﻿This is How an AK-47 Works | Secret Revealed The AK-47 is perhaps the most widespread firearm
in the world. Carried by American enemies and allies alike since 1947,
it is the standard infantry weapon for 106 countries. There are an estimated 100 million
AK-47s of a number of variations round the world. It's a popular weapon among firearms enthusiasts,
professional soldiers and terrorists alike. In the United States, it has a reputation as
the "bad guy" weapon, given its history and usage among so many former enemies.
So it's natural that our viewers have a lot of questions about it, therefore in today’s video
we bring you all the facts you need to know about an AK-47, including how it works!
An AK-47 has a muzzle velocity of about 700 meters per second,
can fire 600-rounds-per-minute at the cyclic rate, and hold a 30-round magazine of 7.62mm ammunition.
The biggest issue with the weapon is accuracy, which is the result of large internal parts
and powerful caliber rounds that reduce the max effective range to roughly 400m. Despite this
weakness, the AK-47 has successfully infected many countries and facilitated the proliferation of
communism and terror around the world. The History Behind It
Its Russian name is Avtomat Kalashnikova -- also known simply as the Kalashnikov. It was named for
its inventor, Senior Sergeant Mikhail Kalashnikov. He was supposedly a wounded T-34 tank commander
in the Red Army during World War II. According to legend, he admired the weapons made by the Nazis.
After five years of engineering, the former agricultural engineer made his famous weapon.
It was based on a number of other designs floating around at the time,
mostly Germany's Sturmgewehr-44. Called StG-44 for short, the Sturmgewehr was the first
real mid-range infantry rifle. It didn't shoot a heavy round but could still lay down heavy fire.
The AK-47 was designed to do the same. But the true brilliance of Kalashnikov's
invention was in its simplicity. It was designed for all-around ease of use:
easy to repair, easy to unjam (if it ever does), easy to maintain. If a round is chambered in an
AK-47, chances are good that weapon is going to fire. His creation was so simple and dependable
that the Soviet Union began exporting the weapon en masse. The country made so much money from
exporting the weapon that Kalashnikov received special treatment in the USSR and later Russia
for the rest of his life. How an AK-47 Works
The AK-47 is a fighter favorite around the world because its cycle of operations (the way it fires)
is simple, made up of (relatively) large pieces that allow it to fire even when covered in sand or
mud. When the operator pulls the trigger, he/she releases the firing hammer, which strikes the
firing pin. This action ignites the bullet primer which, in turn, ignites the gunpowder to fire the
bullet. The gas that propels the bullet forward also pushes back on the bolt carrier assembly,
ejecting the empty casing. This action also resets the hammer into firing position.
The bolt pulls a new round up from the magazine and inserts it into the barrel.
The sear keeps the bolt hammer in place until the bolt carrier returns into position.
So Simple a Child Could Use It In the U.S. Armed Forces, troops are trained to
disassemble and reassemble their weapon systems to identify any catastrophic failures or jams. This
is a good exercise when you find yourself with a little downtime, and it’s been known to strike
up a friendly race between troops or platoons. In Russia, children are trained to disassemble
and reassemble weapons in a similar fashion. They may not have enough funding to feed or
house their own people, but they will spare no expense at preparing for a Western invasion.
Take your training seriously because the Russians definitely are.
The Manufacturer There are an estimated
75 to 100 million AK-47s worldwide and, in some countries, one can be purchased for quite low.
Generally, the price has a varied range, but higher-end models can outrun the cheaper models.
Russia has large stockpiles of the weapon, but no longer manufactures it. There are, however,
20 countries that still do, including China. According to the AK-47’s Operators Manual,
the weapon system’s country of origin can be identified by markings on the weapon itself.
How deadly is the AK-47? The AK-47 is the deadliest
weapon ever built, on the whole. Its kill count even tops nuclear weapons in sheer numbers.
But the first AK-47s were very heavy and weren't really built for aiming. Kalashnikov
wanted to develop a compact weapon that still delivered firepower within 300 meters that could
bring a blaze of bullets (with ammunition light enough that soldiers could carry a lot of it).
A real 1947 Kalashnikov is surprisingly difficult to fire for a standard infantry weapon,
but it was still very easily produced and easily used. Today's AKs are actually AKMs (modernized)
and variations on the AKM. Everyone will still refer to it as an AK-47 or simply
"AK" -- because it sounds cool. The weapon uses a 7.62mm, high-velocity round that
can "destroy whole areas of a body," according to New York City trauma surgeons. They shatter bones,
tear through organs and liquefy other materials as the round tumbles through the body -- often
in ways that cannot be repaired. Does the U.S. Military Use AK-47s?
When the M16 rifle was first introduced in the Vietnam War, it had a number of issues. There were
so many problems that American troops were killed in combat simply because they couldn't shoot back.
Even after the kinks were worked out, a dirty M16 was (and is) much less likely to
operate than a dirty AK-47. So U.S. troops were known to pick up AKs from their fallen enemies
and keep them handy ... just in case. When the AK-47 was first introduced, it was
such a great weapon that the Red Army actually hid it from the world. The U.S. didn't really
know about its existence until the mid-1950s. Not that the American military would buy its
standard-issue rifle from its main geopolitical foe and potential World War III adversary anyway.
These days, the U.S. does not field AK-47s, but some members of its military are trained to use
them. Special operations forces from all branches might have to pick up an enemy AK-47 at some point
because of the nature of their work -- sometimes help isn't coming.
Are AK-47 Guns Illegal? The legality of the AK-47 depends on what country
you're watching this in. In many countries, it's not only legal to own an AK model firearm,
it's necessary and celebrated. AK-47 model weapons are also dirt cheap in many places around the
world -- but the further away you are from the production centers, the more expensive it can be.
According to a study on transnational crime in the developing world, the cost of a black
market AK-47 can run as little as $150 in some parts of the world to $3,600 on the Dark Web for
shipment to the United States. The price of an AK family firearm in Africa is an exception to that
general rule. It's usually much cheaper in many African countries because the demand is so high
that markets are usually flooded. Why do Terrorists use AK-47s?
The rifle was designed to be carried, maintained and fired by anyone in the area who happened to
need its services. And if you need a weapon like the AK-47, you need to be able to use it fast,
whether you're a professional soldier or a poorly trained conscript. The worldwide
availability and durability of the AK-47 also makes it an attractive weapon for terrorists,
militias and other illegal paramilitary organizations. Whether they're trying to
take over a military base in frozen tundra or overthrowing a government in Sub-Saharan Africa,
the AK-47 works really well in every environment, is always available (usually at a steep discount)
and will still work even if it falls into water, mud, sand or some other muck.
The average lifespan of a terrorist in a gunfight isn't very long, so that rifle is
likely going to hit the ground, and someone is going to need it to work when they pick it up.
The terrorist group is definitely going to need a cheap replacement.
That’s all for this video, folks! See you another time!