Is the AK-47 The Ultimate Assault Rifle? | Weapons That Changed The World | War Stories
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- No weapon is more feared, or more misunderstood, than the Assault Rifle. And no assault rifle has proved more successful, or more lethal, than the Soviet AK-47. Host Wil Willis tracks the history of this revolutionary firearm.
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1. The AK-47 does not weigh 12 pounds. More like 8 pounds.
2. The M-14 was not the first US assault rifle. If fires a full-power cartridge so it is a battle rifle. The M2 Carbine came closer to being the first US assault rifle, although its cartridge was too anemic to be considered an intermediate-power round.
I was surprised they called the M14 an assault rifle when it is clearly a battle rifle.
@@DSS-jj2cw makes you wonder how much these experts know on these videos haha
True the m14 is a battle rifle not an assault rifle
The m14 has the capability to fire automatic but that’s not viable for the 7,62 NATO round it’s too much power
@@ropshimopshi5709doesn't the AK fire a 7.62 at full auto?
@@stevenspilly M14 fires a 7.62x51mm round. AK47/AKM fires a 7.62x39mm round. Two different rounds.
AK more accurate than people say...AR more reliable than people say.
I think this was the biggest misconception I had about firearms before I really gained in depth knowledge of weapon platforms. Any platform can be inaccurate or unreliable or vice versa. There are only small factors of the platform itself that lend to its performance and reliability. AK's heavy piston and BCG, lend to increased recoil impulse, whereas the AR's direct impingement and light BCG lend to less recoil impulse. Accuracy is largely based on the quality of the barrel and the ballistics of the ammo used. Either way you could have an AK that shoots sub moa, however most AK's are manufactured to be minute of bad guy. Any weapon platform can be built with quality components and be as accurate and reliable as you want.
I like that. I ask why choose? I tell people buy both, own both, love both, be married to none!
More reliable, not as accurate as the FN
@@MarineVeteran99Mmmm too much to carry multiples, travel light.....as.
@@AnthonyOMulligan-yv9cg
The FN is a battle rifle. An assault rifle like the AK or AR trade the long distance accuracy of a battle rifle so that they can be useful on full auto. It is still accurate enough for the distances that most combat takes place. It has replaced battle rifles in just about every army.
AK47: My bullets can punch through concrete cinder block.
Browning M2: Hold my ammo box.
It's weird seeing some of the first firearms media I can remember, and seeing the inaccuracies/misinterpretations/oversimplifications compared to the common knowledge of today
Demiter's ptsd kicked in. "My name is Victir Reznov!"
12 lbs?!?!
No, more like 8. Get your facts straight. 😂
Maybe a milled receiver gun with full mag and bayonet attached.......
Soon as it started he said "Russian AK-47" as he fires a Chinese type 56
My milled one is 13 pounds empty.
@@mcmelonmaster yikes....I was always told to add a pound for milled.....
Do you have added rails? Ultimak, optics?
@@bmphil3400 nope. Underfolder yugo with the gas cut-off for grenades. It was born as an RPK. Imported as an AKM.
The RK-62, RK-92S and RK-95 AK variants from Finland show how accurate a rifle of the AK-47 design you can produce.
RK-92S. That's a new one!
M92S is the civilian version.
RK-92 kind of exist. It was made for FDF trials which later became the RK-95TP.
Sure. If it's made by Finns
Seems expensive
"The Russian AK-47"
*Brandishes a Chinese Type-56 AK copy*
yea, this is a joke. and so is this guy
“Assault rifle, assault rifles, assault rifle”. “Ak47,ak47,ak47”- “Green beret, Navy Seal, military badass”
Defining what an assault rifle is would be the 1st step
A friend of mine that was a U.S. Marine told me on his way over to Viet Nam he checked out an M14 from the armory to do some target practice. The M14's they had had no selector switch, the armorer had to put it on aemi or full auto. He said he asked for full auto and the armorer tried to talk him out this, after one magazine he had it changed back to semi auto. ;-)
The most popular and notorious gun in the world AK-47
It’s wild how bad of a shooter the big fella was.
It's nice to see experts from different countries and backgrounds give input on the weapons.
Its sad to see them mistake a Type 56 for an AK47.
@@imjustthere9343 ''That's not an AR15, it's an M&P MOE''
lol... experts??.....
The ak47 is so easy to use even a child can use it, and the do.
