AK-47

The AK-47 is a Soviet-designed, gas-operated assault rifle adopted in 1949. Its simple construction and robust operating system made it widely known for reliability.

Gas-operated reloading: A firearm operating system that uses expanding propellant gas to cycle the action and load another cartridge. The AK-47 redirects gas from the barrel to drive its bolt carrier.
Mikhail Kalashnikov: A Soviet small-arms designer best known for leading the team that created the AK-47. He led the design work associated with the rifle’s development.
Assault rifle: A selective-fire rifle designed for an intermediate-power cartridge and individual infantry use. The AK-47 is an early example of this firearm class.
Kalashnikov rifles: A family of firearms based on the operating principles and design lineage of Mikhail Kalashnikov’s rifles. The AK-47 became the foundation of a broad and varied rifle family.
AK-47 in popular culture: The rifle’s recurring depiction and symbolism in films, music, visual art, and public discourse. Its recognizable silhouette became a symbol far beyond military contexts.
Long-stroke gas piston: A gas system in which a piston remains attached to the bolt carrier and moves with it through the operating cycle. This arrangement is central to the AK-47’s cycling mechanism.
Soviet Union: A socialist state that existed from 1922 to 1991 across much of northern Eurasia. The AK-47 was developed and adopted by the Soviet state.
Selective fire: A firearm capability that lets the operator select among firing modes, such as semiautomatic and automatic. The original AK-47 design could fire in both semiautomatic and automatic modes.
Warsaw Pact: A military alliance led by the Soviet Union from 1955 until 1991. Member states adopted or produced Kalashnikov-pattern rifles during the Cold War.
Arms industry: The commercial and state-supported production of weapons and related military equipment. The AK-47’s mass manufacture made it a major product of Soviet arms production.

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