Kalashnikov 101: The History of the AK-47

By Chris Eger

Syrian Democratic Forces soldier fires a Kalashnikov rifle during weapons training in Deir ez-Zor province, Syria, Nov. 29, 2018. (Photo: Department of Defense)
Mikhail Kalashnikov’s internationally recognized AK-47 is an iconic symbol in gun culture around the globe, one with a universal adapter. Developed beginning in 1944 as part of a competition among various Soviet firearm designers to craft the Motherland’s newest automatic carbine (avtomat), the new gun was to meet a requirement of being similar in size to a submachine gun while firing a more effective round than a pistol caliber. By late 1945, Sgt. Kalashnikov’s initial rifle concept was far enough along to win a nod for further development and the next year it was paired with the Soviet Union’s new M43 intermediate cartridge, the 7.62x39mm that had been adopted for use in the SKS rifle.
Kalashnikov’s action, with forgiving tolerances and a simple operating concept, proved enduring. (Photo: Springfield Armory National Historic Site)
Trialed against several experimental designs with the German WWII-era StG44 as a benchmark control gun, Kalashnikov’s prototype AK-46 was sent back to the drawing board for improvements and finally, in 1947, the revamped AK-47 appeared and began trials the next year. In August 1949 — 70 years

Source: Guns.com