History of the Kalashnikov assault rifle.

The Kalashnikov assault rifle is a weapon that has already become legendary, every boy barely gets out of diapers and already knows what it looks like.But over the past decades, since its adoption into service, the machine gun has undergone many different modifications.Including foreign ones.
Let’s start with the history of the origin of the machine.In 1942-1943, a new type of small arms began to appear in the Wehrmacht’s arsenal – the assault rifle.Namely, the prototype of the StG-44 assault rifle
(StG is short for Sturmgewehr, which translates to “assault rifle”).

A distinctive feature of the weapon was the use of the so-called “intermediate cartridge”. The weapon demonstrated high efficiency and therefore, already in 1943, the development of a domestic intermediate cartridge began in the Soviet Union.It was also planned to create a whole complex of weapons chambered for a new cartridge, which would include
machine gun, as well as self-loading and repeating non-self-loading carbines and a light machine gun.Subsequently, the non-self-loading carbine was abandoned, but all other types of weapons were created and adopted for service.
They became:
Degtyarev light machine gun

Simonov self-loading carbine

And this, by the way, is the honor guard of the NNA of the GDR armed with SKS

And also the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle

In the late 1950s, the SKS began to be abandoned as the main infantry weapon and replaced everywhere with AKs. And also send to everyone donkey fighters against the capitalist hydra in Africa and Asia.By the way, an interesting fact: American GI from Vietnam was prohibited from being brought back to nenku America "Kalash", but there was no such ban on the SKS, so the SKS was considered a good souvenir.
So, in 1948, the Kalashnikov assault rifle was adopted by the Soviet Army.

This is what the www.vegaspalms-casino.co.uk AK of the first and second series looks like (as Wikipedia suggests)

It also suggests that the upper one differs from the lower one in that the upper one has a stamped receiver cover, while the lower one has a milled one.
Simultaneously with the adoption of the standard AK, an AKS modification with a folding stock was adopted

It entered service with the Airborne Forces.
In 1959, due to the fact that the AK had a competitor, Mikhail Kalashnikov was forced to modify his assault rifle.This is how the AKM modification appeared.The main differences from its predecessor are as follows
1.increased target firing range (from 800 m to 1000 m);
2.a new stamped receiver, which made it possible to reduce the weight of the machine gun;
3.raised butt, which brought the resting point closer to the shooting line;
4.a trigger retarder has been added, allowing the bolt frame to stabilize in the extreme forward position before the next shot to increase the stability of the machine gun and increase the accuracy of the fire;
5.increased stability in the horizontal plane by moving the point of impact of the bolt carrier in the forward position from the right side to the left.
6.muzzle compensator, which increased the accuracy of shooting from unstable positions (on the move, standing, kneeling). Instead, a PBS or an attachment for firing blank cartridges can be installed on the thread;
7.a short detachable bayonet (blade 150 mm), which had a household rather than a combat purpose. Instead of a second blade, he received a file, and in combination with a sheath could be used to cut barbed wire fences
The main external difference by which you can distinguish an AKM from an AK is the above-mentioned muzzle compensator

Yes, that crooked thing at the end of the barrel.
AKMS was made by analogy with AKS

There were also many prototypes based on AK and AKM, but we won’t talk about them.It’s better to turn to the next notable modification of the AK, namely the AK-74.
In the 1960s, the M-16 rifle entered service with the mock enemy, the United States

.The main innovation brought to the world of weapons by the new American rifle was the new low-pulse cartridge 5.56×45 mm NATO.
The main reasons for switching to it were the excessive power of the used 7.62 mm cartridge, also overweight, which is why the carryable ammunition was extremely small in the conditions of the changed war.
The Soviet Union began developing its own low-pulse 5.45×39 mm cartridge.And a new cartridge required a new weapon.A new modification of the AK, the AK-74, became such a weapon.

