Why is the AK 47 barrel cut?

[Jarnhamar]

Why is the barrel on some AK 47's cut?  I have heard some people suggest that it's so the rifle doesn't climb as much when it is fired in full auto however I'm fairly certian it's so rifled grenades can be fired from it.

Can someone clairify?  (Perhaps with a technical reference?)


As well, I can't help but think cutting the barrel will actually cause rounds fired from the AK to be less accurate since the bullet exiting the barrel isn't doing so from a uniform surface.

 

[Britney Spears]

Look carefully. That's not the barrel, it's the flash suppressor/muzzle brake.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Semantics!

Fair enough, point for you. Why is the flash supressor cut then?

 

[HItorMiss]

Ok I can't resist


Design that way of course.  ;D


yes yes I know, I was no help at all

 

[Britney Spears]

The same reason your C7 flash supressor is cut. The holes are just arranged differently. 

Yes, IIRC it was to reduce muzzle climb on automatic fire. I don't think it was all that effective because many variants (i.e. Chinese) do not have them. Since it isn't part of the barrel the bullet doesn't touch it and its flight is unaffected.

 

[KevinB]

Brit gets the prize

 

[paracowboy]

done that way to try and "cut" (see what I did there?) the cost of mass-production.

 

[Franko]

The muzzle is cut at a 90 degree angle to the bore...what you are seeing is the flash suppressor. It aids in keeping the weapon level when firing full auto.

AKSU Flash suppressor

AK74...

RPK....

PKM

Different flash suppressor for different weapons that do different jobs. The AK47 has many aftermarket flash suppressors...

http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=AK47+flash+suppressors&btnG=Search

Hope that answers your question.

Regards

 

[vonGarvin]

Since it isn't part of the barrel the bullet doesn't touch it and its flight is unaffected.

Almost right, but the bullet would be affected, albeit ever so slightly, by the effects at the end of the barrel.  The muzzle blast will envelope the projectile (from whatever weapon) as it exits the barrel, thus affecting it.  How much?  Probably not enough to warrant a new sight

 

[1feral1]

Early AKs (the top one as pic'd above) had a muzzle nut on the end to protect the threads which usually a BFA and GL could be fited. Of course, it's left hand threaded too.

Later on, as the rifle evolved, and once the AKM came about in the late 1950s and early 1960s, an angle cut muzzle brake was brought into service by the Russians. Yes, its cut that was to counter muzzle climb, and it works. As for curbing flash, it does not do much. I've used it, and fired both with it and without it.

Since then numerous styles have been developed by numerous Com Bloc countries, a noticeable change with the 5.45 AK74 and "M16 bird cage" style suppressor on the RPKS74 for starters.


Cheers,


Wes