I have very much respect for the AK series rifle because I have faced it during combat first in Panama 1989-90 and Iraq 2006-08 as an infantryman. I would dispute that the AK series is not very accurate by design. A good infantryman with proper marksmanship skills will hit his targets. I was very lucky not to get hit with it but they came close to taking me out a few times at closer ranges under 100 meters. I own 2 of the semi-auto versions of this weapon.
The real test is being able to hit enemy soldiers at the ranges faced in actual battles. The AK can do that firing single shots or full auto.
@user-nh6zj3nn3n Please read again. 👀👀
Definitely.
Ty for your service! Glad u made it home safe. Ty again
AK-47 will be around for a long time in human history.
How many times does he say "ASSAULT RIFLE". sounds like a politician
Edit: 🖕
How many times/often politicians (Murican) say "assault rifle" instead of "assault weapon"?
The latter one is political weapon, not a real weapon.
@@XtreeM_FaiL it's a sporting firearm
@@Apetape375 Sporting firearm is not a classification. It can be a pistol, rifle or a shotgun. It can be meant to be used for hunting or indoor range only.
It’s a machine gun.
But this is literally an assault rifle...
Thank you for publishing these full-length versions. Heavy machine guns up next please!
Google store trigger Weapons that change the world Season 2 ma deuce
I love the Kalash own several. But the ultimate assault rifle would have been what the Sturmgewehr would have evolved into. But Germany would have had to won before that could happen right. Oh well Mikhail Kalashnikov picked up where the nazis left off
@@PatrickGraham-h4u well FG-42 is also a good one while not an true AK I OWN a Type 81 lmg that I have turn into a tabuk sniper
@@davegravel882 while the FG42 was an incredible piece of technology, and aside from things like optics mounting keeps up with firearms 80 years newer, I would argue that it isn't a true assault rifle since it fires a full power cartridge.
I think it's one of the most versatile firearms ever mass produced, given the ability to function adequately as an LMG, and if it wasn't for Hughes amendment I'd put serious resources into a clone in 7.62N, but the cartridge makes it a battle rifle rather than an assault rifle.
@@totensiebush did you know they also made a FG-42 in 7,92 Kurz was almost adopted but One of the Higher up nazis said no !! On forgotten Weapons channel if you want to know more
That 30-06 out of thag M1 is a thing of beauty!
true true true, and I bet the AK47(or its derivatives the AKM, AK74 etc.) will still be used even in the 22nd century
I think the AK is the ultimate. If I were stranded on an alien planet THIS would be my weapon of choice. As it is now.
My weapon of choice would be the RIA 1911 A2 hi cap (13) 45 ACP pistol. I am not into rifles.
You won't be , maybe different country , but different planet? Good luck, the first threat that will kill you before you can use a gun , is atmosphere, air pressure, radiation, temperature, weather , you won't survive on different planet buddy, there is no planet founded to be proven good enough for human to stay ,
And it is alot less likely for someone to sending a human Into different planet
But robot.... and machines will be on different planet far earlier , and far better option than sending humans
@@robertonavarro7713 nah man, Razorback 22LR Beltfed Upper on a full auto m16 lower is where its at
@@somebird Yall would SO not make it 😂 I’m holding down the fort with OP cause I run a ar platform everyday and I’d still take a AK47 / AKM in the end of the world or alien planet 😂
Weight of ak is to control the recoil from fully automatic 🔥
Somehow i'm amazed by the amount of "assault rifle" being said in this show
Yes because it is an actual term
It’s a real term but the AR15 means something different
@@TinyBearTim good ol armalite
Ak 47 is milled I believe. AKM was stamped steel
Very true
38:57 it is unfair to compare AK 47 with M4
Compare M4 With something like the AK203
Or the AK74m
Samuel L. Jackson: “The AK-47, when you absolutely, positively, got to kill everybody in the room, accept no substitutes!!”
Melanie: "He's just repeating the $h!t he overheard"
*accept
AT 4:35 mark that is fake information, the AK weights around 8lbs especially the stamped vers making it on par with the M16. Without the Mag it's actually 7lbs...
Fun fact. American soldiers in Vietnam favored the AK more then the m16 because function wise the AK was better.
Not a fact at all
@@georgestem2039
Some myths never die. My favorite is the belief that super glue was designed as a wound closure in Vietnam.
@georgestem2039 they where used by South Vietnamese and US forces .
