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Russia Claims IP Rights In Manufacture of AK-47
Daniel Dvorkin writes "In the latest example of over-the-top intellectual property demands, Russia wants licensing fees for the production of AK-47s. According to first deputy prime minister Sergei Ivanov, the unlicensed production of Kalashnikovs (which have been around in very nearly their current form for 60 years) in ex-Soviet Bloc countries is 'intellectual piracy.' A giant but declining power starts demanding royalties on commonly used methods and materials that are widely understood, well known, and by any reasonable standard have long been in the public domain — does this sound familiar?" Wikipedia notes that the Izhevsk Machine Tool Factory in Russia obtained a patent on the manufacture of the AK-47 in 1999.
Many countries make an AK-47-based assault rifle. That's because, for an assault rifle, it's important that it's reliable in the crappiest imaginable conditions, and in the hands of the laziest of the fighters.
The best AK-47 variant is produced in Finland:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rk_62
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rk_62
http://www.ak-47.us/Finland.php
This weapon (RK-62) is widely considered to be the best assault rifle in general.
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
Actually, Izhevsk Machine Tool Factory (IZHevsky MASHinostroitelny zavod in Russian) IS Izhmash. It is still alive and well.
I know this because my parents live in Izhevsk and work at Izhevsk Mechanical Factory (Izhevsky Mechanichesky Zavod) which makes hunting and sport rifles.
I suggest you brush up on your firearm facts before you try to rent an AK at the range. The AK-47 is 7.62x39. 7.62x54R is a full sized, rimmed rifle round chambered in the likes of heavy war rifles like the Mosin-Nagant, Dragunov, some variants of Mauser rifle, and so forth. Not only is a x54R ludicrously overpowered for the AK's operating mechanism, the case of the x54R is longer than a complete 7.62x39 cartridge. The two calibers aren't even close in terms of powder charge, bullet mass, or ballistics. The only thing 'similar' about them is that both will fit bullets down a 7.62mm bore and both are used by Russians.
It is of note that 7.62x51 NATO will not chamber and fire in an AK (x39) or any x54R chambered firearm - The former because the NATO round is way too long to even remotely safely chamber, and the latter because the NATO round is shorter and not rimmed and will swim around in the x54R chamber, probably rupturing the case on ignition if the firing pin reaches the primer at all.
Long rant made short: Don't try to sound smart on topics about which you know nothing. Check your facts; Hollywood isn't a source.