Editing AK-47 (section)

=== Cartridge ===
{{Main|7.62×39mm}}
[[File:RussianWP.jpg|thumb|Wound Profiles of Russian small-arms ammunition compiled by Dr. [[Martin Fackler]] on behalf of the US military]]The AK fires the 7.62×39mm [[cartridge (weaponry)|cartridge]] with a muzzle velocity of {{convert|715|m/s|abbr=on}}.<ref name="izhmash" />
The cartridge weight is {{convert|16.3|g|oz|abbr=on|1}}, and the projectile weight is {{convert|7.9|g|gr|abbr=on|0}}.<ref name="ammoweight" /> The original Soviet M43 bullets are 123-grain [[boat-tail bullet]]s with a copper-plated steel jacket, a large steel core, and some lead between the core and the jacket. The AK has excellent penetration when shooting through heavy foliage, walls, or a common vehicle's metal body and into an opponent attempting to use these things as cover. The 7.62×39mm M43 projectile does not generally fragment when striking an opponent and has an unusual tendency to remain intact even after making contact with bone. The 7.62×39mm round produces significant wounding in cases where the bullet tumbles (yaws) in tissue,<ref name="Bellamy p146-155" /> but produces relatively minor wounds in cases where the bullet exits before beginning to yaw.<ref name="autogenerated7" /><ref name="Roberts-2008" /><ref name="Purdy" /> In the absence of yaw, the M43 round can pencil through tissue with relatively little injury.<ref name="autogenerated7" /><ref name="Bellamy p148" />

Most, if not all, of the 7.62×39mm ammunition found today is of the upgraded M67 variety. This variety deleted the steel insert, shifting the center of gravity rearward, and allowing the projectile to destabilize (or yaw) at about {{convert|3.3|in|cm|abbr=on}}, nearly {{convert|6.7|in|cm|abbr=on}} earlier in tissue than the M43 round.<ref name="uthr.org" /> This change also reduces penetration in ballistic gelatin to ~{{convert|25|in|cm|abbr=on}} for the newer M67 round versus ~{{convert|29|in|cm|abbr=on}} for the older M43 round.<ref name="uthr.org" /><ref name="Fackler" /> However, the wounding potential of M67 is mostly limited to the small permanent wound channel the bullet itself makes, especially when the bullet yaws.<ref name="uthr.org" />