The AK47 is one of the most infamous automatic rifle platforms ever developed, not just because of its influence as a result of its wide dissemination by Soviets, but because of the fact that it is legendarily reliable.
There are few other rifle platforms that could put up with the abuse an AK47 does and keep on firing. That being said, understanding this legendary reliability starts with understanding what AK47 parts there are and how they work. So let’s take a closer look at just that.
AK47 Parts and What They Do
The AK47, despite the fact that it is an autoloading platform capable of fully-automatic select fire, is a relatively simple design. This is one of the keys to its reliability. That being said, the following AK47 parts are the main ones responsible for the operation and handling of the design.
- Stock. The original AK47 was made with a fixed wood stock that afforded stability and enabled an operator to shoulder the platform so it could be fired more accurately. In the AKM, a lighter, cheaper, mass-produced version of the AK47, the stock was made of plywood. There were also variants with folding metal stocks that were issued to troops that would have to operate in tight spaces.
- Receiver. The receiver of the AK47 houses the integrated gas piston as well as the trigger group. The original AK47 was made with a 1.5 pound receiver that was machined down from a 4 pound block of steel. In the AKM, the receiver was made from stamped sheet metal, which minimized production costs and lightened the rifle considerably. The receiver integrated both the gas piston and the bolt carrier, which made the action less susceptible to the accumulation of carbon fouling that could cause jamming and other issues.
- Barrel. Like the barrel of any other firearms platform, the barrel of the AK47 traps expanding gasses so that the bullet can be propelled towards the target. The barrel of the AK47 was phosphate coated on the exterior to protect it against corrosion as well as chrome-lined on the inside which also helped to protect against corrosion. These features made the AK47 a standout in adverse conditions, especially those like the hot, humid conditions encountered during the Vietnam War.
- Gas piston. The heart of the AK47’s autoloading action was a gas piston. Like other gas systems, in the AK47, there is a port in the top of the barrel that siphons off some of the expanding gasses behind the bullet each time the rifle is fired. This gas is redirected towards the gas piston and pressure builds into the piston forces the bolt open and rearward, extracting and ejecting the spent shell in the process. From there, the recoil spring returns the bolt carrier to battery so the rifle can be fired again. One really cool thing about the design of the AK47 is that the piston stroke is 50% longer than is needed to cycle the action, which means that even when the rifle is improperly lubed or badly fouled, it still generally cycles reliably.
- Selector switch. The selector switch is a fairly basic AK47 part that switches the rifle from safe, to semi-automatic, to fully-automatic modes of fire. The AK47 was capable of a cyclic rate of 600 rounds per minute.
- Trigger group. The trigger of the AK47 was in part inspired by the design of the M1 Garand’s.
- Magazine. Not exactly an AK47 part in the same sense as the other parts covered here, the AK47 utilized a curved magazine that has often been referred to as a banana magazine, or erroneously as a banana “clip” even though it is not a clip. This design was used as it was less likely to jam than straight magazines, and so further improved upon the reliability of this rifle’s design.
What AK47 Parts Wear Out First
All in all, the AK47 is a marvelously reliable rifle platform that has garnered legendary status for its ability to resist failure even in the face of ridiculously grueling conditions. There are few parts that are prone to failure on an AK47. Pretty much the only parts you can expect to routinely wear out are the springs. Even the firing pin of this rifle is so robust you can expect it to last through many tens of thousands of rounds, if not more.
Shop AK47 Parts and More Here
Need to make a repair to an AK47 or another AK style rifle? Check out our collection of AK47 parts here and if you have any questions or need help finding something specific, get in touch with us and we will be more than happy to assist. You can contact us at Sales@MCSGearup.com; let us know what you’re looking for and we’ll help you find it.