Kapitel 331: Chapter 408 Planning (3)
In the future, the intricate relationship between Germany's MP44 and the Soviet Union's AK-47 during World War II is one of the topics that military enthusiasts enjoy discussing.
The German MP44 is the progenitor of modern assault rifles, establishing the basic elements of modern assault rifles, such as the intermediate power rifle cartridge system, piston gas operation, 30-round curved magazine, and so on...
These undoubtedly greatly inspired Mikhail Kalashnikov. However, these are merely influences in design philosophy and product positioning, not implying that the AK-47 copied the MP44 in its specific implementation.
The biggest similarity between the MP44 and AK-47 is that both are long-stroke piston gas-operated actions, with the piston and piston rod located above the barrel, transmitting high-pressure propellant gases through a port, which pushes the piston and piston rod backward, completing a cycle composed of unlocking, extracting, advancing, feeding, and locking actions.
Beyond that, their specific implementations are almost entirely different.
The two guns differ in their assembly methods: the firing mechanism of the AK-47 is fixed within the receiver, with the trigger guard mounted at the bottom of the receiver, and the grip is simply screwed onto the receiver as a wooden part, not affecting the gun's function without it; whereas the MP44's firing mechanism, firing mechanism housing, and grip are a single component, connected with a pin at the rear of the magazine well, with another pin at the back connecting the grip, stock, and the open rear of the receiver.
The biggest difference is the locking principle; the MP44 uses a tilting bolt locking mechanism that was popular at the time, while the AK-47 uses a rotating bolt locking mechanism (which was not invented by Kalashnikov, as rotating bolt locking mechanisms appeared as early as the 1890s); these two are completely different.
Although both have their advantages and disadvantages, overall, the tilting bolt locking mechanism is less reliable and has a shorter lifespan than the rotating bolt locking mechanism; so much so that the later German HK-designed G36 rifle abandoned this locking method in favor of a rotating bolt mechanism.
In terms of basic structure, the MP44 is more complex, weighing 4.62 kilograms empty and 5.12 kilograms with a magazine, significantly heavier than the American M1 Garand rifle. Therefore, although the Allies were shocked by its firepower, after analyzing the actual item, they found it too cumbersome.
Moreover, the MP44 has many parts, and it is prone to malfunction when subjected to impacts or bumps, far less reliable than bolt-action or semi-automatic rifles. This was also scoffed at by the U.S. military, as reliability is the lifeblood of a weapon.
Thus, even though the U.S. developed the M1/M2 Carbine during WWII, which also used intermediate power ammunition with semi-automatic/full-automatic modes, they did not consider them as the main weapon for soldiers.
By contrast, the AK-47 is lighter, less expensive, and more durable. It wasn't until the Vietnam War that U.S. soldiers, still wielding the cumbersome M14 in the jungle, were taught a lesson by the Vietnamese using AK-47s, leading them to realize how naive they had been to have missed out on such a powerful weapon...
Because of reliability in extreme conditions, abandoning an excellent weapon, or reducing the basic performance of a weapon for reliability under specific conditions, results in falling behind on the bigger picture.
After realizing their shortcomings, the Americans quickly sent the newly developed, still hot M16 to Vietnam, opening the era of small-caliber weapons. However, this has little to do with the MP44.
Noticing these issues, Wilhelm decided to replace the MP44. Fortunately, at that time, the MP44 had not been widely issued to troops, with only one or two per squad; the production scale of the factory was not large, so the replacement would not be too troublesome.
Seeing the newly designed product, Wilhelm couldn't help but smile; it was essentially an AK-47, just using 7×43mm bullets.
Wilhelm made several improvement requests, turning it into the AKM assault rifle.
Compared to the AK-47, the AKM is lighter (by about 1 kilogram), with higher shooting accuracy and reliability. The AKM further adopted metal stamping, welding processes, and synthetic materials in its design, reducing weight and production time and costs, facilitating mass production, and resulting in a lower failure rate than the AK-47.
The paratrooper troops used its improved version, the AKMS, which was slightly shortened and lighter. With the stock extended, the total length is 920mm, and with the stock folded, it is 655mm, with the entire gun weighing 3.6kg, 1.6kg lighter than the MP44.
Wilhelm picked up the AKMS in front of him and pulled the bolt a few times. "Are the soldiers satisfied with this gun?"
Student, knowing Wilhelm's character, who does not like flattery, reported truthfully. "The soldiers say that aside from the accuracy during continuous fire not being as good as the MP44, they can accept other aspects, especially since it is significantly lighter than the MP44."
"That's good," Wilhelm nodded in satisfaction, putting down the AKMS. Next to it was the light machine gun RPK (also using 7×43mm ammunition) developed based on the AKM. The two guns have the same basic structure, and most parts are interchangeable, which has obvious advantages on the battlefield and is very beneficial for practical combat needs. It can be said to inherit the lineage of the AK, combining the advantages of the AKM, but in some aspects, it is superior to the AKM.
In later years, the trend of "gun family" development emerged, and the AK-47/AKM, using the M-43 style 7.62×39mm intermediate cartridge, performed exceptionally well, not only with reliable action and low failure rate, capable of use under various harsh conditions, but also with simple weapon operation and fierce firepower during continuous fire. Thus, a squad light machine gun was developed based on the AKM assault rifle, which became the prototype of the later world-renowned RPK light machine gun, officially adopted by the Soviet army in 1959 to replace the RPD as the squad machine gun.
Its simple structure facilitates mass production, and its high reliability allows it to adapt to various harsh environments. It is said to have fired 12,000 rounds without damage to the moving parts.
Moreover, many parts between the two are compatible, and the RPK's special 75-round drum magazine can be used interchangeably with the AKM's box magazine when empty, reducing logistical pressure and improving battlefield applicability.
However, the RPK differs from the AKM in many ways. Although it uses the AKM's riveted receiver, the proportion of stamped parts has increased, and many parts that were riveted are now welded; it uses an extended heavy barrel, equipped with a foldable bipod to improve shooting accuracy and facilitate prone shooting, with an effective range and muzzle velocity higher than the AK-47. Additionally, it can use a 40-round magazine or a 75-round drum for feeding, maintaining a firepower advantage by increasing magazine capacity, with the magazine also made of light alloy, interchangeable with the original steel magazine, and later, a glass fiber reinforced plastic magazine was developed, which is interchangeable, easing logistical pressure.
One issue with the RPK light machine gun is that it cannot replace the barrel, which further limits its rate of fire, as once the barrel overheats, it directly affects its performance. Therefore, when using the RPK for shooting, one needs to deliberately control the rate of fire and cannot engage in prolonged continuous firing. Overall, however, the RPK is still an excellent light machine gun, mainly reflected in its good reliability.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein