AK-47 named as the best weapon of 20th Century.

Discovery Channels "Top Ten Combat Rifles" names AK as the ultimate combat rifle of the 20th century.

With over 75 million built worldwide, the AK-47 (a.k.a., "Kalashnikov") is a firearms legend that has probably inflicted more lethal results than any other single weapon system ever produced. Built on the same basic design as the German Sturmgewehr, it chambered an intermediate round and was built from stamped parts. The AK-47 was not only easy to produce and relatively cheap, is also proved remarkably easy to maintain and virtually immune to conditions that could easily take out other guns. Accuracy is average, but the Kalashnikov compensates for this with its ability to unleash a lethal wall of lead.

military.discovery.com...

Naturally M-16 took a 2nd place, over FN FAL.

Oh well.

I watched their Top Ten series and I agree with their assessment, the AK deserves the top spot, but I thought only 50 million had been produced?

With all of the replicas is actually closer to about 90 million.

Isn't it ironic... Communism built the famed gun.. had its inventor been in America he would be a billionaire. He is poor and lives in a communist era apartment house.

Not surprising really. Anyone can use one, just point and shoot, nothing else has to be known.

Last I heard, the inventor was going to get royalties from a line of umbrellas. Odd really.

Isn't it ironic... Communism built the famed gun.. had its inventor been in America he would be a billionaire. He is poor and lives in a communist era apartment house.

Kalashnikov is poor? What's a comm era apartment? Aren't most Russians live in comm era apartments?

I sure don't live in Beverly Hills, and I know of enough Americans who's patents have been ripped of and got nothing in the end.

Let's not generalize here.

Last I heard, the inventor was going to get royalties from a line of umbrellas. Odd really.

Here we go. Umbrella royalties. It sure is irony.

edit:spl



[edit on 20-11-2006 by iskander]

I wonder if Kalashnikov gets any royalty's from this AK47 vodka?

On the website it says " Vodka Kalashnikov is based on a select recipe approved by Mikhail T. Kalashnikov, designer of the AK-47 Rifle" Source

www.vodkakalashnikov.com...

Pretty novel idea


[edit on 20-11-2006 by warpboost]

The report estimates that there are up to 70 million AK-47s and variations of its design in the world today.

www.oxfam.ca... ols/

More info on the gun:
en.wikipedia.org...

Comparison to M-16:
en.wikipedia.org...

Please don't take the following as fact, just as my recollection:
About Kalashnikovs financial state. I remember seeing him on History or Discovery channel. They taped him in his appartment. It was normal (by lower class Russian standards). He was also saying that the only monetary compensation that he recieves was the pention, which everyone over 65 gets there.

[edit on 21-11-2006 by secret_aircraft6]

Originally posted by Rockpuck
Isn't it ironic... Communism built the famed gun.. had its inventor been in America he would be a billionaire. He is poor and lives in a communist era apartment house.

It woulnd't have been produced in america because it was so crude. Only a place like Russia or China could you away with such a crude device. It survived because it was easy to use, and increditbility cheap, while in America they could afford to spend more and make it over complicated

Originally posted by chinawhite

Originally posted by Rockpuck
Isn't it ironic... Communism built the famed gun.. had its inventor been in America he would be a billionaire. He is poor and lives in a communist era apartment house.

It woulnd't have been produced in america because it was so crude. Only a place like Russia or China could you away with such a crude device. It survived because it was easy to use, and increditbility cheap, while in America they could afford to spend more and make it over complicated

Don't forget - it is very low maintenance. Thats the best part about it IMO. Store it anywhere for months, years without doing anything to it, then pick it up and have a good chance of being able to fight with it.

[edit on 21-11-2006 by secret_aircraft6]

The russians built them to last

Russian Tank Recovered from the Lake After 50 Years

Note the cross on the tank.

The article stated that it was a war trophy.

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and other Baltic states cooperated with the Nazi, and a lot of them fought on German side, so it very well be that Estonia crew manned the tank.

Check out the cap on the guy in the part 3 of the video.

All Baltic states are currently a part of NATO by the way, and buying NATO weapons all the way from G36 rifles to F-16s.

Ain't it strange.

If Mexicans, Native Americans or Philippians's fought for the Japanese, by now we would only be able to read about them in history books..

Wow, The AK-47 Vodka now thats a idea. Shot after shot and you'll still loaded.

The AK-47 a very good gun, lik so many have already pointed out. Its a weapon cheap enough for any poor country or powerful enough for a superpower. A red killing machine that gets the job done.

[edit on 21-11-2006 by rotting_in_paradise]

I present,

The Umbrella!

Not much there, but it proves I'm not a loon. At least for now.

Originally posted by chinawhite
The russians built them to last

Russian Tank Recovered from the Lake After 50 Years

I do believe they got the design from the United States, the sloped armor I believe it was.

This tank looks an awful lot like a sherman.

It was the the suspension system. The T-34 was a development of the A-20 or sometimes refered to as the T-32 so I doubt it would have been influenced by Sherman. The sherman would have been more influenced by the T-34

Originally posted by iskander
Discovery Channels "Top Ten Combat Rifles" names AK as the ultimate combat rifle of the 20th century.

Naturally M-16 took a 2nd place, over FN FAL.

Oh well.

Actually Lee Enfield .303 is 3rd on their list, which is fitting for a weapon with over 60 years front-line service.

Originally posted by chinawhite


It woulnd't have been produced in america because it was so crude. Only a place like Russia or China could you away with such a crude device. It survived because it was easy to use, and increditbility cheap, while in America they could afford to spend more and make it over complicated

Here's an american made AK called the SR47 made by Knights Armament

en.wikipedia.org...

Uses the AR10/15 style reciever chambered for 7.62x39 and even takes AK magazines Was developed for special forces in Afghanistan who were running out of 5.56 ammo, but had plenty of captured AK mags. So this gives them the feel of a familiar rifle with the ability to use enemy ammo and mags

It was reported here on ATS a few months ago, i think the report stated that it was not adopted

I can see why it was named the best gun.

Truely a great gun Good job Kalashnikov, though, I don't really like guns...