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Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic
I think the West became fully aware of the AK in 1956 when it was seen in public during the Soviet invasion of Hungary but it was probably considered to be nothing more than a more powerful sub-machinegun.
I think the West was aware of the 7.62x39mm ammunition because they knew of the SKS but probably didn't know specifics about the round or Soviet intentions for it. They did know that the Soviets had captured plenty of StG44 rifles and its 7.92x33mm ammo and probably figured that the Sovs were as interested in the 'short' rounds as they were.
The West seemed to completely misunderstand the employment concept for the StG44 and they appear to have carried that over to the AK as well, assuming that they were to be used as SMGs. It wasn't until the 1960s that the West (specifically the USA) started to invest in 'assault' rifles (after the West dropped the ball <cough-pressure from someone to adopt 7.62x51mm-cough> with the British EM-2 and the CETME Modelo 1 and Modelo 2 and even the French CEAM 1950 Carbine in .30Carbine)
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This circles back to a question I've had a for a few years, but never looked into. I read a LOT of WW2 stuff, but (outside of books specifically on small arms) I've never picked up on Western troops really being aware of the StG44. German MGs are feared, and their high RoF is well-known. The panzerfausts are sometimes pressed into service. Everyone knows about a Luger, and wants one for a souvenir. Apparently rifles are rifles, and anything else might be lumped into the "burp gun" category. So, how many of those things were used by the Germans? Did it affect tactics? Were there just not as many on the Western Front?