It’s probably not a stretch to describe Mikhail Kalashnikov’s AK-47 assault rifle as the most important small-arms weapon of the 20th century. See also: This Day in Tech July 6, 1947: The AK ...

The AK-47 is surely the most recognisable rifle in the world. The gun, with its banana-shaped magazine, is used by professional armies, militias, criminals and revolutionaries the world over.