AK-47

"This rifle right here got my name all over it."

- Ellis

The AK-47 is an Assault Rifle variant in Left 4 Dead 2. It trades the versatility of the Assault Rifle for incredible stopping power at closer ranges, making it an excellent weapon for killing Common Infected and Tanks. It also has a highly controllable fire rate for picking off Common Infected at medium range.

Differences
Compared to the Assault Rifle and Combat Rifle, the AK-47 has the lowest magazine size and slowest fire rate. In addition, accuracy is comparatively poor and kickback from each shot makes the weapon impractical at long range. However, it kills Common Infected in one or two shots based on difficulty, has a moderately fast reload speed, and has a very high DPS, making it a very useful weapon against Tanks. Combined with a laser sight, the AK-47 becomes a lethal weapon while on the move and a deadly one at any range while stationary.

Tactics

 * The AK-47 can kill Common Infected with one shot on Easy and Normal difficulty, and two shots on Advanced and Expert.
 * The AK-47 is a great weapon to use on hordes. The poor accuracy isn't as much of an issue, since the horde is usually in a tight group, making it easy to crouch and gun them down.
 * The AK-47's slower firing rate makes it easier to conserve ammunition, which is extremely useful considering its lower magazine capacity. This also makes it easier to fire in short bursts or single shots for picking off lone Common Infected.
 * The AK-47's high power and bullet penetration tears through Common Infected fairly easily and makes an excellent weapon against Tanks.
 * Remember that the AK-47 isn't a weapon designed to be used at long ranges as much as the other rifles. Leave picking off Special Infected to your teammates, and concentrate on Common Infected and Tanks.
 * The Laser Sight upgrade works exceptionally well with the AK-47, allowing it to get longer-distance shots in and become a more potent weapon against distant Special Infected.
 * Shooting a Witch in the head with the AK-47 will stun her, like if you headshot her with a Sniper Rifle or Hunting Rifle. This is ill-advised, however, unless you have enough firepower to kill her before she can get to you.
 * The AK-47 makes a deadly team with the Magnum. If you can find the two in the same campaign, consider yourself lucky. Use the pistol for long distance shots and leave the close and personal business to your rifle.

Trivia

 * The AK-47 in Left 4 Dead 2 appears to be based on the AKM, a modernized, but nearly identical and more widely used variant.
 * It is unlikely to stumble upon an automatic version of this rifle in real-life, though semi-automatic "sporter" versions are prominent throughout the United States.


 * The real-life AK-47 uses a 30 round magazine. It IS possible though for it to have 40 round capacity by using heavy box magazines; however, they make the Ak-47 weigh slightly more. 40 rounds was probably chosen for the sake of game balance.
 * The AK series is still being produced all over the world under different models and variants in numerous countries due to its ease of use, high durability, and low production cost.
 * The representation of the AK-47 in game is actually fairly accurate compared to real life, as the AK fires stronger rounds that can penetrate cover, often fires in full-automatic, and has poorer long-range accuracy and a slower fire rate compared to the M16.
 * A team of survivors using this gun makes for an easy E/R in any situation, as it is a great weapon for blowing the infected's legs off, killing them in about 2 shots.