AK-47 Type 2
Kalashnikov Concern (formerly Izhmash) · Assault Rifle · Discontinued · 1951
Also known as: AK-47 Type II, Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947
Overview
The AK-47 Type 2 is the first milled-receiver production generation of Mikhail Kalashnikov's iconic assault rifle, manufactured at Izhmash from 1951 to 1955. It replaced the troublesome stamped sheet-metal Type 1 receiver, which the Soviet industry of the early 1950s could not yet produce reliably, with a receiver machined from a solid steel forging. This milled construction was heavier and more labour-intensive but far more rugged and dimensionally consistent, giving the rifle the durability that would make the Kalashnikov legendary. The Type 2 introduced a boss-and-socket buttstock attachment in which the wooden stock is secured to a machined extension at the rear of the receiver. Mechanically it retains the gas-operated long-stroke piston action, rotating bolt, select-fire trigger group, 7.62x39mm chambering, and 30-round curved magazine of the original design. The Type 2 was an interim milled pattern, soon refined into the lighter Type 3 receiver.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4300 g (151.7 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 4780 g (168.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 869 mm (34.21") |
| Barrel Length | 415 mm (16.34") |
| Height | 190 mm (7.48") |
| Width | 45 mm (1.77") |
| Sight Radius | 378 mm (14.88") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 710 m/s (2329 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2010 J (1482 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 300 m (328 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 800 m (875 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x39mm · primary — also known as 7.62x39mm Soviet, M43, 7.62mm Kalashnikov
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Hammer Notch
- Features: Milled Receiver, Chrome Lined Barrel, Chrome Lined Chamber, Curved Magazine, Rotating Bolt, Select Fire
Variants
- AK-47 Type 3 — Milled Receiver
- AKS — Folding Stock
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Soviet Armed Forces · adopted 1951 · as AK-47
- Warsaw Pact Forces · adopted 1955 · as AK-47
Conflicts
- Hungarian Revolution (1956-1956)
- Vietnam War (1955-1975)
Production
Production years: 1951-1955
First milled-receiver AK-47 generation; produced in smaller numbers than the later Type 3 and not documented separately from overall AK-47 totals.
Origin
Country of origin: Soviet Union
Designer: Mikhail Kalashnikov
Discontinued: 1955
Notes
The Type 2 is distinguished from the later Type 3 by its receiver lightening cuts and its different buttstock attachment method, which uses a machined socket rather than the simplified tang of the Type 3. The milled receiver added weight compared to the eventual stamped AKM, but provided exceptional rigidity. Type 2 rifles are relatively scarce today and are sought by collectors as an early production milestone in AK history.
Background
The Type 2 exists only because the Soviet Union's post-war stamping industry could not yet hold tolerances on the original Type 1 sheet-metal receiver, forcing Izhmash to fall back to expensively machining receivers from solid steel forgings until the technology caught up a decade later with the AKM.