AK-47 is still the world's weapon icon

Because of movies, many people think of the AK-47 as a weapon of terrorist groups and criminal organizations. However, the AK-47 is one of the most effective submachine guns ever made.

AK-47 submachine gun

Originally designed for the Soviet Red Army, today it is estimated that over 75 million AKs are in use and nearly 100 countries produce versions of the weapon. It is a rifle that is easy to manufacture, easy to use, and more durable than any other gun of its time. It has seen action in conflicts on every continent of the world.

The AK-47 rifle is widely used around the world.

The AK was designed by inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov, based on his experience from World War II, when the Soviet Union realized that medium-caliber bullets could be easily fired in rapid succession, were lightweight, and allowed soldiers to carry more ammunition.

The Nazis developed the 7.92mm round for the Maschinekarabiner 42, which later became the Stg 44. This gun had a very high rate of fire, a larger caliber than a normal submachine gun, but was lighter in weight. The weapons that the Soviet Union had at that time were the PPSh (a submachine gun that used pistol ammunition) and the Mosin-Nagant (a single-shot rifle). Realizing the effectiveness of the Stg 44, the Soviet Union sought to create a similar weapon, and the result was the AK-47.

The Soviet Union wanted a weapon that was durable, easy to manufacture, and cheap. The Eastern Front during World War II was very harsh, requiring weapons to always function well. For that reason, Kalashnikov designed the gun with a special structure, thereby preventing the effects of dirt and dust and being able to accurately shoot targets several hundred meters away. Not only that, the materials used to make the AK-47 were very cheap and did not require complex processing, so the gun did not consume much national resources and did not need to be improved much later.

Throughout the Cold War, the AK was considered a weapon of the proletariat. Moscow supplied millions of AKs and their modifications to many communist countries around the world. The Soviet Union also licensed the rifle to several countries, allowing it to be produced in many places. Almost every country could produce its own version of the AK.

AK has been widely known in the world since the Vietnam War broke out. American soldiers were always very cautious when facing militias using AK. Later, Washington learned from experience and designed the AR-15, later named M-16, which was lightweight and capable of putting pressure on the enemy.

Inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov with the AK-47 he designed.

The popularity of the AK was also demonstrated during the civil war in El Salvador in the 1980s. According to an American historian, the rebels initially used whatever weapons were available, but later the government discovered that the rebels had AK versions made in North Korea, East Germany, and Yugoslavia, and ammunition supplied by Cuba. This shows the depth of the Soviet AK supply chain to countries around the world, enough to supply an armed force whenever a conflict broke out.

During the Afghan War in the 1980s, while the mujahideen initially used old guns from the decades-old British colonial rule of Afghanistan to fight the Soviets, the pro-Russian government in Afghanistan was supplied with AKs and other guns produced by Warsaw Pact countries. After years of fighting, thousands of AKs were left behind in Afghanistan, and the Taliban later used them to become the major force they are today.

The Kalashnikov assault rifle continued to be used by insurgents, terrorists, and criminals after the Cold War ended. It is easier to smuggle AK parts than bomb parts, which is one of the reasons why terrorists love them. Meanwhile, all ongoing conflicts, including Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine, have seen the AK appear. In fact, on the battlefield in Syria, the government, the Kurds, and ISIS are using the same weapon.

To this day, many countries around the world still use improved versions of the AK-47, and it can be said that it is the most widely known submachine gun ever and a symbol of the Soviet and Russian military./.

According to Infonet