The most poorly trained militia can become a deadly force when supplied with AK-47 assault rifles. The AK-47 is the world’s most abundant firearm with over 100 million produced. Mikhail Kalashnikov invented the weapon which helped many countries to fight for their independence. “I invented it for the protection of the motherland. I have no regrets and bear no responsibility for how politicians have used it,” said Kalashnikov.  The famous Russian inventor Kalashnikov died this week at the age of 94.

Below is a scene from the movie Lord of War that describes Kalashnikov’s famous invention.

The M16/AR-15 vs. AK-47 debate

Ask gun owners across the nation which firearm they prefer, and you’ll get different opinions. I asked Bill Frady, host of the Lock ‘n’ Load radio show, which firearm is better?

“That’s actually purely a matter of opinion. AKs will work in just about any environment, but do not lend themselves to semi-auto fire so well. It was truly meant for automatic fire. ARs are like a set of Legos, very modular, and in a CQB scenario very effective. I would probably pick the AR as my go to simply because of all the time I have driven the platform. An AK is nothing to sneeze at by any means.”

No matter if you prefer the AR-15 or the AK-47, one thing is certain: no one will forget the name “Kalashnikov.” The video below shows a detailed comparison between the two firearms.