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After a two week absence, Weapon Wednesdays is back! And what better way to kick it off than with the most well-known assault rifle in the world? Hit the jump to read all about the AK-47!

The AK-47 appears in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. It can be found during Operation: Snake Eater and it's the first automatic weapon that you can get in that mission.

The name AK-47 is a contraction of a Russian sentence meaning "Automatic rifle Kalashnikov model of 1947 year." Kalashnikov comes from Mikhail Kalashnikov, a tank driver-mechanic-turned-weapons designer serving in the Red Army. After being wounded during the defence of Bryansk in 1941, Kalashnikov was released from service for six months to recuperate. It was during this time that he began working on a submachine gun design that eventually became the AK-47 in 1947.

In 1949, the AK-47 was adopted by the Soviet Armed Forces.

Like the Heckler & Koch USP, the AK combines all the best features of several other weapons. It uses the double locking lugs and unlocking raceway of the M1 Garand, the trigger and safety mechanism of the Remington Model 8, and the gas system of the StG44. When asked how new weaponry is designed, Kalashnikov was quoted as saying "...before attempting to create something new, it is vital to have a good appreciation of everything that already exists in this field."

The AK was designed to be simple to manufacture, operate, and maintain. Certain design decisions, such as big gaps between moving parts, were made to limit the number of problems and improve overall reliability. This came at a price, however, as the rifle is somewhat inaccurate and not intended for long range use. It was designed for massed infantry fire, which reflected Soviet infantry doctrine at the time.

Due to the low costs of manufacturing AK-47s, the rifle is favored all over the world. In some parts of the world, you can purchase a unit for as low as $30. After the Soviet retreat from Afghanistan in 1989, the Soviet Army left mass quantities of AKs behind, a large portion of which are now used by the Taliban.

The widespread use of the AK-47 has prompted a response from Kalashnikov:

"I'm proud of my invention, but I'm sad that it is used by terrorists. I would prefer to have invented a machine that people could use and that would help farmers with their work - for example a lawnmower."

Source: Wikipedia

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