Folks ask me what is the best reference book to learn more about AK rifles and the variations that are made all over the world. The Grim Reaper Second Edition book by Frank Iannamico is, hands down, my number one recommendation and I say that based on owning somewhere over a dozen books on the AK rifle.
The first version of the book was very good and with the second he improved the guidance and increased the number of photos. In it, he provides:
- Development of assault rifles
- Production facilities in the USSR/Russia
- The Russian AK-47 – Production, Type 1, Type 2, AKM and AKS
- The Russian AK-74 – including the base AK-74, AKS-74, AK-74N, AK-74M, AKS-74U
- The AK-100 series and AN-4
- Related Russian AK designs including the RPK
- AKs produced in Warsaw Pact and other countires – the coverage by country is something I find very valuable
- AKs in America
- Accessories including magazines, bayonets, optics and more
This is definitely a book you will want to add to your library. I literally keep it on the right side of my desk for quick access when I need to look something up.
The bad news is that the price of these books always go up. The first edition did and the second has as well. As of 2/19/2024, the second edition is going for around $364 in new condition and the first edition is going for around $330. Why? Simple – supply and demand. With both books they produced a limited number and then everyone wants a copy because they are that good.
There are some good alternatives but they do not have the sheer breadth and depth of coverage that the Iannamico books do:
- Joe Poyer authored a very good book “Th AK-47 and AK-74 Kalashnikov Rifle and Their Variations“
- Mikhail Kalashnikov (author) and Elena Joly Andrew Brown (who translated) provide some interesting historical insights that shaped the creation and evolution of the rifles. Yes, the author was the creator whose name is associated with the rifle. “The Gun that Changed the World”
- Gordon Rottman wrote “The AK-47: Kalashnikov-series assault rifles“
There are plenty of other books including user manuals, technical manuals, buyer guides and how-to building books that I’m not listing. The above is really to give you historical information to better appreciate the design.
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