Century Arms 1975 AK Bullpup

To say that the AK-pattern rifle was revolutionary when it was first introduced in the late 1940s would be a gross understatement. Following the path of design first blazed by the World War II-era German StG 44, the new AK47 designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov represented the future of assault rifle design. But what made it so significant? As compared to the long, hard-kicking, full-powered rifles of World War II, the AK was small, handy and offered minimal recoil. It chambered the 7.62x39mm, an intermediate cartridge that offered a balance between the rate of fire of a submachine gun and the power and range of a traditional rifle. The AK was also cheap and easy to produce, being first developed with a stamped-steel receiver later made standard in the 1960s-era AKM upgrade of the design. However, while it has become easily one of the most iconic military rifles in history, the design is now more than six decades old. And during those decades, competitive designs have employed more modern and innovative materials and configurations. Examples such as Eugene Stoner's AR-15 that employed modern alloys and synthetics and the Steyr AUG with its ultra-short bullpup configuration and quick-change barrel system stood in sharp contrast to the humble, yet extremely effective AK.