Are all AK-47's full auto???

I just had a guy tell my that I am nuts.
He says that ALL ak-47's are full auto. If it isn't full auto it is an AKM.
Link
About 6th post down he begins by stating that all ak47's are full auto if it isn't full auto it isn't an ak47.
Can somebody please set us straight?

ALL true AK47's are selective fire (fullauto) as is the AKM. You can call a semiauto gun an AK47 (like the MSM goofs do) till the cows come home, but it's still technically not an AK47.

just my .02¢

Ok so now I am even more confused.
Is there a name for the semi-auto version of the kalishnikov style/design firearm?
Just to clarify. I mean the Kalishnikov design/style shoulder fired 7.62X39 chambered firearm.
(I'm guessing he also designed a pistol and the new saiga shotguns are very similar in design)

this is interesting...

I think it's kinda like saying that an AR-15 is not an M16.


They are two different things. One is full auto or burst ? on is semi.

I'm sure there are quite a few people out there that just call every AR-15 an M16.

Pretty much.

Not really. The AR-15 is NOT an M16, even though some uninformed people don't know the difference. As far as I know, however, there is no name for a semi-auto AK47. I hate calling them AKs because I know it's wrong, but I don't know what else to call it. I would love to know the answer to this one.

And a semi-auto "AK" is NOT an AK-47 even though some uninformed people don't know the difference.

but.

But..

BUT.....

EVERY story I've seen on the TV has talked about "drug dealing gunmen killing innocent children with deadly semiautomatic AK-47s" (because being a Semi Automatic and a AK-47 makes it double deadly) and then showed video of a fully automatic machinegun blazing away...

I must be confused because the Main Stream Media would NEVER try to blur the distinction between a semiautomatic sporting rifle that BATFE has approved to be sold to anyone who passes a standard firearms background check with and a fully automatic machinegun.

BIGGER_HAMMER

I wish they all were!

I always enjoy these topics. I call every rifle in our hobby its general name - a "Kalashnikov," whether it's a Romanian SAR-1 or a Polish Tantal - because that's the name of the design and designer. Just like some call an M1 a "Garand" or the 1919a4 a "Browning" or the way some folks use "Remington" or "Winchester." If I want to get specific, I call the rifle what it is - "Romanian SAR-1" or "Polish Tantal." Semi-automatic or fully automatic. Clone build or real deal. That's simply its nomenclature. I'd rather the individual that is curious what the rifle is look it up when they hear something different than "AK47." They might even learn something when doing the research to understand what a "Polish PMKMS" is.

However, I don't use "AK47" (which is an incorrect term, anyway, even for the milled rifles which is more correctly "AK" for full buttstock version; "AKS" for the underfolding buttstock version). Use of that term has become negative nowadays and I'd rather avoid contributing to the negativity. If someone wants to know what my rifle is, I'll just say, "It's a Kalashnikov," or "It's a clone of a Russian AKMS."

But never "AK47." That's the term used by the media, gangbangers, and new folks getting into the hobby.

the term AK comes from "Avtomat Kalashnikov"

meaning Automatic Kalashnikov...

Logically we can just simply add the russian word for semi, "Polu".

So you official types could call it a PAK, (or a PAKM for those with stamped receivers.)

This means I'd have a PAKMSP.

Although BAR means Browning Automatic Rifle we still call Semi-Auto BAR's, BAR's...

Well, if I what I read was correct in regards to the Romanian AK's, their factory turns out full auto AK's for the military and semi-auto for the civilian guard. But I don't know what they call the semi auto versions.

i pretty much use the all encompassing general term for a weapon based on its design or producer. like if you saw a p7m8 you would call it an HK. or a usp 40 var 3 with jet funnel mag. but guess what???!!!!!!! its an HK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if you saw a fal from a country you never saw before, is it a non existant gun because you dont know who made it, which variation it is, who loaned or borrowed it, what mixed parts may or may not be in it?????? no, its a fal. for nuts like us, we can often differentiate what EXACTLY it may be, but not always. to me an ak is an ak. until it becomes a nikonov or a korobov , or an afanasiev or a stechkin. or simonov. again, whether it came from china or yugoslavia, a siminov karabiner is an sks. not a type/model 56 or a m59/66.

