Assembling and disassembling a Kalashnikov assault rifle

History and present of the machine

It all started with the invention of a new cartridge in 1943. It had a caliber of 7.62 millimeters, which is why it was designated that way. The range of destruction and charge power was approximately in the middle between pistol and rifle ammunition. Soon, work began on creating a weapon for it, which could replace the outdated Mosin rifle, as well as the Shpagin submachine gun, or the famous PPSh, and the Sudaev submachine gun - PPS. All the country's leading design bureaus got down to business.

In the USSR of those years, the main customer of small arms was the Main Artillery Directorate. In 1945, he organized a competition for the invention of a machine gun for rifle ammunition of '43. It must ensure high accuracy when firing, light weight and size, unpretentiousness and reliability in combat, maintainability in combat conditions, and ease of maintenance. Next year, senior sergeant Mikhail Kalashnikov, who served at the Central Research Site for Small Arms and Mortars, began working.

It was his development and a sample from Simonov Design Bureau - a self-loading carbine - that were chosen as finalists. The competition commission recognized the young inventor’s project as simpler and cheaper to manufacture than the SKS. In addition, due to its smaller size, it was more convenient to fire from the AK, and if necessary, it could shoot in single mode, replacing a rifle. The production of new weapons was established at the Izhmash enterprise.

The first samples turned out to have a low quality receiver, which was made using stamping.

In 1952, a special technique for machine processing was invented, which turned out to be very expensive. At the same time, the original technology was improved, and by 1959 the desired result was obtained. This modification was called AKM. It turned out to have less weight and a more economical production process. At the same time, based on a conventional assault rifle, they developed a Kalashnikov light machine gun, which turned out to be the main one on the list of weapons of the USSR Army.

In the fifties of the last century, the Soviet Union licensed the production of the product to eighteen countries.

These were mostly comrades in the socialist bloc. At the same time, 11 states began to produce it without permission. And the number of producers in small quantities or in a handicraft way cannot be counted. Clones are created mainly in Asian and African countries. There are illegal producers in Europe too. As of 2009, all licenses have expired. According to calculations, a total of 70-150 million machines of various modifications were produced.

Development of the model today

A new development from 1974 - the AK74 - has been produced since 1976 and has a smaller caliber and a more powerful barrel, which has a positive effect on accuracy and shooting accuracy both in single mode and in bursts. The AK74M modification worked with 5.45 mm ammunition, a new barrel and a compensator that prevented the weapon from moving upward. In addition, it now has a retractable plastic stock and a special rail for installing a night sight or an under-barrel grenade launcher.

Further development continued with the release of the AK-101 and AK-103 chambered for the NATO standard 5.56 x 45 mm cartridge. Production of hunting weapons began:

Saiga carbines for jacketed or hollow-point bullets, as well as their smooth-bore self-loading modifications.
Similar equipment was produced under the Vepr brand.
For training and sports, there were gas-cylinder models.

In total, the AK is in service in 106 countries. There is his image on the coats of arms or flags of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Burkina Faso.

The Kalash is also mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records as the most common weapon on Earth - its share is 15 percent, and in the list of the most significant inventions according to the magazine Liberation, it is ahead of the atomic bomb and the conquest of space.

Types of disassembly of a Kalashnikov assault rifle

Any weapon must have the ability to be disassembled. Moreover, the simpler this process is, the better. A group of parts that does not have various fastening bolts and screws, connected using simple fasteners, etc. – this is an indicator of a reliable machine that is not afraid of breakdowns of expensive machines.

There are two types of weapon disassembly:

Full
Incomplete

In the first case, the machine is completely divided into all possible parts. This method is used for very heavy contamination, as well as for repairing or changing the lubricant in weapons. Doing this without proper experience is highly not recommended, because it will simply be impossible to assemble some parts later.

