Why The AK-47 Still Dominates

Mikhail Kalashnikov, world famous inventor, with an AK-47 assault rifle.(RIA Novosti / Vladimir Vyatkin)

Blake Franko, National Interest: The Gun That Is in Almost 100 Countries: Why the AK-47 Dominates

A few months ago, fighters from the Free Syrian Army ran American special-operations forces out of a town near the Turkish border, hurling insults like “infidels,” “crusaders,” “dogs” and “pigs.” These fighters, who are actively benefiting from U.S. support, brandished the most recognizable gun of all time, the Kalashnikov. The power of this image cannot be understated.

Thanks in no small part to the film, television and video-game industries, most people associate the AK-47 with tyrannical terrorists, depraved drug cartels and rabid rebels. Indeed, the high profile use of Kalashnikovs in the Dallas police shooting and the Islamic State’s Paris attack reinforces this link. Originally built for the Soviet Army and as a tool for spreading communism around the globe, there are now over 75 million Kalashnikovs and variants in circulation, produced by nearly one hundred nations. The rifle is easy to produce, easy to use and reliable, which makes it so effective at. The AK has made its mark on countless conflicts on nearly every continent. The story of this weapon is one of battlefield utility, market saturation and ill-advised arms shipments.

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WNU Editor: I have fired the AK-47 at a test range in Russia ..... it is an incredibly easy weapon to use. On a side note, the founder (Mikhail Kalashnikov) of the AK-47 had regrets before he passed away .... AK-47 Inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov Wrote Repentant Letter Before His Death On The Weapon That He Created (January 14, 2014).