> totally different operating mechanism Not really. The bolt locks differently, but it uses a bolt carrier, gas piston, and buffer spring like an AK. That sa

> totally different operating mechanism Not really. The bolt locks differently, but it uses a bolt carrier, gas piston, and buffer spring like an AK. That said, the easiest way to dismiss the idea that an AK47 is a copy of the STG44 is to look at some of the gas operated rifles that preceded it in the Soviet Union, like the SKS, SVT-38, and AVS-36. Except the rotating bolt, they already had all the features of the AK in the 30's, and the rotating bolt is the one thing the STG44 doesn't have. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVS-36 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVS-36