AK-47 - Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Weapon Guide

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The 'Avtomat Kalashnikova', or 'Kalashnikov Automatic Rifle, Model 1947' is a fully automatic weapon, unlocked at level 70.

It dates to post World War Two Soviet Russia, where the introduction of the first true assault rifle, the Sturmgewehr of Nazi Germany, had proven to be a deadly balance of firepower and manageability.

Upon the STG's introduction to the battlefield in late 1943, the Soviets were quick to emulate captured examples; Design on the AK-47 began in 1944, with eponymous design lead Mikhail Kalashnikov's team eventually besting other proposed designs in trials and testing.

The AK-47 brought with it a new intermediate cartridge heavily influenced by the Sturmgewehr's 'Kurz' intermediate round.

The Model 43 7.62 by 39 millimetre cartridge was to be the platform the AK-47 was designed for, and was essentially a smaller version of the Soviet rifle cartridge, the 7.62 by 54 millimetre rimmed, as used in the Mosin Nagant.

The tapered walls of the M43 cartridge also lent the AK one of its most distinguishing features - the pronounced curve on the magazine.

It's no coincidence that both the Soviet intermediate and rifle cartridges are of the same calibre - it's a testament to industrial efficiency, as the same tools and gauges could be used to produce barrels and parts, for both classes of weapon.

It's this utilitarian approach that has led to one of the most enduring and ubiquitous weapons ever made; Its durability, low cost and ease of use have secured its place in history over countless wars over the last six decades; And it will persist for many more conflicts yet to come.

In-game, the AK-47 is a high damage assault rifle, in the same class as the SCAR-H and TAR-21.

The SCAR-H has the greatest accuracy, and the TAR-21 has the greater rate of fire - the AK lies somewhere in-between.

It's ideal for mid-ranged engagements, and suits fully automatic fire at such ranges.

One curious thing about the AK is that it behaves differently without attachments; The addition of any attachment whatsoever - apart from the ACOG scope - will add a small amount of idle sway.

Without attachment, the iron sights are completely steady - but add anything, even the silencer or FMJ, and there will be a small amount of idle movement to the sights.

However, it's not a major factor, and some attachments will offer benefit enough to elect them.

The AK has its very own custom attachment, replacing the standard M203 grenade launcher.

The GP-25 is very similar to the M203, although it has a slightly faster swap time with a slower reload.

Interestingly the real life GP-25 uses caseless 40 millimetre grenades, so the ejection of the spent cartridge in-game is inaccurate.

In the Free for All games I was playing, I was running Sleight of Hand Pro - but free for all tends to be a faster paced, shorter streaked style when played aggressively so the faster reload and aim speed made a larger difference.

If you play a little more conservatively, anticipate engagements at choke points, and play team games then Scavenger would be a much better choice, particularly if you're using FMJ. With Scavenger you can spray an entire magazine through a wall without too much fear of running out later.

For your red perk, Stopping Power maximises the AK's killing potential, and is probably the best choice for most playstyles.

It will turn the AK into a 2-shot kill weapon at close range, or even at near middle ranges when unsilenced. It won't kill as quickly as the TAR-21 or F2000, but it's not far off and a lot more controllable.

The AK is a very versatile weapon that handles in a very consistent way. It excels at mid-range engagements, and although not the statistically superior weapon up close or at long range, is easy enough to control at almost any distance.

It's great for fully automatic fire, and although it's nowhere near as precise as the ACR, it does make up for this with its healthy damage to grant quick kills in most circumstances.

When you absolutely, positively, have to kill every single player in the lobby; accept no substitute.