M1 - AK

[Willtallica]

Linky
In this link you see I have taken a picture of my M1, and with it my AK.
Minus appearance sake is the AK is practically nothing more than an M1 Garand, but with the gas tube, and barrel switched?

[BenningBoy]

I kinda see what you're saying.

[Garpman]

Someone very knowlegeable on the AK platform history has mentioned Mr. K was influenced by the M1 more than anything else, although the concept and role of the weapon was directly copied from the Germans.

Many mistakenly attribute the most influence to the Stg44 because of outward appearance, but otherwise vastly different in operation (I think, cause I'm not fortunate enough to own an MP44). However, as mentioned, the purpose of the AK copied the sturmgewehr role to a T.

[crlovel]

Garp is right. The inner workings of an AK are more closely related to those an M1. The similarity in appearance to an STG-44 are pretty much coincidental.

[PA Rifleman]

Someone very knowlegeable on the AK platform history has mentioned Mr. K was influenced by the M1 more than anything else, although the concept and role of the weapon was directly copied from the Germans. ...However, as mentioned, the purpose of the AK copied the sturmgewehr role to a T.

It's a mis-mash of copied -details-. The trigger mechanism is very close to the US M1 rifle. No surprise, as we gave the Soviets a small batch of M1 rifles to try out. And possibly the French as well. Consider the following photo:


Kalashnikov had been using the classic dust cover safety design for some time, which appears to have been inspired by the Remington Model 8.


Remington Model 8 (Prod. 1908-1936), which may have been Kalashnikov's inspiration for the AK-47 safety lever.

The Russian are now admitting the StG-44 (nee MP-44) was a major design influence. (Link to original article). Partial translation:

"The history of the well-known automatic weapon began on July 15th, 1943 when a captured MP-43 and a cartridge were tested. Main designer Nikolay Yelizarov and leading engineer Paul Ryazanov quickly developed " an intermediate cartridge ". The technological part was provided by Boris
Semin. After that development a new weapons system using this cartridge
began.

About 15 designers participated competing to develop the domestic automatic rifle. The first two years Kalashnikov's name was not mentioned. All tests were spent on the Churovskom range near Kolomna..."

The real secret isn't the bayonet lug, the detachable magazine or the pistol grip. The real key element to the assault rifle's success was the reduced-power rifle round, making recoil much more manageable and thus making automatic bursts more accurate. And the starting point for nearly all guns is the chamber, and before that is the cartridge. The Germans chambered the Mkb 42 (forerunner to the MP-44) with their intermediate round, the 7.92x33 early in the war.


German 7.92x33 cartridge
for the MP-44.

The Russians became aware of their new cartridge and almost immediately began developing a similar cartridge. Interesting, the first rifle fielded with the new Soviet intermediate round was the SKS, not the Kalashnikov design. The SKS was a down-scaled PTRS anti-tank rifle, and the SKS was more or less the tactical equivalent of the US Rifle M1.


7.62 M43 cartridge (L) and a 7.92x33 cartridge (R). Click on image for enlargement. Original article >here<.

[rivergunner]

yes/no the AK's bolt is connected to the gas rod, the M1 has a gas piston/ op rod that are two different pieces, operation yes they are the same instead of a gas tube they both have gas ports making them more reliable than the M-16 series rifles that and the recoil springs are reversed on the two weapons, and i am done rambling.