Assault rifles are to be accurate and easy to aim night or day up to 300-400 meters under any condition.
Its not about sniping at long distance.
As some studies proved sometimes thousands of bullets shot achieved nothing or few hits because of poor training or equipment
Simple test-go to shooting range and try to hit target within just 25 meters on full auto and then try the same on semi auto,ln full auto you will waste about 70% of ammo on neutral cardboard target.

Nothing wrong with the Kalashnikov family, like Xabba says, probably political grandstanding to give the arms manufacturers a kick up the backside.

More likely a demand for better kickbacks!:03:

Touché :03:

That, and distracting from the real issues and need for reforms in the Russian Army. All this hand-waving about weaponry allows them to drag their feet on professionalizing the army and improving the conditions for soldiers.

Not quite. The AK47's final version was not constructed until 1946, at which point it entered its final trials. A finishing modification to the ejection system was made in 1947 to improve the overall reliability of the weapon, and it was distributed for testing. It was not registered in service until 1949, either.

If you want the first "true" assault rifle, look to the Germans, not the Russians, for the Sturmgewehr 44.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmgewehr_44

was about to say this. People seem to confuse ALL AK's with being an "AK-47". I guess it's the same thing as all asian swords being called a "samurai sword".

Functionality is not much different with AK 74.
Its a good gun but its a farmers rifle in concept.

What is it that makes it a 'farmer's rifle', exactly? Both the AK-74 and the M-16 (And the AK-47, for that matter) are designed for pretty much the same purpose.

As i said AK is good gun but M16 has come long way in its design to be solid platform for use of modern accessories.
While AK is not so functional in this department because of its basic design.
To attach any thing to the gun is more of work around than integrating it.

The AK line is made with much looser tolerances. A much more forgiving rifle given its renown for reliability and doesn't require much maintenance. You don't have to be trained to maintain it. A farmer could use it.

The M16 family, is made with much tighter tolerances, and requires routine maintenance, or it jamb's and and acts like a POS. This rifle requires a trained individual to get the most out of it.

......And that too

I got one, but it still can't milk a cow:woot:

:sign_yeah: We need to post some shows comparing the AK to the m-16, or just ask Mr. Kalashnikov himself.

Are you sure it is a cow and not a bull?:hmmm::haha: Was the cow smiling or not?:hmmm: