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I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as the AK-47 is, in fact, Kalashnikov's Automatic Rifle, or as I've recently taken to calling it, Kalashnikov plus 7.62×39mm. The AK-47 is not a firearm unto itself, but rather another essential component of a fully functioning infantry weapon system made effective by its rugged design, intermediate cartridge, and gas-operated action, comprising a complete platform as defined by modern military doctrine.

Many firearm enthusiasts use a modified version of the Kalashnikov rifle every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the rifle originally designated as the AK-47 has evolved into the AKM and other derivatives, and many of its users are not aware that what they are handling is basically the original AK design, refined by Mikhail Kalashnikov’s engineering.

There really is an AK-47, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they rely on. The AK-47 is the foundation: the mechanism in the rifle that cycles rounds and provides reliability in extreme conditions. The receiver, barrel, and bolt carrier group are essential parts of a firearm, but useless by themselves; they can only function in the context of a complete rifle assembly. The AK-47 is normally used in combination with its 7.62×39mm ammunition and stamped steel receiver: the whole system is essentially Kalashnikov’s rifle with these elements added, or Kalashnikov/7.62. All the so-called AK variants are really just derivatives of Kalashnikov’s original masterpiece!