Stg44 versus AK-47 - Page 2 - Historum

**Rasta** · January 10th, 2012, 11:14 AM

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Originally Posted by Rakkasan

This guy has a different take on them...

butchering a whole herd of holy cows. | the munchkin wrangler.

Despite this, some US troops would rather carry the AK-47 than the M4, as the 5.56 mm round has crap stopping power at short range.

**Belloc** · January 10th, 2012, 11:20 AM

Much of the AK47's design is based off Federov's avtomat of WWI:

This topic keeps popping up for some reason.

Rakkasan · January 10th, 2012, 12:03 PM

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Much of the AK47's design is based off Federov's avtomat of WWI

Why would they base the AK on a little used and produced rifle...when they captured the man responsible for this?

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To its credit, it was the first successful weapon of its class, and the concept had a major impact on modern infantry small arms development. By all accounts, the StG 44 fulfilled its role admirably, particularly on the Eastern Front, offering a greatly increased volume of fire compared to standard infantry rifles. In the end, it came too late to have a significant effect on the outcome of the war

Stg44

**Belloc** · January 10th, 2012, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakkasan

Why would they base the AK on a little used and produced rifle...when they captured the man responsible for this?

Because it was a Russian design, and Russians usually prefer having their own design to things.

Rakkasan · January 10th, 2012, 12:06 PM

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Despite this, some US troops would rather carry the AK-47 than the M4, as the 5.56 mm round has crap stopping power at short range.

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M-16/AR-15: Underpowered varmint rifle burdened by a crummy magazine design. Nasty direct-impingement gas system that poops where it eats. High sight line, flimsy alloy-and-plastic construction. Generally favored by range commandos, tactical disciples, military vets who have never fired anything else for comparison, and Brownells addicts who a.) enjoy spending three times the cost on the rifle on bolt-on accoutrements, and b.) never have to use their rifle away from a dry, sunny range

He takes a dig at the M-16 too...

Rakkasan · January 10th, 2012, 12:08 PM

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Because it was a Russian design, and Russians usually prefer having their own design to things.

Right....like they haven`t copied or stole most of their technology! And they just happened to have the inventor of the Stg44 in custody.

**Belloc** · January 10th, 2012, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakkasan

Right....like they haven`t copied or stole most of their technology!

That's not much of a counter-argument. Besides, Kalashnikov himself has admitted the influence of Federov and denied any connection with the Stg44. So much of the evidence presented in favor of the AK being based of the Stg44 is largely conjecture.

**Belloc** · January 10th, 2012, 12:15 PM

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While in the hospital, recovering, Kalashnikov began to dream of a new Soviet firearm, which would match or even improve on the German weapons. In the hospital library he found V.G. Fedorov's basic weapons textbook, Evolution of Small Arms. Kalashnikov later wrote: "That was my lucky day. The book by Vladimir Federov proved to be invaluable. It gave me my first insight into the principles of developing automatic firearms, and put me straight on the positive and negative aspects of each class of firearms."

Mikhail Kalashnikov says his rifle was not based on the German StG44 assault rifle. But the AK-47 represents a combination of previous rifle innovations: the double locking lugs and unlocking raceway of the M1 Garand/M1 carbine; the trigger and safety mechanism of the Browning Remington Model 8 rifle; and the gas system and layout of the German StG44. The main advantages of the Kalashnikov rifle are simple design and adaptation to mass production. It is a melding of the best the Garand, Browning, and StG44 features.

Kalashnikov had ready access to the StG44, and he experimented with similar concepts, but he threw out many details of the StG44: The two-part receiver (something that the M16 has), the clumsy return mechanism (, another something the M16 shares with the StG44), the tilting bolt, the gas piston, the left-side safety lever and charging handle, the tight part fittings. The StG44 had the right concept, but Kalashnikov found out in his development that many of the details were wrong.

AK-47 Kalashnikov Information and Pictures

So it seems whatever influence there was of the Stg44, it was rather minor.