Their numbers were, however, limited due to the 1989 assault weapons import ban making them an extreme rarity today. A relatively rare, semi-automatic-only variant - the SA-85M - was developed and manufactured specifically for civilian sale in the lucrative United States gun market with importation handled by Kassnar of Pennsylvania. Additionally, the model featured a telescoping buttstock assembly for a more compact end-product. The "AK-63MF" then emerged as a modernized version of the AK-63D and this brought along with it Picatinney rail support for the installation of various optics, lights and aimers. Both versions eventually made their formal entry into the Hungarian Army and were denoted by their "AMM" and "AMMSz" respective designations. The AK-63 was ultimately produced in two distinct forms differentiated by their style of shoulder stock - the AK-63F was the solid wooden stock version while the AK-63D sported a folding metal stock (ala the Soviet AKMS). During its reign, FEG (defunct as of 2004) provided customers with a diverse set of products ranging from military small arms to water boilers. Design work ensued and, in 1977, the AK-63 emerged as the new standard-issue Hungarian Army assault rifle, replacing the AMD-65s and AKM-63s then in service, and still following the lines of the Soviet AKM. While the AMD-65 worked to establish itself, the basic AKM-63 itself was utilized until the late 1970s to which Hungarian authorities then charged the local firm of FEG to design, develop and produce a more "economically-friendly" version and address some tolerance issues. The AMD-65 sported a shorter barrel, folding butt and plastic forward pistol-style handgrip. The AKM-63 was further evolved to become the Hungarian "AMD-65" assault rifle of 1965, this being nothing more than a compact version intended for use by vehicle crews where its smaller nature made it a viable weapon to fire from within the confines of armored carriers. By all accounts, the Hungarian version was nearly identical to the Soviet AKM design (upgraded AK-47) of 1959 - even in overall performance. The resulting design became the "AKM-63" of 1963 which saw its solid wood stock replaced with a plastic version while vented steel sheeting was used along the forend. In the early 1960s, authorities decided to modernized their AK-47s and moved away from the identifiable Kalashnikov-style wood furniture. The type proved a fixture in countless conflicts and battles throughout the decades to follow and owed much of its original design initiative to the German StG44 - oft-termed the "Father of Assault Rifles". ![]() Hungary, falling under the Soviet sphere of influence during the Cold War, made extensive use of the world-famous Kalashnikov AK-47 series of assault rifles debuting in the post-World War 2 world.
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