier cleans his AKMS rifle, 1999. The magazine, bolt carrier and recoil spring are at bottom left, with the receiver cover at lower right. The Kalashnikov is a simple weapon and can easily be field stripped and maintained with little training. Author’s photograph

A US Army Sergeant First Class instructs Iberian soldiers on the use of the Kalashnikov rifle. The Romanian-made PM md 63 is well used and in need of some basic maintenance. The special tool used to provide lateral adjustment of the foresight is laid on the sandbag just below the weapon’s handguard. Vertical adjustment of the foresight is undertaken with the combination tool. US Department of Defense

While lacking power, the 7.62×25mm cartridge was excellent for close range combat and the 7.62×54mm was equally good for long range use in rifles or sustained fire weapons (such as the M1910 Maxim or DP machine guns). The Soviets had realized that neither was an ideal calibre for modern warfare, with ranges of engagement rarely over 300m (1,000ft), and that some form of cartridge was required to bridge the gap. Weapon designers had therefore worked towards developing an intermediate round that would provide for improved range and accuracy over the 7.62×25mm but without the excessive range and power of the 7.62×54mm cartridge. The result was the 7.62×39mm M1943 intermediate round, which had evolved from an experimental 7.62×41mm cartridge. The new 7.62×39mm cartridge was perfect for medium range use. It had a tapered case providing for easy extraction and, unlike the 7.62×54mm round, it was rimless, which dramatically improved its performance in magazine-fed weapons. One of the first weapons to be built for the new cartridge was developed by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov. Simonov’s weapon, similar to the AVS36 in general appearance but with a fixed magazine and integral folding bayonet, was originally designed for the 7.62×54mm ammunition but modified for the new M1943 intermediate round. The Samozaryadnyj Karabin sistemy Simonova (SKS) first saw limited field testing of pre-production rifles in 1944 where it proved reliable and popular with the troops using it. The following year it was accepted into service as the Samozaryadnyj Karabin Simonova 45. The SKS was not put into full production until 1949, by which time a new weapon had already attracted the attention of the Soviet hierarchy, a weapon that would make all other Soviet rifles obsolete.

Sgt Kalashnikov and the Birth of the AK Rifle

Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov had been conscripted into the Red Army in 1938. He was trained as a tank driver/mechanic and soon rose to the rank of Stárshiy Serzhánt (Senior Sergeant) with command of a T34 tank of the 24th Tank Regiment, 12th Tank Division. He saw action with his regiment, including at the battle of Brody in June 1941. During the battle of Bryansk in October 1941 the Soviets were defeated and the town of Bryansk was almost completely destroyed with some 80,000 killed. It was during this battle that the twenty-one-year-old Kalashnikov was wounded, receiving shrapnel injuries to his chest and shoulder, but he was able to make his own way to a field hospital. His wounds led to an extended period of recuperation away from the fighting. It was during this time, and against a backdrop of what would now possibly be diagnosed as a form of ‘stress disorder’, that Kalashnikov developed an obsessive desire to create a weapon capable of driving the German invaders from his motherland. At this time Kalashnikov would probably not have been aware of the development of the PPSh41, but he would undoubtedly have been familiar with the bolt action M1891 and perhaps also the AVS and SVT rifles, as well as the unreliability of these later two gas-operated weapons. It was during his convalescence that Kalashnikov designed and, with the approval and assistance of his former employer at the Turkistan-Siberian railway yards, built a sub machine gun. This weapon was considered unsuitable for adoption but Kalashnikov’s weapon design skills were recognized and he was posted to the Artillery Directorate of the Red Army, where he was given every encouragement and assistance in refining his skills and his weapon’s design. Despite his efforts with this design and others, his weapons were not accepted for service, partly due to the success of the PPSh41. Kalashnikov was not deterred and continued to work on his ideas and to learn from other designers and weapon types. Like other designers, the experimental 7.62×41mm and later the adopted 7.62×39mm cartridges were focal points for his weapons designs. After its adoption all new self-loading rifles were required to function and be fully compatible with the new intermediate cartridge. Eventually, in 1946, Kalashnikov fielded a weapon that set the standard. The Experimental Assault Rifle Number 1 (sometimes called the AK46) had an unmistakable appearance, a form that was to become instantly recognizable throughout the world as a Kalashnikov rifle. It was this weapon, with a few refinements, that in 1947 was to be accepted into service with the Soviet army as the 7.62mm Avtomat Kalashnikov obrazets 1947g, more commonly known as the Avtomat Kalashnikov or AK. The first production weapons left the factory the following year with full production commencing in 1949. However, as with any new weapon, it was some time before sufficient stocks had been manufactured to provide for a widespread issue. Meanwhile the SKS served as the primary Soviet rifle, although stocks of Mosin Nagant rifles and PPSh SMGs dominated infantry small arms issue.

