'The Gun': How AK-47s Changed The Nature Of War -- NPRThe image is iconic: the stubby barrel, the inverted arc of the banana clip. Osama bin Laden included one in his video after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Saddam Hussein had a pair with him when he was captured. It appears on the flag of Mozambique and Hezbollah.
The AK-47 — or versions of it — can be found in every major conflict of the past 50 years. In his new book, The Gun, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter C.J. Chivers traces the history of the lethal firearm.
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My Comment: I had the chance to test fire an AK-47 when I was visiting relatives in Russia. It's hard to believe that such a simple weapon can cause so much devastation and suffering .... but it is it's simplicity that makes it effective and the weapon of choice for most soldiers (and terrorists) in the world.