Only for cross border operation
It was because the first m16s weren't reliable and had bad ammo. Also the magazine made a big difference. But only the nva had ak. The vietcong would have junk gun leftovers from ww2
Firearms don't scare me. They haven't scared me since I was 15. I have now owned three AK's. The first was a Maadi AK that was stolen. The second was a type 56 Mak 90 from China that I lost in a pawn shop. The third is a PSA AK 103. There is Nothing to fear.
The AR-10 is my personal favorite
How'd you lose it in a pawn shop
Im scared of my guns. They steal all my mortgage money. And use it to stockpile ammo 🤦🏾♂️
gotta look sideways at a guy that wanders around pawn shops losing his guns....
@@mikea.6608 HAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!! BTDT!😄
Wil is such a fantastic host.
34:06 Reacher!🤩
It's capable of shooting down helicopters, just a testament of how scary it is.
The AR is a better rifle. The AK a better machine gun.
Assault is a action of a human,,, not a tool without a human behind it.
Go on. You obviously want to tell something.
and Assault Rifle is the classification of a type of small arms.
The M16 does NOT use a "16 inch barrel" but a 20.
That's not wrong
Depends on what make and year. The Corps has all types of barrels in use.
They had all different lengths of barrels. Barrel length is dependent on what they where being used for and what service is carrying it
@@OpieOG Yes and they are all different rifles, not all M16s. An M16 is a rifle with a 20'' barrel, M4 is a carbine with a 14.5'' barrel and the navy Mk18 is a carbine with a 11.4''? barrel. They all have different parts in them which allow them to function reliably due to the change in working pressures caused by the various barrel lengths.
It does use Plastic
The Trigger series is iconic. I had no idea that the AK-47 was 1) descended from the German Sturmgewehr 44 and 2) was thus so devastating. I understand that the M16 was more accurate, but it was not sturdy enough. I say this as a former GI. That is very worrisome when the enemy armed with an AK-47 is firing off so many rounds
It's a myth that it's based on the STG44, they only look alike. There are now released soviet papers that show exactly what was going on during and after the war. The AK was actually a direct copy of a rival design within the soviet weapon tests.
The basic design of the AK47 is unmatched till now.
Lopsided test
Should have used one person for both weapons
I have to say that I have major issues in the first minute: the firearm they call an AK47 is very clearly an AKM, as it has a stamped receiver (and not an early AK47 one)
wait... he claims "similar muzzle velocity to the M4"? that's by no means accurate
also, 9:45 30.06mm... yeah, the garand ain't an autocannon
Ain't it a Chinese Type-56 AK copy?
When i joined the Army in '84 we were using the M16a1s which did not have a built-in brass deflector. The detachable brass deflector we used then was a piece of mostly plastic which was stuck in the carry handle. (Not really a carry handle). I am left-handed and if the range did not have the brass deflector, I would have brass flying in my face which did not lead to a pleasant shooting experience or a good qualification score.
You would have been issued the M16A2 by ‘84
@@joshuaclay3675 Oh no. I was still using the A1 when I left the army in '86 and when I joined the Reserves, we weren't issued the A2 until '88. The process does not happen overnight.
32:50 in fact the sight radius of the AK-47 is 2.5 cm greater than the M16's
A few points as an AK user I noticed. Why didn't they talk about the AK74 with its 5.45 round, a couple of scenes when they were talking about the Vietnamese the scene was reversed as the AK safety and round injector was one the left instead of the right as it should be and also, when the big guy emptied the AK magazine on those bottles, he cocked the rifle BEFORE removing the magazine which is the wrong thing to do. Should have removed the magazine before making the rifle safe. Also there are a few ways of improving the AK system. One is changing out the dust cover for one that has a picatinny rail and to allow you to attach a scope or other attachments.
The M14 is a battle rifle, not an assault rifle. It fires a full power cartridge. The M16 is an assault rifle that fires and intermediate cartridge.
Nerdin' out: (3:47) that's a Chinese stamped type 56 - not an actual AK-47 - confused yet?
That is not a Russian AK-47 !
That is a Chinese Type 56 rifle with its distinct spike bayonet.
Will is shooting a Chinese MAK 90.
I noticed that.