A US soldier conducts training with Afghan National Police officers. The ANP soldier uses a blue plastic AKM dummy weapon employed for tactical training where live firing is not required or when the use of real weapons may prove unwarranted. US Department of Defense

A Hungarian AK63F (AKM) field stripped to show the principal component parts: (1) receiver cover; (2) gas tube and integral gas tube handguard; (3) bolt; (4) bolt carrier and gas piston; (5) recoil spring and recoil spring guide; (6) rear sight and sight block; (7) gas block and bayonet lug; (8) foresight (front sight) block and muzzle brake; (9) stock; (10) receiver and selector lever; (11) pistol grip; (12) cleaning rod; (13) magazine; (14) fore-end (lower handguard). Weapon courtesy Hampshire Constabulary

Detail of a Hungarian AK63F’s bolt carrier: (top) integral white metal piston; (centre) bolt; (bottom) recoil spring guide and recoil spring. Weapon courtesy Hampshire Constabulary

Typical 7.62×39mm steel bodied magazines as used on Kalashnikov rifles. At left are the 75-round drum magazine and 40-round box magazine designed for use with the RPK squad light machine gun. Both types function readily on AK rifles and are popular with insurgents and irregular forces. Centre is a standard 30-round Russian-made magazine, a Hungarian 20-round magazine, Yugoslav 15-round magazine (top) and a Polish 10-round magazine for grenade launching ammunition (below). The 10-round magazine has a restrictor plate fitted internally at the forward edge, reducing the internal length and preventing the loading of ball or other bulleted ammunition. Only the special grenade-launching rounds (similar to blank ammunition) can be loaded into this magazine for use with muzzle-launched grenades. Media Image Photography

The Western powers undoubtedly missed the introduction of the AK, or if they were aware of its existence it was kept very secret. It was during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 that the world was introduced to the Avtomat Kalashnikov obrazets 1947g rifle. Soviet troops sent to quell the uprising carried the new weapon that had previously been kept from Western eyes. The Kalashnikov made its world debut and it was eventually to become probably the most widely recognized firearm of all time.

The AK has become synonymous with armed struggle and revolution. The weapon in a stylized form is displayed on the Mozambique national flag and also appears on the flags of Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. It is a weapon that has appeared in most conflicts of the last sixty years and will undoubtedly continue to arm soldiers and revolutionaries for many decades to come.

Kalashnikov combination tools: (top) An Iraqi Tabuk rifle with second pattern combination tool cap fitted over the muzzle nut as a cleaning rod guide. The combination tool body has been fitted to the cleaning rod and is held in place by inserting the screwdriver blade into the body. (Below) Early pattern combination tool issued with the AK, comprising: (from left to right) combination tool body and cap (requiring the removal of the muzzle nut to use the cap as a bore guide); bristle brush and jag (both fitting to the cleaning rod), and the combined screwdriver/drift/sight adjustment tool. At right is the second pattern combination tool issued with the AKM, comprising: combination tool body and cap (the cap fitted over the muzzle brake to act as a bore guide); bristle brush; jag and loop; drift; screwdriver/sight adjustment tool (the small recess at the side of the screwdriver was used to tighten the jag or brush onto the cleaning rod); and a tapered pin, used in the disassembly of the trigger group. The combination tool body had numerous openings. These served a number of purposes, including the use of the tool as a handle for the screwdriver/sight adjustment tool using the upper slot visible on the early tool at left. The lower, smaller slot was used to rotate the gas tube lock to release the gas tube handguard. The large opening visible on the later pattern tool at right was used to insert the cleaning rod. Media Image Photography

While Indonesia did not manufacture Kalshnikovs, it did produce a bayonet for imported AK rifles. The Indonesian AK bayonet has chequered black plastic grips (scales) and a black hanger. With the exception of the blade, which remains bright, all metal surfaces are painted black. Overall finish is quite poor compared to Russian bayonets. Media Image Photography

Kalashnikov muzzle fittings: (top left) blank firing adapters (BFAs) for use with blank ammunition, restricting the loss of gases from the muzzle and allowing the weapon action to recycle; (top right) AKM muzzle brakes used to reduce muzzle climb in full automatic fire; (lower left) AK muzzle nut; and (lower right) an East German waterproof rubber muzzle cap. Media Image Photography

In addition to Romania, the Lithuanians also used bayonet frogs with Russian-made AKM II bayonets. The scabbard was held by a loop that enclosed the throat of the scabbard and small carbine hook that snapped onto the hanger bar. Shown here are a woodland camouflaged bayonet frog at left (also produced in desert camouflage) and a black leather frog with Russian scabbard fitted. The webbing frog has a British PLCE type attachment at the rear, while the leather frog has twin American M1956 pattern clips for suspension. Media Image Photography

US Marines destroy weapons removed from the Iraqi armoury in Al Kut during Operation Iraqi Freedom in April 2003. The weapons were burnt and crushed beneath tracked vehicles. A row of weapons is being laid out in the centre of the image ready for crushing while others burn with the aid of gasoline. A variety of AK types are evident, as is a vintage SMLE rifle. US Department of Defense

Kalashnikov Receiver Types

The first receiver made for the Avtomat Kalashnikova (AK) rifle was made from a sheet steel stamping fitted with a machined steel trunnion into which the breech of the barrel was fitted. Problems were encountered with the welding of internal components of the type 1 receiver, including the guide and ejector rails, as the heat generated caused the receiver to warp. This resulted in high levels of component rejection and increased costs. The problems were not easy to rectify and thus work was undertaken to find an alternative method of production. This type was only in production between 1948 and 1951.

The second pattern of receiver used with the AK rifle, the type 2, reverted to the tried and tested production method of machining the receiver from a solid block of steel. Although costing more and requiring increased labour and time to produce, this machining method resulted in far fewer rejections and a stronger, albeit heavier, end product. The machined steel block receiver was somewhat heavier than the stamped version. To reduce the weight without compromising function or strength, machined cuts were placed on either side of the receiver above the magazine well. The cuts ran parallel with the bore axis.