Izhmash will launch new AK line in 2009
Vesti.ru did a tour of the Izhmash factory and interviews with various employees and with Kalashnikov himself.
It is all in Russian but still very interesting to see inside the factory. According to a couple of Russian speakers at WAFF they mention that a new line of AKs will be launched next year (2009)! I wonder what they have in store for us? Maybe finally a left-hand side charging handle?
During the interview Kalashnikov says he gets a lot of hate mail asking how he sleeps at night. He says it is politicians not guns that kill people. Well said! I have seen many interview of Kalashnikov over the years.
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The one major improvement I can think of to the AK would be a rear set sight such as the Valmet or the Galil have. A longer sight radius is always good for accuracy.
There are a few idiosyncracies in teh original Kalashnikov design that do not sit well with experienced soldiers (I make this distinction because - as Garry rightly states 100 million users 'can't be wrong' - but, of course, the vast majority of these users have the most basic of infantry training and practically no knowledge of firearm mechanics. This can be read as a postive or negative depending on your views).
Fits of all, as Steve pointed out, there is the right hand cocking lever. Add to this the right hand selector switch and safety.
There is the diminuative mag release button and, again as stated, theelementary iron sights.
Finally, but more controvercially, there is the lack of any rail system.
Many would argue that the Galil ACE or Robinson XCR clearly show the direction a 21 century Kalashnikov should take - but I still think that there is a huge market for the basic non-complicated 'works whatever' AK that there has always been...
As long as there is a Third World there will be a market for the Kalashnikov.