AK-47

The AK-47 is, in actuality, a rather rare and obscure prototype weapon designed by Mikhail Kalashnakov, a former WWII tank commander. Most of the AK-47's design features are 'borrowed' from the German SturmGewehr (Storm Rifle)-44/45 models. The AK-47 was built in limited production at the Izmash production plant. The initials AK stand for Avtomat Klashnakova, or Kalashnakov's automatic rifle. The AK-47, unlike it's more modern and well known counterpart, the AKM, was made from machined steel, ensuring enduring reliability in any combat situation, while still retaining it's accuracy. The AKM, however, is a Modernized version of the AK, chambered in the 5.45x39mm micro-caliber, and is made entirely from stamped steel, letting it keep it's reliability, at the cost of accuracy. The only non-steel parts are the bakelite handle, and wooden stock and wooded handguard. More modern variants of the AK series include the AK-74, PP-19 Bizon SMG, AKS-74, AK-101, AK-103, AK-109, and most recently the AEK-971. All of these weapons, excluding the AEK, and AK-10X series are made from stamped, rather than precision machined steel, for mass production. This ensures reliablility, and absolutely horrendous accuracy.