would every one on this forum know what a fara 83, ACR competitor, c7, qbz 95,aps 95, urz, rk 62,hk36,sr 88, cr 21, dar 21, ak5, sk46, ak53,sg543,tkb022, aek 971, sr3 vikhr were if any one of them were sitting on your kitchen table??? doubt it. so really the terms are fairly relative, and no, not one of these guns are just different terms for rifles we already know in the cosmetic sense. they are designs i skimmed over in a book that roughly outlines assault rifles around the world and used the ones that nobody knows about. generally speaking. there is so damn much variation and design copying and modding that trying to be EXACT with every firearm with any one but a well informed individual seems kinda pointless to me. to put this in context for all you car people and non car people, its a CIVIC not a civic SiR, civic gx, civic si, civic type r, acura csx, honda ballade. to us non civic afficianodos its a frikin civic.


basically for "everyday" speak, i use ak 47. or ar15 to mean semi and m16 for auto but can be interchangable in the right company. to nuts like us who are walking encyclopedias then ill use some sort of distinction. but ill still use common nomemclature to be understood, since that in essence is the general goal of speaking to people, is not to confound, confuse and scare the shit out them when i blurt out an entire complicated history and technical dissertation regarding a particular variant of a common weapons design.

flame on!!!!! sorry but this seems kinda dumb for people to have to argue about, i understand and agree to the point of not wanting to use a politically charged model designation that enflames morons but what can you do?? to answer the basic question of if there is a common name for ak47's in the semi format, no, not that ive heard of yet. not like an ar15

maybe we will have a decent well thought out, eloquent rebuttal to my rant. or not

:P

its not an ak-47, but an ak clone, thats what i call them. "I have an aye kay clone." Hes just being a technical dousche. If he thinks everything that looks like one is automatic than he is dumb.

i call it an AK variant

not bad considering thats probably a technically correct and easy/understandable term. since a true ak47 is a milled, slant brake, wood stock romy g without the front grip kinda thing. that is the only thing that would be 100000% correctly called an ak47 and the stamped ones akm's, but it is still an ak 47. one issue is that i dont think different countries usually come up with a name for their copies. unlike a rk62 valmet or an INSAS or galil, or the sa 93. or even sig 55x or type 63/68, lada, or whatever some country re invents or copies 90% of the original ak/m 47/74.

it is a conundrum for correctly/technically naming something as being not a russian true ak47 as they were made 49 to present.

i simply..its an Ak47 to me

jsut call it real steel

Well Heck just to add to the mess.....
I have a Chinese preban Semi Auto Marked AK47 as many others do.

can someone post pics of what a full auto receiver and semi auto receiver look like? with the 3rd hole or whatever? thanks

you guys are like a bunch of little school girls that argue over who gets to jump the jump rope first... i mean does it really.. HONESTLY... tech. matter? i have a ak47. and if some one asks what kind? then yeah i get into the specifics. but to hear you guys argue over what it SHOULD be called is just ridiculous. by allll means correct me if i am wrong...?

AKM is just a version of the Ak-47, selective fire or semi. The "M" stands for modernized.

Well yes, of course there is:

SA-85M
SA-93
56s
ARM
WASR
etc etc etc

Each country has it's own name for their semi import. The best analogy I can think of is this: the 7.62 NATO G3, that's full auto. The semi has it's own name, HK91. Technically if you claimed to have a G3 it should be full auto, otherwise you should say you own a semi-auto G3 clone.

So, in that sense we own semi-auto AK-47 clones, but only if they are milled, otherwise we own semi-auto AKM clones or whatever their new name is :)

i use the generic 'AK' or a specific model, 'my M92'

For those stuck on the acronym thing with these rifles, here's some help using a few original Russian manuals (so at least we can get rid of the misused "AK-47" acronym the US Army came up with) - sorry, I only did a few as it would take forever to do all the Russian weapons:

"AK" (7.62mm full-butstock milled version) and "AKC" (or "AKS" for the 7.62mm underfolding buttstock milled version)



"AKM" (7.62mm full-buttstock stamped version) and "AKMC" ("AKMS" for the 7.62mm underfolding buttstock stamped version)



"AK74" (5.45mm full-buttstock stamped version); "AKC74" ("AKS74" for the 5.45mm side-folding buttstock stamped version)
"AK74H" (5.45mm full-buttstock stamped version with side scope rail); "AKC74H" ("AKS74N" for the 5.45mm side-folding buttstock stamped version with side scope rail)
"RPK74" (5.45mm full-buttstock version); "RPKC74" ("RPKS74" for the 5.45mm side-folding buttstock version)
"RPK74H" ("RPK74N" for the 5.45mm full-buttstock version with side scope rail); "RPKC74N" ("RPKS74N" for the 5.45mm side-folding buttstock version with side scope rail)