And stamped would only be 6-7 lbs. so glad I kept all my pre ban norincos and poly techs. Especially the Bakelite side folder😊
@@PatrickGraham-h4uyeah I’ve noticed some inaccuracy in this video. For example the AK vs M14, performance of the AK has a lot more to do with a Soviet zero he doesn’t understand and less to do with poor performance of the iron sights. Also why are we allowing him to modernize the M14 with modern attachments and force multipliers even though the AK is perfectly capable of doing the same, as a matter of fact modernized AKs are much more popular and involved in conflict currently.
The best aks ever achieve 1.5 moa at best while the best ar15s achieve 0.5 moA
This gun has a special place in my heart ❤
Used that in a live combat?
Let’s make a drinking game out of every time he says assault rifle I know he’s just saying that to scare the general public who doesn’t know anything about weapons I counted 30 times already and I’m four minutes into this vid!
“assault rifle” fires low power ammunition, and Is capable of full auto fire.
a full auto AK and AR-15 would be assault rifles. I think you're thinking of the term "assault weapon" which is by no means a real term
an assault rifle is a rifle that has;
Select full and simi fire modes
feeds from a detachable box magazine
uses an Intermediate cartrige
Vietnam the north vietnamese didn't start having ak 47 till the 66-67 beginning of the war they had sks and old soviets guns against the m14
Before that during the Indochina war Grease Guns vs the French 7.5mm fusil-mitrailleur modèle 1924
Whenever possible always opt for the 50 or 100 round magazine.
One can't just hate this gun. I want one of gold and steel.
It seems like some of the best gun inventers werent trained as gun designers. Mikail kalashnikov was a tank mechanic and invented the AK. Then carbine williams invented the M1 carbine while serving prison time. Maybe its just the common sense of the common man.
Nothing has shaped the world like the gun the knife too reputation
This was awesome ❤❤
Aussie soldiers in Vietnam found a glaring flaw of the AK47 when the safety catch was moved from safe to fire, it made a click which the sound carried and alerted enemy in the J of the closeness of enemy about to fire upon them, gave them a little bit of extra time to prepare for an attack or ambush. I expect the US soldiers figured out this flaw as well.
Its not a assault rifle rookie. Assault is an action. It's a Klack 47. It's a rifle. It's a weapon of war.
4:52 Lol my little sister handles the recoil better than that ak "specialist" haha
I was a Paratrooper in a Commando unit in the Canadian Army. The AK-47 is badass, you can put it in a mud puddle for a day, take it out and it will still fire.
apparently, an ar-15 (so what would be a c7 or c8 for you) did better in mud tests than an AK in GarandThumb and InRangeTv's videos
It's hilarious they missed several shots with the HK 416. They missed several shots with the m4 but they did not talk about that. They only talked about messing with the AK. Then he showed the HK with the piston dripping identical to the AKA firing the lower caliper round. But he never talked about putting the optic on the AK because the AK will hold a opted also. And he also never talked about the ak-74 which is better than the m4. And he doesn't realize the AK weighs the same weight as an m4 and it's lighter than a m4 with plastic on the 74 and the '74 is more accurate than the m4
Well said Sir 👏 👌 and they don't want to talk about the numerous soldiers found dead in the jungle and desert with ammo still in the magazine and the gun JAMMED
Im from Finland and proud of our Ak-47 variant,Its million times better than original
I'll take my AKs any day over anything else. The AK will work no matter what you try and do to it or what you try and put it thru. That gun is a beast
“the m16 outperformed ak-wielding fighters”
I’d hope so, considering the m16 was developed almost 20
years later.
Thats a Chinese type 56 not a Russian AK47, and that is not an AK47, those are likely to be AKMS
And if you want to know how i know, the gun sight has a ring and only the Chinese have rings on their Ak replicas.
They are still finding AK-47 that have been buried since Vietnam and the stocks are rotten,the bolt doesn't cycle either,then they put solvent in the bolt and working parts and put a fresh magazine in, and boom the ak fires just like when they were first issued with the weapon,that is phenomenal reliability and performance
AK is about reliability, simplicity and ruggedness. A conscript can master it in a half of day. As for performance on the range - it's just good enough. Ok performance with logistics and operational applications - that's what makes AK family the best.
Looking good Will! Hoorah!!!😆✊🏿✊🏻✊🏿
Dimitri has such a long patience getting his name miss pronounced
The new kid on the block is the SIG SAUER XM 250, ITS ON MY X-MAS LIST FOR 2024.
