AK-47 and AK-74 Kalashnikov Rifles, The 2nd Edition Revised & Expanded

Prepared with the help of members of the Kalashnikov Collectors Association, this book surveys every variation of the 7.62 AK-47 and the 5.45 AK-74 (developed in the old Soviet Union) on a part-by-part basis, permitting easy identification of original rifles and those made from kits. Other chapters describe in detail the Kalashnikov rifle variations developed and used by members of the Warsaw Pact, as well as in Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, North Korea, and Yugoslavia. In addition, military weapons such as the Belgian FNC, the Israeli Galil, the Finnish series of assault rifles, and those Kalashnikov-inspired rifles designed and manufactured in Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, and Yugoslavia are described. The book also includes a history of the rifles's development and use, and bigraphical data on Mikhail Kalashnikov, its designer. As the Communist Empire began to crumple in the mid-1980s, Kalashnikov rifles were imported into the United States from the People's Republic of China. And they were an instant hit with both shooters and collectors. When the Warsaw Pact collapsed and the Soviet Union imploded, dozens of additional variations of the AK-47 and AK-74 were released for export. Not even ill-conceived Federal legislation aimed at so-called 'assault weapons' could slow interest building among firearms collectors for the Kalashnikov rifle. Profusely illustrated with photos and line drawings of parts, this book is the most complete and up-to-date book available today on the Kalashnikov rifles. 188pp.