"AKC74Y" ("AKS74U" for the 5.45mm side-folding buttstock 'Krinkov' style version)
"AKC74YH" ("AKS74UN" for the 5.45mm side-folding buttstock 'Krinkov' style version with side scope rail)

They're still AK's since the general design is the same.

i agree that trying to get technical beyond, ak 47 or 74 is rediculous. also the aks74u is the krinkov. and in the article in the guns and ammo complete book of the ak47 some one notes that according to russians, the krinkov does not exist. it is the aks74 u or a 8 inch barreled ak74.(ak47/m92 yugo variant) different stocks amd what not depending on how it was built but still a aks74u. the russians have many pet names for it but krinkov is not one you will find outside of USA gun guys. like as the article said, the mp 38/40 is not nor ever will be a "scheiBer" since hugo scheiBer never had anything to do with the MP40. its just a misnomer. but for all intents and purposes ill still call it a krinkov for the sake of being understood.

this does seem very much like trying to see who jumps rope first. its an ak47 until it becomes necessary to distinguish the technical differences. 47 to 74 just to clarify the caliber not including 8mm/5.56/762 54 or whatever or 9mm or 9x18 bizon kinda doesnt count maybe?

An AK47 is capable of full auto. By definition semi autos are AKMs. My preban Chinese AKs are thus marked (AKM) on the receiver, instructions, box etc. Later Chinese prebans were imported and stamped AK47 either here or before leaving China. They were probably engraved in the US since we still had import restrictions of "AK 47 rifles" before the "assault weapon ban" went into place. As I recall Norinco importers got busted for just such a delivery that may or may not have been fully automatic weapons.

Ah, no.
AKMs have stamped sheet steel receivers and are selective fire.
Semiautomatic copies of milled receiver rifles and of stamped receiver rifles exist.
Perhaps we should follow Homer Simpson's lead and just call them "Mr. Blasty".

mr blasty sounds good to me!!!!!! avtomat kalashnikov moderna. modern automatic kalashnikov or the the new (1959) way of making them, sheet metal as opposed to machining. cheaper!

unless there is some semi version of the ak that could be the OFFICIAL semi of ak's besides the saiga. this question cannot be answered properly. the ar15 was colts anwer to what to call m16's without an auto sear and when the market was such that colt was the only game in town the name just stuck for any semi m16. the ak as far as i know never had that sort of situation. maybe all semi;s could be lumped into one name category of either WASR or MAK90. though we all know thats the more well known popular romy and chinese variants.if not slr or whatever arsenal is calling them now.

unless you want to memorize every version of the 100,000,000+ ak's for the past 60+ years across 70+ countries with many different models per country then ill just call it an ak 47 and 74 respectively. and for arguments sake either the misnomer -"krinkov" or correctly an AKS-74u.

so for anyone here that wants to correctly name and identify an ak47 design variant properly then you better get studiying.

When I encounter a problem the proper resolution of which question which cannot make any possible difference in my life (or anyone elese's life) I always ask myself:
What
Would
Homer
Do
?
I think that the technically correct nomenclature for semiautomatic copies of AK rifles is such a question.

Wow, the first thing we agree on Poly.
Scary, I guess magical events do happen!

So, if only AK-47s are select fire, and what most of us have are Semi-Auto only, what is the difference?

In other words, what parts or assemblies make an AK fully auto, and what do ours lack that make them semi-auto?

Semi-auto AKs don't have full-auto sear and there are slight differences in other trigger parts. Internal differences between semi-auto and full-auto AKs are so small that IMHO it's OK to call semi-autos AKs too.

Here in Finland we call them AK or "Kalashnikovi" (last i-letter makes it sound better in our language). Unlike in USA there are lot's of milled receiver AKs around (mainly Arsenal, but there are some others too) so while it's better to use AK here in Finland it might be better to call these guns AKMs in USA. IIRC you guys can't import any receivers, only part kits so your AKs have US made receivers which most commonly are stamped steel (AKM type) receivers.

We must consult the media

Saying "AK" or AK-47" is shorter than saying "Semi-Automatic AK style rifle"

Unfortunately, we don't have a distinct model designation like "AR-15" to differentiate between semi and full-auto "AK style rifles"


I don't get worked up about it.

Receivers that take 10 shot magazines can be imported into the US. The magazine well is then opened up to accept standard magazines.

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