Quote:
Originally Posted by Skybird
Whatever. The SG44 left quite a huge impression in Russian - and Western - minds, and Kalashnikov himself said in a rare interview about which I have read many years ago that the SG44 tremendously influenced his thinking - both in things he took over and things he made different. He said the Russians rated the concept of the SG44 and its military value in the war as very high. He said without the SG44 he would have done the AK quite differently - again both regarding design decisions "copying" the German SG'S characteristics and design decisions that were made to "replace" details in the German weapon. Also, the idea behind the SG44 - to combine carbine and machine pistol and make support by LMG and MMG less essential, was a kickstart to similiar brainstorming in East and West.
Technically, the SG44 and the AK47 are quite different, still, the SG44 has influenced the design of this and similar machine carbines (as would be the correct German term instead of assault rifle).
The SG44 gets used in third world conflicts until today. And German wikipedia says ammunition for it still gets manufactured, for example in Serbia.
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Meh, the tilting bolt design of the StG 44 is a world away from the AK-47.
The AK is closer to a SVT or a SKS, heck, even an M1 Garand internally than a StG. I don't doubt the StG 44 influenced the AK, but I believe more of it comes from the Soviet's own designs.
Anyhow, I need to do a mag dump for Mr. Kalashnikov.