But every man should master incomplete disassembly. This event is carried out to clean and lubricate the weapon and is a standard process. During partial disassembly, only the working parts of the machine gun that are susceptible to contamination during firing are removed. This is very important when the weapon is in a combat zone. The ability to disassemble a weapon will allow you to quickly solve many malfunctions that arise during prolonged shooting, overheating or exposure to dirt.

Types of disassembly

Every man who has served in the army knows that personal weapons love care. Therefore, learning to quickly disassemble it into parts, clean and assemble it within the established standards is one of the main tasks for a young fighter. The procedure must be repeated regularly, regardless of whether he participated in shooting or combat or not.

Before you start disassembling a Kalashnikov assault rifle, you need to understand the instructions, which will allow even a schoolchild to perform all the steps correctly and quickly. Of course, you most likely won’t be able to break the world record, but it will help you meet the allotted time:

To maintain personal combat weapons, it is better to use a table or bench, and in the field, spread a clean tarpaulin.
Handle parts carefully to avoid damage.
When collecting them, follow the correct sequence and markings so as not to confuse the parts with their neighbors.
At the end of the cleaning process, having attached the receiver, you need to unload it by pressing the trigger and put the safety on the machine gun.
You need to assemble the AK74 in reverse order.

Incomplete disassembly of weapons

It is carried out in order to inspect, clean and lubricate the machine. The intensity depends on the degree of pollution. After intensive use, careful work with each component is required, and in the unfired state, it is enough to wipe with a rag soaked in gun oil.

Manipulations with different modifications have no fundamental differences. If a muzzle brake-compensator or flash suppressor is installed, it is removed after the cleaning rod.

To quickly learn how to partially disassemble an AK74, you need to remember the following diagram:

Disconnect the magazine.
Check if there is a cartridge in the cartridge compartment.
If it is missing, move the bolt and pull the trigger.
If a night vision scope is installed, remove it.
Remove the pencil case with accessories from the butt. For portable models it is located in the magazine pouch.
Prepare a brush, wipe and punch.
Unfasten the cleaning rod. If you have difficulty, use the tool carefully.
Remove the compensator (flame arrester) by turning it counterclockwise. It is possible to use a ramrod or a drift to ease the effort.
Remove the barrel box cover by pressing the tab and lifting the rear part.
Pull out the return mechanism, fixing the weapon with one hand by the butt. The other one at this time pulls the rod until it exits the groove.
The bolt frame is separated when it is pulled back all the way.
Pull out the shutter.
The gas tube together with the receiver lining is removed using the case body. To do this, put a square hole on the protruding part of the gas tube and turn it.

Today, military units have established separate standards for operations with a machine gun for incomplete disassembly of the AK 74. The time indicators are as follows:

Excellent - 13 seconds, good - 14, satisfactory - 17.
You need to get a score of five in 23 seconds, a score of four is given for a result in 25 seconds, and a score of three - 30 seconds.

Complete preparation for cleaning

This scheme for disassembling a weapon into its component parts is necessary when it becomes heavily soiled or remains in a humid environment for a long time, in snow or sand. It would be useful to service the machine after long-term preservation and when switching to new lubricants. This procedure became mandatory before repairs. Service work must be carried out under the supervision of an experienced weapons specialist and not repeated frequently, as parts wear out faster. Beginners are advised to study the design of the product according to the drawing and try to remember as best as possible the procedure for disassembling and assembling the AK 74.

Before starting, you need to check whether ammunition has been loaded into the chamber. If it is empty, then you need to move the shutter and fire a control shot to the side where there are no people, or into a specially equipped chamber. Afterwards you can remove the bayonet and unfasten the magazine. To do this you need:

Hold the forend with one hand and grab it with the other.
The thumb presses on the latch while simultaneously moving the lower part of the body forward.
Remove the part.

Next, the cleaning rod is separated. You need to release its head from the stop. To do this, simply pull the end away from the barrel. Then the muzzle box cover is removed:

The left hand covers the neck of the butt.
The thumb presses on the protruding part of the tube entering the return mechanism.
The right hand removes the cover.

