If asked about the 7.62x39mm cartridge (aka the 7.62 Soviet and .30 Russian Short), the first firearm that comes to mind is almost certainly the Avtomat Kalashnikova, i.e., the AK-47 assault rifle.

** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. ** Throughout the Cold War era until ...

As is true of many Soviet-era weapons systems—from the aforementioned Kalashnikov rifle to the Pistolet Makarova (Makarov Pistol) and the Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) series of fighter planes, the ...