The AK47, named after its designer Mikhail T.

Kalashnikov, was developed during the WWII,

and in 1 47 the produ!tion started on the I"hmash plant in the !it# of I"hevsk, one of the most important $oviet militar# produ!tion !enters %this plant, in order to hide its militar# nature, was also produ!ing motor!#!les &I"h&, used '# $oviet teams in international !ompetitions, and world( famous sporting and hunting rifles. M.T. Kalashnikov still lives in I"hevsk and is among the most honored !iti"ens of the !it#. The first AK47s had a re!eiver that was part ma!hined steel and part stampings with rivets holding ever#thing together. This design proved to 'e less than ro'ust in the field and was modified several times to graduall# !reate a mu!h tougher firearm. In 1 ) a tough, well(thought(out model of the gun was introdu!ed whi!h again used steel stampings whi!h were riveted together. This proved to 'e a superior design and is the ke# variant seen in all modern versions of this rifle manufa!tured in *ussia, as well as +hina, ,inland, and most of the former -astern .lo!k !ountries. This model was designated the AKM %Avtomat Kalashnikova Moderni"irovann#i/ though man# times it, too, is referred to as an &AK47& %as are the semi auto versions of the gun e0ported into the 1$/. The AK47 and AKM are usuall# !ham'ered for the M42 7.3402 mm !artridge whi!h originall# developed for the $K$ !ar'ine. If kept !lean, the AK47 and its variants are ver# relia'le and man# of the variants are 'lessed with a !hromed 'ore %sin!e most !ommunist or formerl# !ommunist !ountries until re!entl# used !orrosive ammunition/ whi!h aids in !leaning and e0tends 'arrel life. Most AK47s with 5ualit# ammunition are 5uite a!!urate ( if the sights on these guns !an 'e over!ome. 6n the down side, the AKs are heav# and the 'asi! AK design is flawed from a &human engineering& standpoint in several wa#s7 The rear sight has 'een pla!ed forward so that the rifle has a ver# short sighting radius %with the rear sight 'eing a rather !rude open &8& tangent sight/ There is no 'olt hold(open devi!e The safet#9sele!tor is lo!ated rather in!onvenientl# on the right side of the rifle and makes a distin!tive &!la!k& when moved %whi!h has lead to the death of man# a would('e am'usher from 8ietnam to $outh Afri!a/ :uring the so(!alled &drug war& of the 1 ;<s, even semi(auto versions of the AK47 were 'anned from import into the 1$ sin!e the guns were often used '# !riminals ( though onl# in fi!tional T8 shows for the most part