Then you need to remove the return mechanism. This can be done by holding the AK with one hand and with the other pushing the tube that goes into the return mechanism forward until it comes out of the groove on the receiver.

In order to disassemble the bolt, you need to move the fire switch to position AB, pull the bolt frame all the way and, lifting it, pull it back. Then, turning it upside down with the bolt, the right hand pulls it towards itself and turns it until the bolt protrusion is released from the figured cutout. Now it won't be difficult to pull it out.

You can separate the gas tube together with the barrel lining by turning the flag of its locking device to a vertical position and lifting it up and pulling it out.

It is more difficult to disassemble the return mechanism. To do this, it is taken with the left hand and placed vertically on the table. When the return spring is compressed, the coupling and itself are removed from the rod and tube. These two parts are further separated.

The magazine is placed with the lid up and the convex side forward. Then, using a screwdriver from a pencil case, you need to press on the protrusion of the locking bar, for which there is a hole. The cover slides forward and is removed. This must be done carefully, holding and gradually loosening the spring. It and the cartridge feeder are removed last.

Then the shutter itself begins to disassemble. Using a drift, the pin on which the firing pin and the ejector axis are attached is pushed out. After this they can be easily taken out. The process of dismantling the firing mechanism is more complicated:

You need to start with the trigger. Pressing the automatic release lever releases the sear. The hook is pressed. A screwdriver grabs the mainspring by the ends and pulls them out of the receiver behind the cocking protrusions. The same tool is used to use the self-timer. The trigger axis moves to the left and is removed. When the trigger is turned, the trunnion moves. The trigger can be pulled out and the mainspring separated from it.
The last to be dismantled are the self-timer and the fire selector. In rare cases, the handguard is dismantled. It is removed if the weapon gets into a river, snow or sand. This is done with a screwdriver, turning its mount half a turn forward and moving the coupling towards the gas chamber. Then the forend itself is pushed away from itself and separated from the barrel.

Ammunition stowage

The machine is assembled into a finished state in the reverse order. After this, you need to check the correctness of all operations with an experienced gunsmith and begin loading the magazine.

To prepare the equipment, you need to take it with your left hand with the neck up, and with your right hand place the cartridges along the guides on the side walls. If you have a ready-made clip, you will need a special adapter for assembly.

Ammunition in army units must also be loaded according to regulations. An excellent indicator is achieved when placing 30 pieces of ammunition in the same number of seconds. To get a “good” rating you need to do it in 35 seconds, and to get a C grade – in 40 seconds. The requirements are considered fulfilled if the conditions set out in the shooting course have not been violated. If at least one point of the instructions is not met, the score is reduced by one.

The result is considered unsatisfactory when, during the process of assembling and disassembling the machine gun, an injury is sustained or the weapon has become unusable and requires repair.

How to learn how to disassemble and reassemble an AK at school

Unfortunately, today's life safety program (basic level) does not allow you to allocate hours for training to fulfill the standard. Therefore, as a rule, teachers satisfy youthful interests in the afternoon classes.

You understand that since the second half of the day is only for interested guys, it is not possible to expect 100% coverage of boys. On the one hand, the lack of mass participation is very sad, but on the other hand, the quality of education is increasing. Firstly, the group of children is smaller in number, and secondly, exclusively motivated children study.

I have prepared another small story for you; I thought it would be interesting to see how a young man disassembles an AK-74 for the first time in his life. Of course, at first the hands cannot remember what they need to do, but gradually the child will progress.

In just a few weeks, this young man will complete the standard in 30-40 seconds. As soon as there is progress, I will definitely show you. Also, as soon as it appears under this article, I will record a video in which I myself will fulfill this standard. I’ll shake off the old days, so to speak.

That’s all for today, I was glad to meet you again. If you liked the article, subscribe to blog updates - there is still a lot of interesting things to come. Share the link to the article on social networks, it will help me find new readers. Until we meet again, bye-bye.