Pay attention to the longitudinal grooves on the butt.It is by these that it is easiest to identify assault rifles of the AK-74 subseries.Here’s what wow Peter Kokalis tells us an interesting story about these grooves – “These grooves have long been the subject of speculation in the West. Some have speculated that they were intended to differentiate the 5.45mm AK74 from the older 7.62mm AKM. One of the even more fantastic explanations was that they were needed to provide an arm grip when a machine gun was fired through the embrasure of an infantry fighting vehicle. Alexey Dragunov and Viktor Kalashnikov explained to me that when the AKM was processed into the AK74, the weight increased beyond the level that was established by the requirements of the Soviet Army, since the barrel, the outer dimensions of which remained the same, weighed more due to the smaller caliber. AK74 designers were instructed to reduce the overall weight of the weapon wherever possible. One of the ways to achieve this was these longitudinal grooves on the sides of the butt, although this seems incredible.»
Of course, the option for the Airborne Forces-AKS-74 was adopted

Also “Kalash” chambered for 5.45×39 mm. can be determined by the muzzle brake-compensator, if the butt is framed

Yeah, here he is!
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, in the 1990s, Kalashnikov personally or someone else created export versions of the machine gun.The so-called "hundredth series".
AK-101

Finally, already in the 2010s, a relatively new Kalashnikov AK-12 assault rifle was developed

Distinctive features of the AK-12 compared to its predecessors
1.improved shooting accuracy due to shifting the mass of the bolt group and reducing the recoil shoulder;
2.improved ergonomics, the introduction of a double-sided safety-switch for the type of fire, a double-sided shutter stop button and moving the magazine latch back allows you to operate them with one hand holding the weapon (without removing it from the handle, as before);
3.built-in Picatinny rails on a rigidly fixed receiver cover for installing attachments (sights, rangefinders, grenade launchers, flashlights);
4.a new telescopic stock that folds in both directions, a more ergonomic pistol grip, an adjustable butt pad and butt plate, the stock locking mechanism when unfolded is now located in the stock itself, and not in the receiver;
the telescopic butt can now be easily replaced with a non-folding plastic butt; for this, both versions have a Picatinny rail at the end, with which they are attached to the receiver (this also allows you to turn the hinge with the rod on the folding model, thus changing the side where the butt is folded);
5.the ability to install a reload handle on both sides of the receiver (for the convenience of left-handed and right-handed people);
6.the ability to fire in three modes (single shots, with a cut-off of three shots and automatically), previously optional for the “hundredth” series;
7.muzzle device of an assault rifle, allowing the use of foreign-made rifle grenades.
8.a new removable combination sight with an enlarged aiming line;
9.modified firing mechanism;
10.variable rate of fire: automatic fire – 650 rounds/min, mode with burst burst of three shots – 1000 rounds/min [source not specified 98 days];
11.shutter stop (shutter delay);
12.new bolt group design;
13.barrel with improved manufacturing accuracy, replaceable.
In the 1950s, licenses for the production of Kalashnikov assault rifles (AKs) were transferred by the USSR to eighteen countries, mainly Warsaw Pact allies. At the same time, eleven more states launched AK production without a license. The number of countries in which AKs were produced without a license in small batches, much less handicraft, cannot be counted.
For example, machine guns produced in the GDR can be easily distinguished by their funny, curved butt

Well, for the rest, perhaps only according to the markings.It’s also worth adding that in the 1980s the GDR tried to develop an AK-based assault rifle and, in my opinion, it turned out to be very beautiful

Wiki reports that it was planned mainly for export, but may have been in service with the Stasi.It is also known that after the unification of Germany, the German army tested the machine gun, but did not accept it for service.
Also quite interesting is the fact that Czechoslovakia developed its own version of the AK in the 1980s.It was called quite symbolically “LADA AK”.The main idea was to improve the shooter’s comfort.The machines turned out pretty nice

That’s probably all for really interesting foreign copies of the Kalashnikov.
In conclusion, I would like to say that it is not weapons that kill, but people.I want to wish you all peace and tranquility in the new year of 2015, and all sorts of work, sessions, and others are generally bullshit.The main thing is that there is no war in your life.
P.S. If grammatical, factual or other errors are noticed, please point them out to me.I’ll be grateful