The AK 47 - a selective fire, gas operated 7.62mm assault rifle

The AK-47 was developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. In 1946 the rifle was presented for official military trials, and a year later the fixed stock version was introduced into service with select units of the Red Army. It was one of the first true assault rifles and, due to its durability, low production cost and ease of use, the weapon and its numerous variants remain the most widely used assault rifles in the world — so much so that more AK-type rifles have been produced than all other assault rifles combined.