Everyone except for Brandon Herrera, forgets to mention the AK-47's means of operation (long stroke two lug rotating bolt) come from the M-1 Garand. The STG-44 only inspired the looks and is completely different in its operation.
it inspired more than the looks, it also inspired the idea of using an intermediate cartridge, as well as having full auto. another direct bit of inspiration to the AK was the selector/dust cover from the remington model 8 (which was designed by john browning). I imagine the AK also took inspiration from other guns, but those are just the ones off the top of my head.
all the inspiration from great designs is what made/makes the AK series so damn good
AK47 is about one of the oldest assault rifles in existence but definitely still not obsolete compared to today's modern ARs. Key advantages is the extreme ruggedness and durability plus powerful rate of fire allows you to punch though any body armor. The ideal weapon to have in a zombie apocalypse😆
Or modern AKs
It depends on your mission,'philosophy of use', but yes its formidable. 🌴👍
the only true answer to "what is the best firearm". luckily its much easier to decide what the worst gun is... zip22
THIS IS LIKE THE GUN VERSION OF FORGED IN FIRE ... LOVIN THIS CONTENT Keep it Coming ✌️💀👍THE SURVIVOR RANCH ☠️ ⚔️🇦🇺
H&K MP5 & 416, AK 47, SCAR FN L&H, AND THE SIG SAUER 716 & 400=all elite and built to kill anything that moves... I have 2 of each.. VERY EXPENSIVE BUT WORTH EVERY PENNY..
This show or documentary was suppose to be on Ak47 all we see is some American bragging about the American weapon instead of the AK....
Well said Sir 👏 👌 👍
Interesting that Mikhail Kalashnikov was a self-taught weapons designer. So was Gaston Glock.
Someone said M16 is rifle with optional automatic fire. AK47 is assault rifle with optional single fire. Bottom line they are both are equally good at what they are designed for.
But would the 416 be as effective with the factory iron sights, instead of the added holo sight? I'm not so sure
the whole concept of this video is to prove the american m4 with the FREEEEDOOOOM rounds to be more efficient than a 50 year old assault rifle. well, duh.
"Now we will show you the HK416 against...the Mosin Nagant, thus proving the AK-47, despite having killed more people around the world than all other rifles combine, is not as accurate as the M14 with a scope."
Bellona
The Goddess Of War
How old is the Bulgarian guy? They left USSR in 1985. He seems much younger. He should be around 55 by now.
Can you guys please make a playlist?
Also get the SIG SAUER MG 338, & SIG SAUER MG 6.8 MCX SPEAR, I HAVE TWO OF EACH ALSO..
Amusing show.
its crazy to see how many weapons they had to go through and upgrades just so they can make a weapon that can be as good as the AK-47 and yet they barley got it, the AK-47 is a top tier assault rifle and its my favorite of all time in war games, the design and its impact its just so beautiful and sexy i swear😂😂 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
The 47 is a good rifle. More often than not the AK 74 is commonly referred to as an AK 47 but they're not the same. The 74 is much more of an improvement over the 47 and has better range and accuracy than the 47. It's 5.45 x 39 cartridge is more comparable to the M16/4 5.56 x 45 cartridge and has less bullet drop over distance compared with the 7.62 x 39 of the AK47. This helps it to travel further while maintaining accuracy over longer distances. They really should have at least mentioned the 74 in this video...
The PPSH had a few design flaws in its creation. It jams, not weather proofed etc which lead to the development of the AK-47 developed & made by Kalashnikov himself.
Great video
It’s true More people have been killed with this gun than any other ! Even Mr Kalishnicov was uncomfortable with this fact saying “I only made this weapon to protect our Motherland !”
I really like this show! I remember when it played on historia, time flies by!😅
All designs age out. The AK was a very good design. But as older designs don’t evolve with technology their shelf life approaches.
The coconut test wasnt fair. The AK wasnt scoped.
A ranger calls a semi auto an assault rifle? 😂
What I find funny is the ak 47 was only around for 2 year and the weapon was redesigned and renamed the akm that is the weapon we have known for years.
The “ASSAULT RIFLE” 😂🤣
Yep assault rifles do exist
@@thebasedspectre3048 indeed
Great insights thanks
The a.k.47 assault riffle is the version of the rifle that eliminated millions of lives alone in East africa. I am a somali and no other rifle matches.
0:28
Uh... That's an AK but not an AK-47.