Test of modern small arms
Test weapons on the range - this is exactly the milestone that must be overcome for the adoption of a particular weapon. The results of these tests, despite their recommendatory character, still affect the further use of the whole structure.
In general, the study of small arms begins with measurements of the hull and chamber, since each type of weapon has its own caliber, which must be adhered to. The length of the barrel channel and the presence of the necessary gaps between the sleeve and the gate are also measured. If all standards are met, the weapon is sent to fire.
Tests begin, as a rule, with determining the level of accuracy of shooting and dimensional stability. Possible changes in the internal diameter of the barrel, efforts to release the bolt are taken into account. For this, a large number of shots are made from the tested weapon. Thus, accuracy of fire is checked.
In order to determine the possibility of using weapons in extreme conditions, they freeze them, and then they shoot them. This makes it possible to determine how reliable a particular weapon is, and whether there will be any misfires, how the cartridge will be fed, and how it will be sent in future use of the weapon. The same tests are carried out with water - whether the weapon will burst, with dusting with sand and water.
In the course of all tests conducted and test for strength. Weapons are thrown onto a concrete surface from a height of 1 and 1,5 meters with a constantly cocked trigger. This way it is checked whether the shutter will accidentally open and whether the weapon will shoot if dropped.
Approximately in this way, not so long ago, at the test site in the Moscow region, significant tests of modern small arms — the Kalashnikov AK-74 national machine gun and the American M-4 assault rifle — were conducted. The main task of the tester was to accurately hit the target, regardless of which sample he was testing. The first stage involved shooting at an imitation sheet of a bulletproof vest. The caliber of both weapons is about the same - 5,5 millimeters. The results obtained are diametrically opposed. Holes left by the domestic machine, did not even have to celebrate on the stand. The second stage involved shooting at an acoustic target in order to determine the accuracy of shooting. M-4 showed great accuracy with single shots. When shots burst the best was AK-74. Thus, according to the results of the two stages, the weapon is approximately equal.
In addition to comparing this weapon in accuracy, killing power and accuracy, there is another important quality - the absence of misfires. Therefore, conditions were created for extreme shooting. Both samples were frozen to –50 degrees, after which these samples were thawed and frozen for a second time. As a result of tests in extreme subzero temperatures, it was possible to establish that the AK-74 is able to shoot without misfire, while the M-4, after a couple of shots, becomes unusable.
The Kalashnikov assault rifle was adopted by the Soviet troops after the ground tests in the 1949 year. In spite of the fact that the automatic machine demanded a revision to improve the accuracy of fire, the commission nevertheless recommended it for launching into mass production.
History The creation of the Kalashnikov assault rifle began back in 1942, when Soviet troops captured the first samples of German automatic rifles MKb.42 (H) under an 7,92-mm cartridge. In the 1943 year, as a result of the study of this machine, as well as the American M-1 carbine, the Soviet command decided that it was necessary to immediately develop its own weapon system for intermediate cartridges that would allow ground forces to conduct effective combat at a distance of up to 400 meters. The development of a new type of weapon began with the development of a directly new cartridge, and in the same 1943 year, all organizations that were engaged in the development of weapons received drawings and characteristics of a new cartridge that was developed by designers Semin and Elizarov. The cartridge was a bottle sleeve, the length of which was 4 centimeters and was equipped with a bullet caliber 7,62 millimeter, weighing 8 gr. Under the new cartridge, it was decided to develop several types of weapons - an automatic rifle, a manual reload carbine and a self-loading carbine. In 1944, the automatic machine Sudaeva АС-44 was selected for testing. After it was finalized, it was decided to manufacture a small series for testing conducted in the 1945 year. Tests were carried out both by troops stationed on German territory and by subunits on the territory of the USSR. Despite the fact that the results were very successful, the troops demanded a reduction in the mass of weapons. After that, another test phase was conducted in the 1946 year.
At this time, Sergeant Kalashnikov appears, who, after being injured in 1942, during the treatment, managed to develop a submachine gun having an original design. He was sent for further service in NIPSMVO near Moscow. There, two years later, he presented another development - a self-loading carbine, very similar to the American M1Garand rifle. When the competition for the creation of an automaton was announced, Kalashnikov also took part in it. In 1946, the sample, along with several others, was approved for prototyping. As a result, an automaton, known as AK-46, appeared. As a result of the tests, this sample was declared unfit for the continuation of the tests. However, the author managed to achieve a review of the decision and approval for its further refinement.
He decided to radically redesign his weapon. As a result, the new machine was ready for the new test phase, which had practically nothing to do with the AK-46, but it was very much like the Bulkin machine. In general, all the main elements of the design were borrowed from other types of weapons: the firing mechanism from the Czech Holek rifle, the placement of the bolt group inside the receiver - from the Soudaev machine gun, the safety lever - from the Remington rifle.
It should be noted that such copying of design solutions was not only not prohibited, but was also strongly supported, since all intellectual property, however, like everything else, was considered in the Union to be common, owned by the people. In 1947, new tests were carried out, as a result of which the Kalashnikov assault rifle was recognized as the best among those presented and was sent to mass production.
A Kalashnikov assault rifle is an automatic weapon with vapor-automatic, equipped with magazine-powered and barrel-cooled air. The trigger mechanism is of the hammer type, which allows firing in bursts as well as single fire. The choice of shooting mode is a special lever. The stem part is equipped with a thread on which you can install a compensator to increase the accuracy of shooting. The thread can also install a silencer.
The American M-4 carbine was created based on the M-16 automatic rifle. This carbine has a high accuracy of fire due to the high speed of ammunition, high-quality cutting and low recoil. But at the same time, due to the more complex design of the gas tube and the automatic frame, it is very sensitive to the ingress of dirt.
It is worth noting that such a design with a shutter, which walked in a frame with a minimum gap, will very often be exposed to pollution from the release of powder gases, therefore the sleeve will not be thrown away. It can only be removed with a ramrod on the barrel side. In this situation, inevitable significant delays in the conduct of shooting. And since the misalignment of cartridges happened every few shops, the effectiveness of the weapon, respectively, decreased.
During the conduct of hostilities in Afghanistan, there was a large amount of evidence from American soldiers that M-4 was unreliable in battle, which resulted in large losses.
Therefore, the US government decided to abandon procurement on a non-competitive basis of this type of weapon. The most compelling argument for refusal is the results of tests of several types of weapons, conducted last year. In terms of reliability, the M-4 ranked last after the automatic rifles HK416, XM8 and SCAR.
Despite the results, the military department stated that M-4 had proven itself well during the fighting, and the number of misfires was insignificant. But at the same time, the Pentagon recognizes the need to improve this carbine in terms of strengthening the spring mechanism in order to eliminate misfires. Trials of the upgraded M-4 are scheduled for the summer of 2012. It should be noted that some of the US military units in the 2004 year replaced the M-4 carbine with an HK416 automatic rifle and a modified SCAR.
The M-4 automatic carbine was put into service in the 1994 year, and over the past years it has practically not been modernized.
Each of these two types of weapons has both its advantages and a number of disadvantages. AK-74 is reliable, unpretentious in operation, easy to use, has a low cost. At the same time, it has not entirely successful ergonomics.
Both types are considered obsolete, therefore it is planned to replace them with newer types. But this is in the future, and even now hardly anyone can guarantee that this new weapon will be more efficient than the AK-74 and M-4.
In general, the study of small arms begins with measurements of the hull and chamber, since each type of weapon has its own caliber, which must be adhered to. The length of the barrel channel and the presence of the necessary gaps between the sleeve and the gate are also measured. If all standards are met, the weapon is sent to fire.
Tests begin, as a rule, with determining the level of accuracy of shooting and dimensional stability. Possible changes in the internal diameter of the barrel, efforts to release the bolt are taken into account. For this, a large number of shots are made from the tested weapon. Thus, accuracy of fire is checked.
In order to determine the possibility of using weapons in extreme conditions, they freeze them, and then they shoot them. This makes it possible to determine how reliable a particular weapon is, and whether there will be any misfires, how the cartridge will be fed, and how it will be sent in future use of the weapon. The same tests are carried out with water - whether the weapon will burst, with dusting with sand and water.
In the course of all tests conducted and test for strength. Weapons are thrown onto a concrete surface from a height of 1 and 1,5 meters with a constantly cocked trigger. This way it is checked whether the shutter will accidentally open and whether the weapon will shoot if dropped.
Approximately in this way, not so long ago, at the test site in the Moscow region, significant tests of modern small arms — the Kalashnikov AK-74 national machine gun and the American M-4 assault rifle — were conducted. The main task of the tester was to accurately hit the target, regardless of which sample he was testing. The first stage involved shooting at an imitation sheet of a bulletproof vest. The caliber of both weapons is about the same - 5,5 millimeters. The results obtained are diametrically opposed. Holes left by the domestic machine, did not even have to celebrate on the stand. The second stage involved shooting at an acoustic target in order to determine the accuracy of shooting. M-4 showed great accuracy with single shots. When shots burst the best was AK-74. Thus, according to the results of the two stages, the weapon is approximately equal.
In addition to comparing this weapon in accuracy, killing power and accuracy, there is another important quality - the absence of misfires. Therefore, conditions were created for extreme shooting. Both samples were frozen to –50 degrees, after which these samples were thawed and frozen for a second time. As a result of tests in extreme subzero temperatures, it was possible to establish that the AK-74 is able to shoot without misfire, while the M-4, after a couple of shots, becomes unusable.
The Kalashnikov assault rifle was adopted by the Soviet troops after the ground tests in the 1949 year. In spite of the fact that the automatic machine demanded a revision to improve the accuracy of fire, the commission nevertheless recommended it for launching into mass production.
