AK-47

The AK-47 (short for Russian: Автомат Калашникова образца 1947 года, Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947) is a piston-operated assault rifle used in most Eastern bloc countries during the Cold War. Adopted and standardized in 1947, it was designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov and originally produced by Russian manufacturer Izhevsk Mechanical Works. Compared with most auto-loading rifles of World War II, the AK-47 is compact, of comparative range, moderate power, and capable of selective fire. It was one of the first true assault rifles and remains the most widely-used -- more AK-type rifles have been produced than of any other assault rifle type.