Garand invents AK-47 analog

Well we get rid of the BAR, and the wide spread use of the Thompson. In combat the US infantryman may have the firepower that the Germans did, and will no doubt have much more then the Japanese.

Given the US had larger squads then the German the firepower may equal out.

The counter to this is the supply issue. Are US soldiers sticking to one shot one kill? Or do they learn filling the streets with lead works better?
 
Let's see. The M1 was already accepted as the standard service rifle in 1936. IIRC Garand had designed the rifle to accept a detachable 20 round box magazine but the Army Chief of Staff Douglas McArthur favored the 8 round clip version. Also the 30-06 was the also the round used by the M1917 .30 caliber water cooled machine gun and its lighter air-cooled version. Add in the .45 and the .50BMG an AK style round would only add to the logistical headaches*. Besides the US Army in 1938 was still pretty well strapped for funding wasn't it?

*But what about the M1/2 Carbine? With a different cartridge, larger magazine and selective fire from the start it would of been an early AK
 
*But what about the M1/2 Carbine? With a different cartridge, larger magazine and selective fire from the start it would of been an early AK

The fact of the matter is that the M1/M2 Carbine of which I have a copy of at my house really was just a souped up version of the early model. The sight was better etc. It really didn't address the glaring needs and problems the M1 that while it was reliable faced.
 
Does anyone have any ideas on how the AK could have altered WWII? Suppose British forces were equiped with the AK-47 via Lend-Lease and faced off with Rommel or Soviet troops had it at Stalingrad?
 
Does anyone have any ideas on how the AK could have altered WWII? Suppose British forces were equiped with the AK-47 via Lend-Lease and faced off with Rommel or Soviet troops had it at Stalingrad?
The Problem is, Without a Fully Motorized Supply Service, The AK is Relegated to Little More than a Poor Excuse for a Club ...

Static Forces could Probably Utilize it Best, Tobruk Especially Presented itself as a Place Where a Sturdier Defense could have Shaved a Few Months off of The War ...

But therein Lies The Major Issue; Unless a Weapon could be Found which Killed Enemy Soldiers at The Push of a Lil' Button, i.e. Nuclear Weapons, there's Very Little that could have Ended WWII ANY Earlier!

:eek:
 

Paul MacQ

Donor
The other way of thinking is someone making a AK47 type weapon and marketing it in the Thompson SMG area of the Market.

This might be a Good sell in US/UK was there long history of Musketry/ Marksmanship had such a popularized history

This from http://world.guns.ru/assault/as01-e.htm for the AKM/AK47


Caliber 7.62x39 mm
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt with 2 lugs
Overall length: 870 mm
Barrel length: 415 mm
Weight, with empty magazine: AK 4,3 kg; AKM 3,14 kg
Magazine capacity 30 rounds (40 rounds box magazines and 75 rounds drums from RPK also may be used)
Cyclic rate of fire 600 rounds per minute

Compared to Tommy gun

M1928
Caliber .45ACP
Weight, empty 4.9 kg
Length 852 mm
Barrel length 267 mm
Rate of fire
Magazine capacity 20 or 30 rounds
Effective range 100-150 meters

The expensive Tommy Gun found markets. So maybe a Cheaper Marketed option called a long Range SMG might sell ( the German MP43 finally became the Stg 44 sold to Hitler as a SMG not a short automatic Rifle http://world.guns.ru/assault/as51-e.htm )
 
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