Weapons 07/01/20 “rip-off Kalashnikov”: why AK-47 is similar to the automatic Bulkin

In the final stage of the competitive selection of the machine model for the army was presented with three completely independent sample of automatic weapons – the Kalashnikov AK-46, Bulkin TKB-415 and Dementiev KB-2. Up to a point they are equivalent.

Kalashnikov took a chance and won

PhD, regular contributor to the magazine “Kalashnikov” Ruslan Chumak wrote that Mikhail Kalashnikov and his assistant Aleksandr Zaytsev before the decisive field trials Dec 1947 – Jan 1948 decided to radically alter the design of the AK that was directly forbidden under the terms of the competition models gunsmiths. The reliability of “Kalashnikov” was his advantage, but in terms of the overall layout was vulnerable and for this reason there was a risk not to pass the test. However, the machine could be removed from testing and if they knew that he radically altered: such “modernization” has been, and they have a negative impact on the fighting qualities of the samples of the automatic weapon.
Ruslan Chumak gives the details of this makeover, which, probably, could generate a hypothesis about the imitation Kalashnikov model automatic Bulkin. The designer actually produced in his model all-in-one receiver that connects to the butt, top of which was closed removable cover. This design already existed not only in the machine Bulkina, but in codescom AC-44. In these guns the bolt carrier combined with a gas piston, this design feature also added in your model Kalashnikov. In the end, after the alteration, the Kalashnikov was given a new name – AK-47.
Chumak believes that nothing is exclusive, designed by one only by Bulkina, Kalashnikov for the finishing of his AK is not borrowed. While the locking mechanism from TKB-415, taken as a sample of the machine gun Lewis, remained much lower.to less functional than and AK, and this circumstance largely, if not in the main, decided the fate of the machine Bulkin.

“Borrowing is not bad if you use”

So consider the Soviet tester, author of “Domestic machines” Alexander Malimon. Malimon participated in testing of competitive samples of machines in 1947 – 1948 and recognized that the individual nodes AK-47 and TKB-415 are really similar. However, the engineer confirms that there is nothing wrong with these borrowings did not see if they were going to benefit the business, i.e., improved quality of the new small arms. Moreover, according to A. Malimon, this practice was encouraged by the military leadership and Ministerial authorities of the USSR.

he was better than TKB-415

major rework of AK test Commission immediately noticed, but firing a Kalashnikov is not removed, considering the innovations successful. As a result, this sample was ahead of its competitors in the features of operation, durability of parts and work automation. All of these characteristics secured him the “green light” for the future, military tests, which the AK-47 also successfully passed.

Nicholas Syromyatnikov

Source:
© Russian Seven

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