Russia's AK 47 Rifle Evolution to the NEW AK-12

The US military is often inspired by what they see their counterparts develop. They’re like each other’s military muse, their source of inspiration. In this case the Russians saw the AR-15 and were inspired to create a new line of the AK family of weapons. The newest iteration is the AK-12. This is the modern assault rifle used by Russian forces it fires a 5.45mm round and is part of their Ratnik program.

Written & Edited by: Chris Cappy

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

The creator of the AK-47, Makhail Kalashnakov made the weapon in response to a German engineered firearm called the Sturmgewehr 44 rifle. Lets look at the AK series by the numbers. The muzzle velocity is 715 meters per second. By the book the effective range is 400 meters which the lessons from World War 2 taught us a regular infantryman needed to engage out to 400 meters occasionally while they needed to engage out to 200 meters frequently.

The 5.45 that the new AK’s use also produces a wounding effect that only happens when the round tumbles. This increases the likelihood of taking an enemy out of the fight. The effect on a soft target with the 5.45 round is twice as bad than when you use the larger 7.62.

The AK series has hundreds of variations including the PKM which is the Russian automatic squad weapon. The fundamental design and firing mechanism of an AK rifle is very different than the AR series which is why people in the gun community are often pitted against each other in debate over which philosophy is better. The AK firing mechanism seems to have a clear advantage in reliability and cost while the AR series seems to have an advantage in accuracy and modular additions to it.

#military #futureweapons #ak47

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[theimmortal]

New AKs shoot 5.45?
The Russians have been using that round for nearly 50 years. Who doesn't know this?

[matyasdivis]

Casually forgeting about ak-74 and 100 series, which were used far more than 47

[paleoph]

3:34
The AK-74M didn't directly replace the AK-47, it replaced the AK-74 which in turn replaced the AKM which also in turn replaced the AK-47.

[indonesiansasquatch]

what the hell are you talking about they've been on 5.45 since 1974

[sannidhyabalkote]

" It can be counted with the most basic of tools

The Hammer, The Sickle, The AK-47"

[kevindasupa]

NATO: FN FAL, M4A1, G3, FAMAS, M16
Russia: "AK"

[jsphfalcon]

I doubt everyone can be a sniper. Not everyone will want to poop in their pants until the perfect target shows up. There is this level of self discipline that just can't be for everyone.

[knightpaulman]

Brandon Herrera better react to this abomination of a video.

[Ni]

"Boris?"
_"Yes Natasha?"_
"Moose and Squirrel are calling Secret Top Plan _Ratfinknik rifle!"_
_"Moose and Squirrel are nogoodniks! Am making another secret plan to take care of them!"_
"Boris, dahrling, *not again!"*

[workinprogress]

I'm supposed to be working, but yet I'm watching this :D

[keithberger]

Why does he make it sound like the 5.45mm round is a new ammo? It's been with them since they've started using the AK-74 back in the 70's (1974). The fact that western countries are still using the term "AK-47" for the entire family is kinda obsolete. Most of the AKs that were distributed around the world are AKMs aside from the Chinese clones and variants from the former Warsaw Pact countries. While the AK-74 and their 5.45mm ammunition are only confined to Russia and the former Soviet Republics with the exception of other countries (Syria, Cyprus, Nigeria, and North Korea).

[sir_potoo]

> Calls most AKs an AK-47
> Says the AK74M was used back in 1974, when the original '74 was made

[justicechestnut]

They’ve been using 5.45x39 for 40 years now and the ak74m didn’t replace the ak47 there were multiple rifles in between those upgrades

[Vulcan]

"Strehwinher" I'm dead

[get_serious]

Any country when Soviets still exists : Likes soviet union
Soviet Union : You get an AK! And you get an AK! And you get an AK!

[Seth]

Actually, Kalash was brought into a circle of highly skilled firearms designers and deliberately allowed to take advice or ideas from them at will, because they believed he had talent, but he was very new to designing firearms.

You are right about several assistants however.

[cacheman]

The Russians have been using 5.45 since their Afghan war 40 years ago it's not like they are switching rounds. The AKM is the prominent 7.62 weapon, not the AK47. And the AK 12 has been around for a while it's nothing new. Did you guys just throw a video together without fact checking anything?

[crackshot]

Wasn't the AK-74 chambered for 5.45x39mm as well? I thought the Russian military switching to the 5.45x39mm wasn't new.

[sadstitchedeyes]

The sturmgewehr thing is pronounced "shturmgever"

[namesurname]

I like your videos but this one is too superficial and with a lot of mistakes/misframings intentional or not. I would recommend for people who want to hear the full history of the AK series and the AK12 in particular to go to Kalashnikov Media youtube channel. Some videos are in English, other in Russian. Most have subtitles.