Mikhail Kalashnikov in the context of Small arms

The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (Russian: Автомат Калашникова, lit. 'Kalashnikov's automatic [rifle]'; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, it is the originating firearm of the Kalashnikov (or "AK") family of rifles. After more than seven decades since its creation, the AK-47 model and its variants remain one of the most popular and widely used firearms in the world.

Design work on the AK-47 began in 1945. It was presented for official military trials in 1947, and, in 1948, the fixed-stock version was introduced into active service for selected units of the Soviet Army. In early 1949, the AK was officially accepted by the Soviet Armed Forces and used by the majority of the member states of the Warsaw Pact.

The AK-74 (Russian: Автомат Калашникова образца 1974 года, tr. Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda, lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974') is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974 as a successor to the AKM. While primarily associated with the Soviet Union, it has been used by many countries since the 1970s. It is chambered for the 5.45×39mm cartridge, which replaced the 7.62×39mm cartridge of Kalashnikov's earlier automatic weapons for the Soviet Armed Forces.

The rifle first saw service with Soviet forces in the Soviet–Afghan War from 1979. The head of the Afghan bureau of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the intelligence agency of Pakistan, claimed that the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) paid $5,000 for the first AK-74 captured by the Afghan mujahideen during the war.

Kalashnikov rifles (Russian: Автоматы Калашникова), also known as the AK platform, AK rifles, or simply the AK, are a family of assault rifles based on Mikhail Kalashnikov's original design. They are officially known in Russian as avtomat Kalashnikova (Russian: автомат Калашникова, lit. 'Kalashnikov's automatic [rifle]'), and informally as kalash in Russian.

The AKM (Russian: Автома́т Кала́шникова модернизи́рованный Avtomat Kalashnikova modernizirovannyy, "Kalashnikov automatic modernized") is a 7.62×39 mm Soviet assault rifle introduced in 1959 as a lighter, more modern successor to the AK-47.

Designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov, it became the most widely produced variant of the Kalashnikov series, serving as the standard service rifle of the Soviet Army and Warsaw Pact states. Featuring a gas‑operated rotating bolt, slanted muzzle compensator, and simplified manufacturing for cost‑effective mass production, the AKM enhanced automatic accuracy and reliability while reducing weight by approximately 1 kg.