AK-46

Based of a what-if question that popped into my mind. What if the US never finished the atomic bomb, and ended up fighting on the Japanese Home Islands? What if the Soviets invaded Hokkaido? What sort of weapons would be used in this final battle?
Issued at the beginning of 1946 after heavy fighting and many encounters with StG. 44's and 46's in the Alpenfestung (the last strong hold of the Third Reich concentrated in the Alps). Introduced by Mikhail Kalashnikov in late 1945 for trials, it was approved by the Soviet military and adopted for use by elite units and paratroopers. After proving its effectiveness in combat, it was approved for mass production in mid-1946. It has seen in combat from the Alpenfestung in Europe and Hokkaido, Korea, and Manchuria in Asia. After it proved its effectiveness, the Soviets ordered a longer version of this rifle for use with regular troops. This new rifle was designated the AK-47.
The AK-46 saw a resurgence in use during the Soviet war in Afghanistan, mainly among its allies from the Warsaw Pact and North Japan. Large numbers of AK-46's were sold to Syria during the Iraq-Syrian War (1980-1989).