AK Dominance: A History of the World’s Most Popular Rifle Platform

By Maxim Popenker

The story of the Kalashnikov assault rifle began in 1942, during the hardest part of World War II, when the Soviet Union desperately fought against the invading Nazis. Two events took place during that year. First, a young, wounded tanker, Sergeant Mikhail Kalashnikov, began to design his first small arm, a submachine gun while on medical leave. Second, during the winter of 1942, the Red Army captured the first specimen of the newest German weapon, the Mkb 42(H) machine carbine and its 7.92mm Kurz ammunition.

These trophies were carefully examined and proved to Soviet experts that it was entirely possible to improve both the range and accuracy of shoulder-fired automatic weapons while retaining the relative weight and size of the typical PPSh-41 submachine gun. …Read the Rest

Source:: Tactical Life