History The creation of the Kalashnikov assault rifle began back in 1942, when Soviet troops captured the first samples of German automatic rifles MKb.42 (H) under an 7,92-mm cartridge. In the 1943 year, as a result of the study of this machine, as well as the American M-1 carbine, the Soviet command decided that it was necessary to immediately develop its own weapon system for intermediate cartridges that would allow ground forces to conduct effective combat at a distance of up to 400 meters. The development of a new type of weapon began with the development of a directly new cartridge, and in the same 1943 year, all organizations that were engaged in the development of weapons received drawings and characteristics of a new cartridge that was developed by designers Semin and Elizarov. The cartridge was a bottle sleeve, the length of which was 4 centimeters and was equipped with a bullet caliber 7,62 millimeter, weighing 8 gr. Under the new cartridge, it was decided to develop several types of weapons - an automatic rifle, a manual reload carbine and a self-loading carbine. In 1944, the automatic machine Sudaeva АС-44 was selected for testing. After it was finalized, it was decided to manufacture a small series for testing conducted in the 1945 year. Tests were carried out both by troops stationed on German territory and by subunits on the territory of the USSR. Despite the fact that the results were very successful, the troops demanded a reduction in the mass of weapons. After that, another test phase was conducted in the 1946 year.
At this time, Sergeant Kalashnikov appears, who, after being injured in 1942, during the treatment, managed to develop a submachine gun having an original design. He was sent for further service in NIPSMVO near Moscow. There, two years later, he presented another development - a self-loading carbine, very similar to the American M1Garand rifle. When the competition for the creation of an automaton was announced, Kalashnikov also took part in it. In 1946, the sample, along with several others, was approved for prototyping. As a result, an automaton, known as AK-46, appeared. As a result of the tests, this sample was declared unfit for the continuation of the tests. However, the author managed to achieve a review of the decision and approval for its further refinement.
He decided to radically redesign his weapon. As a result, the new machine was ready for the new test phase, which had practically nothing to do with the AK-46, but it was very much like the Bulkin machine. In general, all the main elements of the design were borrowed from other types of weapons: the firing mechanism from the Czech Holek rifle, the placement of the bolt group inside the receiver - from the Soudaev machine gun, the safety lever - from the Remington rifle.
It should be noted that such copying of design solutions was not only not prohibited, but was also strongly supported, since all intellectual property, however, like everything else, was considered in the Union to be common, owned by the people. In 1947, new tests were carried out, as a result of which the Kalashnikov assault rifle was recognized as the best among those presented and was sent to mass production.
A Kalashnikov assault rifle is an automatic weapon with vapor-automatic, equipped with magazine-powered and barrel-cooled air. The trigger mechanism is of the hammer type, which allows firing in bursts as well as single fire. The choice of shooting mode is a special lever. The stem part is equipped with a thread on which you can install a compensator to increase the accuracy of shooting. The thread can also install a silencer.
The American M-4 carbine was created based on the M-16 automatic rifle. This carbine has a high accuracy of fire due to the high speed of ammunition, high-quality cutting and low recoil. But at the same time, due to the more complex design of the gas tube and the automatic frame, it is very sensitive to the ingress of dirt.
It is worth noting that such a design with a shutter, which walked in a frame with a minimum gap, will very often be exposed to pollution from the release of powder gases, therefore the sleeve will not be thrown away. It can only be removed with a ramrod on the barrel side. In this situation, inevitable significant delays in the conduct of shooting. And since the misalignment of cartridges happened every few shops, the effectiveness of the weapon, respectively, decreased.
During the conduct of hostilities in Afghanistan, there was a large amount of evidence from American soldiers that M-4 was unreliable in battle, which resulted in large losses.
Therefore, the US government decided to abandon procurement on a non-competitive basis of this type of weapon. The most compelling argument for refusal is the results of tests of several types of weapons, conducted last year. In terms of reliability, the M-4 ranked last after the automatic rifles HK416, XM8 and SCAR.
Despite the results, the military department stated that M-4 had proven itself well during the fighting, and the number of misfires was insignificant. But at the same time, the Pentagon recognizes the need to improve this carbine in terms of strengthening the spring mechanism in order to eliminate misfires. Trials of the upgraded M-4 are scheduled for the summer of 2012. It should be noted that some of the US military units in the 2004 year replaced the M-4 carbine with an HK416 automatic rifle and a modified SCAR.
The M-4 automatic carbine was put into service in the 1994 year, and over the past years it has practically not been modernized.
Each of these two types of weapons has both its advantages and a number of disadvantages. AK-74 is reliable, unpretentious in operation, easy to use, has a low cost. At the same time, it has not entirely successful ergonomics.
Both types are considered obsolete, therefore it is planned to replace them with newer types. But this is in the future, and even now hardly anyone can guarantee that this new weapon will be more efficient than the AK-74 and M-4.
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