parshu wrote:
Well our neighboring Pakis used the G3 which was superior to the SLR in the sense it provided for auto fire with an open bolt ( less heating)and single-shot with a closed bolt ( More energy, more accuracy). ...
The AK-47, designed for being made in big numbers as much as for usage was their response. America's "expeditionary" WW2 and Korea experience made them stress single-shot accuracy and lightness and portability, which led to the M16..
Donno about Indian SLR, but according to the tests, G3 has very worse accurateness while the accurateness of 7.62 mm AK-47 was the same like M16.
Citation:
"The
M16A2 used was in as-new condition, no. 8181826,
with in-bore measurement of 5.55 mm at the breach and 5.54 mm
at the middle of the barrel and at the muzzle.
Dispersion ("worst"
group of 7-9 shots) at 42 m was within a circle of 9 cm diameter.
Ammunition used was Swedish, made by FFV, conforming to
NATO standard 5.56mm sk ptr 5 stkprj, Lot no. 07086012 08-28.
The average muzzle velocity was 935 m/sec and the bullet weight
was 4.00g. The
G3 used was manufactured in 1964, no. G3HK
0324484 1/84, with in-bore measurements of 7.62mm at the
breach, at the middle of the barrel and at the muzzle, and dispersion
("worst" group of 7-10 shots) at 42m was within a circle of
11.5 cm diameter. Since the results were not as good as we had expected,
another weapon with the same specifications was tried, but
this gave essentially the same results. Ammunition used was Danish,
made by AMA, 7.62mm SKPT M/75, Lot no. 02AMA91. The
average muzzle velocity was 810m/sec and the bullet weight was
9.42g. The
AK-47 used was license-manufactured in DDR in
1962, no. 62 J 2657, with in-bore measurements of 7.61 mm at the
breach and 7.62 mm at the middle of the barrel and at the muzzle.
Dispersion at 42 m ("worst" group of 8-9 shots) was within a circle
of 8.5 cm diameter. The ammunition was Finnish, made by Lapua,
7.62 x 39 Luoti $405, Lot no. JIKW. The average muzzle velocity
was 720 m/sec and the bullet weight was 7.98 g. The
AK-74
used was license-manufactured in the People's Republic of China
in 1980, no. 117496, with in-bore measurements of 5.46 mm at the breach,
at the middle of the barrel and at the muzzle.
Dispersion at
42m ("worst" group of 8 shots) was within a circle of 8cm diameter.
The ammunition was produced in the GDR, lot no. 080. The
average muzzle velocity was 910m/sec and the bullet weight was
3.44 g. " (Source:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/t88 ... lltext.pdf )
The results were predictable since the energy of Russian 7.62x39 mm AK-47 round is only 2010 J - much lesser than 7.62x51 NATO G3 (3360 J). Even 5.56 mm NATO F16 round has 3085 J energy.
The problems of early AK-47's were mostly solved on the further developed. Some units in Ru Army still prefer the modern variants of AK-47 - 7.62x39 AK-103 for close quarter combats, as one can see on the picture: